Rudolph Erich Raspe (1736–1794) was a librarian, scientist, and sometime gemstone thief. After a botched confidence scheme, Raspe fled Germany for England, where he wrote and anonymously published The Travels and Surprising Adventures of Baron Munchausen. Written in English, the work remained obscure until translated into German by Gottfried August Bürger, to whom it was attributed. After Raspe’s death, the true author was revealed.
