In 1759 Gotthold Ephraim Lessing published the 17th of his Briefe, die neueste Litteratur betreffend, letters concerning the newest literature. In it he attacked Johann Christoph Gottsched, who had led the reform of the German theater. Lessing wrote: Es wäre zu wünschen, dass sich Herr Gottsched niemals mit dem Theater vermengt hätte. It would have been better if Mr. Gottsched had never involved himself with the theater.