Berthold Auerbach Continues to be Wrong but Amusing
When one surveys the sublime friendships in the history of the German spirit, next to Luther and Melanchthon, Goethe and Schiller, the friendship of Lessing and Mendelssohn must also be named. It would be incorrect to portray them as congenial natures, but in active love of humanity, in love of pure truth they were of equal birth; the tempestuous man and the almost timidly considerate one cultivated true friendship through a whole generation; on the foundation of studying truth they held true to and supported on another.
Berthold Auerbach, "The Genesis of Nathan the Wise."
The more I read from Auerbach the more I conclude that his takes are not necessarily harmful but just...not accurate? He was also the one (according to Knobloch) to perpetuate the story of Mendelssohn & Fromet's engagement which is also probably not what happened.
Also absolutely wild to compare the collaborations of a) Luther & Melanchton, b) Goethe & Schiller & c) Lessing & Mendelssohn. Mister those are three v. different dynamics & exactly one of them should be called a friendship.