Gottschall's prolific literary productions cover the fields of poetry, novel-writing and literary criticism. Among his volumes of lyric poetry are _Sebastopol_ (1856), _Janus_ (1873), _Bunte Blüten_ (1891). Among his epics, _Carlo Zeno_ (1854), _Maja_ (1864), dealing with an episode in the Indian Mutiny, and _Merlins Wanderungen_ (1887). The comedy _Pitt und Fox_ (1854), first produced on the stage in Breslau, was never surpassed by the other lighter pieces of the author, among which may be mentioned _Die Welt des Schwindels_ and _Der Spion von Rheinsberg_. The tragedies, _Mazeppa_, _Catharine Howard_, _Amy Robsart_ and _Der Götze von Venedig_, were very successful; and the historical novels, _Im Banne des schwarzen Adlers_ (1875; 4th ed., 1884), _Die Erbschaft des Blutes_ (1881), _Die Tochter Rübezahls_ (1889), and _Verkümmerte Existenzen_ (1892), enjoyed a high degree of popularity. As a critic and historian of literature Gottschall has also done excellent work. His _Die deutsche Nationalliteratur des 19. Jahrhunderts_ (1855; 7th ed., 1901-1902), and _Poetik_ (1858; 6th ed., 1903) command the respect of all students of literature.
Gottschall's collected _Dramatische Werke_ appeared in 12 vols. in 1880 (2nd ed., 1884); he has also, in recent years, published many volumes of collected essays and criticisms. See his autobiography, _Aus meiner Jugend_ (1898).
GOTTSCHED, JOHANN CHRISTOPH (1700-1766), German author and critic, was born on the 2nd of February 1700, at Judithenkirch near Königsberg, the son of a Lutheran clergyman. He studied philosophy and history at the university of his native town, but immediately on taking the degree of _Magister_ in 1723, fled to Leipzig in order to evade impressment in the Prussian military service. Here he enjoyed the protection of J. B. Mencke (1674-1732), who, under the name of "Philander von der Linde," was a well-known poet and also president of the _Deutschübende poetische Gesellschaft_ in Leipzig. Of this society Gottsched was elected "Senior" in 1726, and in the next year reorganized it under the title of the _Deutsche Gesellschaft_. In 1730 he was appointed extraordinary professor of poetry, and, in 1734, ordinary professor of logic and metaphysics in the university. He died at Leipzig on the 12th of December 1766.