Hofmannsthal, Hugo von

The Austrian author Hugo von Hofmannsthal was born in Vienna. His father was a bank manager. As a young man, von Hofmannsthal had a great gift for languages, and he published his early poems while he was still at school. He then went on to study law and literature at the University of Vienna between 1892 and 1894. He presented his dissertation in philosophy in 1898. An academic career was open to him after he published a work on Victor Hugo, but he turned it down in favour of a career as an author, he also made public appearances.