Friedrich Schiller

“To save all we must risk all” is one of many famous quotes bestowed upon us from, Friedrich Schiller, one of the most successful poets, philosophers and dramatist of our times. Born in Marbach, a picturesque city located approximately 10 kilometers from Ludwigsburg, literature enthusiasts will be celebrating Schiller's 250th birthday. While tourists avenge on Marbach to see his 'birth house' and visit the 'Schiller Museum’, you can find most tourists angrily shaking their head outside Schiller’s renovated digs….the Subway sandwich shop on the Seestrasse in Ludwigsburg (I hope he likes pickles!). Poetry lovers of all ages will take part in a year-long celebration of prose, as Schiller descends upon our social calendars throughout 2009. As many of my fellow expats know, Europeans can really celebrate, so as we raise our glasses to toast his collection of poetic influence, let us take this opportunity to acknowledge his work, and share with our kids the importance of the written word.