Heyse, Paul (poul hī`zə), 1830–1914, German realistic writer. Besides the 120 novellas on which his reputation rests, he wrote some 50 plays, 6 novels, and many fine translations, especially of Italian poets. He was the first German to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature (1910). His most famous story is L'Arrabbiata (1855, tr. The Fury, 1855). Heyse's writings are elegant, polished, and psychologically probing.

Heyse, Paul (Johann Ludwig von)

(born March 15, 1830, Berlin, Prussia—died April 2, 1914, Munich, Ger.) German writer. An independent scholar, he led a circle of writers in Munich who sought to preserve traditional artistic values from the encroachment of political radicalism, materialism, and realism. His admired short stories and novellas were collected in numerous volumes; he also published novels, including Children of the World (1873) and Merlin (1892), and many unsuccessful plays. Among his best works are his translations of Giacomo Leopardi and other Italian and Spanish poets; many were set to music by Hugo Wolf. His popularity was already declining when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1910.