Friedrich Nietzsche Painting by Paul Meijering

Realistic acrylic painting of the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, painted by the Dutch fine artist Paul Meijering - the original painting measures 90 x 90 cm

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a German philosopher, cultural critic, composer, poet and philologist who is considered one of the most influential modern thinkers.

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (1844-1900) was a famous and influential German philosopher, poet and philologist. Nietzsche briefly studied theology at the University of Bonn. But he lost his faith and switched to philology, becoming familiar with classical literature and philosophy. He continued those studies at the University of Leipzig. In 1869, he became a professor at the university in Basel. During his professorship, Nietzsche's health deteriorated considerably; he became almost blind and could no longer carry out his duties. In 1879, Nietzsche gave up his position and from then on he lived as a free philosopher, constantly searching for the ideal climatic conditions that could promote his health.
One of Nietzsche's most famous works is 'Also sprach Zarathustra', which was the second most read book by German soldiers at the front during World War I after the Bible. In the early 20th century, Nietzsche had a lot of influence on several German poets. Nietzsche's philosophy was also abused by rising Nazism, vigorously supported by his sister Elisabeth. Indeed, she had taken the liberty of rewriting much of Nietzsche's work in such a way as to make it more Nazi-friendly. After World War II, his philosophy was 'denazified'. In the former GDR, his books were banned until the fall of the Wall.