Christian Gottlob Heyne

1729 (Chemnitz, Germany) – 1812 (Göttingen)

Heyne’s importance — he helped invent the study of myth, as well as the modern research university — is under-appreciated. Winckelmann, as a fellow-librarian, made a deep impression. Herder was particularly close — they were strong mutual influences. Forster, a friend, married his daughter (keen to escape her family). Among Göttingen colleagues, Blumenbach was his brother-in-law, and Haller and Lichtenberg were well-known correspondents. He gave Coleridge the run of the library. Humboldt, the Schlegels and Wolf were all students, Wolf infuriating him by taking out all the books he needed for his own lectures.