Hugo von Hofmannsthal, son of a jewish banker and lawyer, studies Jura and Romance studies at the university of Vienna. He begins publishing in 1890 under pseudonyms and gets acquainted with the journalist, writer and translator Paul Goldman, who would eventually become his patron. He travels a lot, publishes several literary journals, and cooperates with Arthur Schnitzler. Hofmannsthal dies of a stroke, two days after his son's suicide.