The Huguenot

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Huguenot is a historical novella by Ricarda Huch , which appeared in 1892 in the Schweizerische Rundschau in Einsiedeln . The first book edition appeared in Bern in 1932.

The Huguenot Diana fights “for her personal rights and that of her religious community”. With such zeal she caused the death of her husband Baron Blanchet.

content

The Waatland nobleman Romulus Blanchet met his wife Diana von Yvero in an inn at the beginning of the 18th century during a trip through southern France. The henchmen of Louis XIV are after the follower of the Reformed Church . Blanchet saves Diana's life by posing as her husband. Although the formerly wealthy Diana flees from her “husband” a little later because she doesn't want to be taken out of pity, Blanchet brings her back to his homeland. Since then, the couple, properly married, have lived in harmony at Blanchet's castle in Lutry near Lausanne . Of course, Diana cannot get over the fact that Louis XIV appropriated her “rich goods”.

Once the couple took in a group of camisards who had fled from Louis XIV. Among these Huguenots are the once wealthy farmer Maccabeus and his granddaughter Nicolette.

At that time, Sigmund Steiger, the governor of Lausanne , was subordinate to the "Lords of Bern ". The Bernese gentlemen had ordered: Camisards are to be sent back to France. Blanchet ignores the order. The old white-haired Maccabeus thanks him. The camisards want to fight Louis XIV in the army of the Duke of Savoy . On this matter Mr. Mellarede, envoy of the Duke, goes in and out of the castle at Lutry. When Mellarede learns of a “considerable consignment of money” from France that will be on its way across Lake Geneva to the French army in Italy, he wins Blanchet as the leader of a “crook”. Money is stolen near the lakeside of Versoix and Coppet . Blanchet only takes the money that Louis XIV took from his wife from the booty. With the rest of his will, the camisards fighting under the Duke of Savoy should be supported.

A friend of Blanchet's, the young Manuel Steiger, the only son of the widowed Lausanne bailiff, falls in love with Nicolette. Manuel Steiger, an officer in the Dutch service, promises marriage to the Huguenot Nicolette, impregnates her and then rejects any idea of ​​marriage. Diana tries to marry the unequal couple.

But Nicolette goes into hiding with the Marmotte. The "reasonably benign, ice-gray woman" is considered a witch and lives in a mountain cave near Lausanne. Nicolette's newborn child, a boy, is called by the Marmotte Sigmund. The governor wants to marry his son to Fraulein von Erlach - a good match. Nicolette drowns little Sigmund in the black pond. The child murderer is locked up. The Marmotte goes to the governor and tells him that his son Manuel is the father of the dead child. For this word, the allegedly well over centenarian is locked up and dies while in custody. Blanchet and Diana are allowed to take Nicolette to Lutry Castle. The governor writes to his son. The officer obediently travels to Lutry, but does not allow Blanchet and Baroness Diana to talk into his conscience, and instead reports Blanchet as a robber in Bern.

Blanchet is imprisoned by the governor of Lausanne on the orders of the Bernese lords. During the interrogation, Blanchet trumpeted that the governor had conceived the prank on Lake Geneva. The bailiff was initially allowed to remain in office, but was then removed from his office by the Bernese gentlemen. In his will he gives Nicolette most of his fortune. Manuel Steiger falls in Flanders . The proceedings against Blanchet will be brought to an end in Bern. Blanchet will be executed there. Diana feels guilty and wants to see her husband in Bern. There she was received by Mr. Sinner , the ruling mayor , who tried to maintain neutrality . The Lord can only lead the widow to the decapitated corpse. Diana says goodbye to Nicolette at home in Lutry. Together with her grandfather Maccabeus, Nicolette goes to war against Louis XIV.

Quote

Blanchet: "Self-help is the right of those without rights."

shape

With regard to the protagonists Diana and Nicolette, the title can also be interpreted as ambiguous. Both are Huguenots.

The early text contains a hint here and there of Ricarda Huch's narrative talent. For example, the Lausanne bailiff is drawn to the black pond in a gruesome passage because his only grandson was drowned in it.

Several comparisons stand out. The bailiff of Lausanne, who wanted to become a grandfather, cannot get over the death of his little grandson and is "to be looked at like a hundred-year-old man whom death has forgotten". The Brown welding Gerin Ricarda Huch, who is staying in Switzerland since 1887, used country-based comparisons. For example, the Swiss listen to the " roar of war like someone who hears an avalanche thunder down from the Wengernalp across the vast slopes of the Jungfrau ".

reception

  • The historian Ricarda Huch, also in 1892, did her doctorate on the same subject at the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Zurich . The dissertation is titled “The neutrality of the Confederation, especially of Zurich and Bern during the War of the Spanish Succession ”.
  • This chapter on " Calvinist Tyranny of Faith" reminds Baumgarten of the amulet C. F. Meyers that was created twenty years earlier .
  • Sprengel praises Ricarda Huch's efforts to produce the most unbiased historical novel at an acceptable literary level in the footsteps of CF Meyer and mentions Hermann Kesser and his Lukas Langkofler from 1912 as his successor .

Book editions

literature

  • Helene Baumgarten: Ricarda Huch. About her life and work . 236 pages. Hermann Böhlaus successor, Weimar 1964
  • Peter Sprengel : History of German-Language Literature 1900–1918. From the turn of the century to the end of the First World War. Munich 2004, ISBN 3-406-52178-9

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Edition used, p. 29
  2. ↑ Baumgarten, p. 229, 4th entry vu
  3. ↑ Ricarda-Huch-Portal / work
  4. ↑ Brekle in the afterword of the edition used, p. 368, 8th Zvu
  5. ↑ Edition used, p. 58, 16. Zvu
  6. ↑ Edition used, p. 34, 2nd Zvu
  7. ↑ Edition used, p. 41, 15. Zvu
  8. ↑ Edition used, p. 43, 4. Zvo
  9. ↑ Edition used, p. 78, 11. Zvu
  10. ↑ Edition used, p. 48, 11. Zvu
  11. ↑ Diss. Photo of the title page
  12. ↑ Brekle in the afterword of the edition used, p. 368, 5th Zvu
  13. ↑ Baumgarten, p. 97, 1. Zvo
  14. ↑ Sprengel, p. 151, 7. Zvo