Franz Hedrich was born on July 30, 1823, near Písek, in what’s now the Czech Republic.
In the 1840s, he was introduced to the literary circle known as the Young Bohemians by Moritz Hartmann, where he befriended Alfred Meissner and began helping him with his literary work.
From 1855, Meissner wrote a series of successful novels, including Sansara, Schwarzgelb, and Babel. Hedrich later claimed them for himself.
Some critics found Hedrich had overstated his case, but he had contributed to Meissner’s works.
Hedrich married Janet Anne Barron in 1871 and died in 1895.
Sources and Further Reading
Franz Hedrich page on Wikipedia for more on this strange tale involving blackmail, suicide, and inheritances.
