Much about E. T. A. Hoffmann (1776–1822) can be discerned from his name. Born Ernst Theodor Wilhelm Hoffmann, he later replaced “Wilhelm” with “Amadeus” as both a tribute to Mozart and a declaration ...
If the name E.T.A. Hoffmann rings a bell — a considerable if — it’s probably because of the ballet “The Nutcracker” (he wrote the story it’s based on) or because of Sigmund Freud, who makes extensive ...