Educated at the University of Prague and the University of Graz, Sacher-Masoch received his doctorate in law in 1855 when he was only 19. He taught at Graz for some time before turning to literature. He worked as an editor for the international review Auf der Hohe at Leipzig for some years. He then travelled to Paris for a while before returning to Germany. In 1866, he took part in the battle of Solferino and was decorated for bravery. Known for his sexual eccentricities, the work for which is most famous, Venus in Furs, is said to have been the basis for the term masochism invented by the psychiatrist Krafft-Ebbing. Sacher-Masoch also wrote a large number of short stories. In 1883, he was elected a chevalier of the Legion of Honor by the French Government. His mental health began to deteriorate so that by 1895, he was moved to the asylum at Mannheim. It was reported that he died on March 9, 1895, but other sources state that it was actually at Mannheim in 1905. His other works include The Last King of the Magyars (1867), False Ermine (1873), The Messalinas of Vienna (1874), The Legacy of Cain (1877), Jewish Tales (1878) and The Snake in Paradise (1890).
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