Gellert, Christian Fürchtegott (1715–1769)

German poet. His works, mainly educational in aim, broke away from the formalities of earlier writers and prepared the way for Goethe and Schiller. His moralistic novel Das Leben der schwedischen Gräfin von G. 1746 was modelled on the work of Samuel Richardson. He was held in great esteem for his Betrachtungen über die Religion 1760 and Moralische Vorlesungen 1770, and his fables were internationally popular. He wrote some hymns which are still used in German Protestant hymn books.

He was born in Hainichen in Saxony. In 1751 he became a professor at Leipzig, where he had been educated.