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Hermann Hesse was born on July 2, 1877, in Calw, Germany. The son of a former Pietist missionary, Hesse was expected to join the ministry and was sent to the Maulbronn seminary in 1892 to complete his education. Three short months after arriving in Maulbronn, Hesse began to suffer from chronic headaches and insomnia. He was promptly sent to the Pastor Christoph Blumhardt at Bad Boll to be cured. The treatment was not very effective, though, as Hesse's unrequited love for the pastor's daughter made him suicidal. He was then sent to a school for the mentally retarded and emotionally unstable for convalescence. After a few months, Hesse was released for good behavior and resumed his education at Cannstadt. At Cannstadt, though, Hesse began to drink, smoke, and incur heavy debts. In 1893, his formal education was at an end and his parents called him back to Calw. More...

http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Authors/about_hermann_hesse.html (Classic Notes)