Clemens Brentano was born to a wealthy merchant family in Frankfurt on 9 September 1778. His father's family was of Italian descent. His sister was Bettina von Arnim, Goethe's correspondent. He studied in Halle and Jena, afterwards residing at Heidelberg, Vienna and Berlin. He was close to Wieland, Herder, Goethe, Friedrich Schlegel, Fichte and Tieck.