Charlotte von Ahlefeld

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Charlotte von Ahlefeld (pencil drawing by Ferdinand von Blumenbach around 1800)

Charlotte Elisabeth Sophie Louise Wilhelmine von Ahlefeld , b. von Seebach (born December 6, 1781 in Stedten near Weimar, † July 27, 1849 in Teplitz ) was a German writer . Pseudonyms : Elisa Selbig, Ernestine, Natalie, author of Erna, author of Felicitas, author of Marie Müller , C.

Life

Charlotte von Ahlefeldt was the daughter of the Hanoverian regimental commander Alexander Christoph August von Seebach and his wife Albertine Wilhelmine von Ingersleben. She received her education from private tutors and governesses . Her poems, which she wrote when she was ten, are said to have impressed Goethe .

In 1798 Charlotte von Ahlefeld made her debut with her first novel Love and Separation or the Strange Story of the Unhappy Love of Two Princely People of the Present Time .

On May 21, 1798 she married the landowner Johann Rudolf von Ahlefeld on Saxtorf , Sehestedt and Ludwigsburg . They were married by Johann Gottfried Herder in the city ​​church of St. Peter and Paul in Weimar. The couple had three sons: Friedrich (1799-1862), Erich (1800-1853) and Hermann (1806-1855). A painting donated by Charlotte von Ahlefeld is still in the St. Peter and Paul Church in Sehestedt.

In 1799 she published her second novel, Maria Müller , which was a huge hit with the public for a long time. She published more than 30 novels and volumes of short stories and one volume of poems, mostly under pseudonyms, as was common for female authors at the time. She wrote her novels and stories in the style of the classicist novel or the rationalist family novel. The love conflicts are often shifted to the “age of knights” and end with “renunciation”.

From February to August 1803 she exchanged letters and interacted personally with the sculptor Christian Friedrich Tieck in Weimar . In 1807 she separated from her husband "because of his infidelity and violence" and lived in Schleswig as a freelance writer.

In the autumn of 1821 Charlotte von Ahlefeld lived again in Weimar to be close to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Charlotte von Stein , Charlotte Ahlefeld's sister Amalia was her daughter-in-law. She was also friends with Sophie Mereau . She corresponded with Clemens Brentano .

Her literary work ended in 1832 with her novel The Staff of Duty . She lived in seclusion until the end of her life, but had contact with her publishers and friends by letter. In 1846 she moved to Bad Teplitz for health reasons. On November 25, 1848, her husband died on his estate in Sehestedt, leaving behind a considerable fortune. Charlotte died on July 27, 1849 in Bad Teplitz. She was buried in Prague . A memorial was erected to her in Teplitz.

Your part of the estate is kept in the Thuringian State Archives in Rudolstadt . In the Kalliope database , 59 manuscripts are recorded by her.

Works (selection)

  • Elisa Selbig: Love and separation or a strange story of the unhappy love of two princely persons of the present time . Harris, London 1798
  • Maria Muller . JF Unger, Berlin 1799 digitized
    • Maria Müller from wife Charlotte von Ahlefeld, b. from Seebach. 2. verb. Edition R. Koch, Schleswig 1814 digitized
  • Simple representations from human life. 1799.
  • The acquaintance on the journey. A true story. Johann Friedrich Unger, Berlin 1801 digitized .
  • Louise and Milan. A novel . Ungern Journalhandlung, Berlin 1802 digitized
  • The acquaintance on the journey or love and doubt . 2 volumes. Leipzig 1804
  • Therese. A novel in two parts . BG Hofmann, Hamburg 1805 Second part digitized .
  • Melanie, the foundling. 1805.
  • Love and renunciation. Two parts. Digitized by the author Maria Müller, Johann Friedrich Unger, Berlin 1805 .
  • Countess Pauline. 1806.
  • [Paul Ferdinand Friedrich Buchholz; Friederike Helene Unger; Charlotte ESW v. Ahlefeld]: Confessions of a beautiful soul written by herself. Unger, Berlin 1806.
  • Poems by Natalie. Johann Friedrich Unger, Berlin 1808 ( poems . Wilhelm Hoffmann, Weimar 1826)
  • Charlotte von Ahlefeld drilled von Seebach: Letters on a journey through Germany and Switzerland in the summer of 1808. Johann Friedrich Hammerich, Altona 1810 digitized
  • The young French. 1810.
  • The stepsons of the author of Maria Müller. Johann Friedrich Hammerich, Altona 1810
  • Monastery profession. A novel by the author of Marie Müller etc. Hesse, Kiel 1812.
  • Rose, or: the boulder. A little novel by the author of Marie Müller. Wilmans, Frankfurt am Main 1812.
  • Franziska and Anneli a novel by the author of Maria Müller. Johann Friedrich Hammerich, Altona 1813. Digitized
  • Elisabeth Selbig: Esperance or The Golden Chain . Friedrich Wilhelm Goedsche. Meißen 1817 digitized
  • Albert and Albertine. 1817.
  • Elisabeth Selbig: Myrtle and sword. Friedrich Wilhelm Goedsche. Meissen 1819.
  • Erna. Not a novel. Johann Friedrich Hammerich, Altona 1820.
  • C .: The Moorish boy or the pilgrimage to Montserrak. A novel . JF Hammerich, Altona 1821 digitized .
  • Collected stories from the author of Maria Müller, Erna u. s. w. 2 volumes. Royal Deaf Mute Inst., Schleswig 1822
  • Friedrich. Narrative. 1823.
  • The messenger from Jerusalem. A chivalric novel by the author of Marie Müller, Erna, etc. Johann Friedrich Hammerich, Altona 1823.
  • Felicitas. A novel by the author of Erna etc. Duncker and Humblot, Berlin 1825. Digitized
  • C. Clara or the light in the hut. A simple novel . Basse, Quedlinburg 1825.
  • C .: The Sicilian or the pledge of love. A romantic story from the age of knights . Basse, Quedlinburg 1825.
  • C .: Old and new times, in stories and historical sketches . Gottfried Basse, Quedlinburg and Leipzig 1825 digitized
  • The coquette. A novel. From the author of Erna, Max, Breslau 1826.
  • Colorful sheets of paper for fleeting entertainment from the realm of reality and fantasy from the author of Clara. Godfr. Basse, Quedlinburg 1826.
  • Pictures from the world. In narratives . From the author of the light in the hut u. s. w., Gottfr. Basse, Quedlinburg and Leipzig 1826 digitized
  • The Brautsee and other stories from the author of the 'Clara, or the light in the hut' - 'Sicelianerin' - 'Pictures from the big world' etc. Basse, Quedlinburg and Leipzig 1827 digitized
  • Amadea a Rpman from the author of the Erna, Felicitas etc. Wilhelm Hoffmann, Weimar 1827. Digitized
  • Römhild pen. A real life story from the author of Erna. Wilhelm Hoffmann, Weimar 1827.
  • Rosamunde and other stories from the realm of truth and fiction by the author of Erna. Basse, Quedlinburg and Leipzig 1827.
  • The woman of forty. A real life story. From the author of Erna, Felicitas, Amadea, the Römhildstift etc. Wilhelm Hoffmann, Weimar 1829 Digitized .
  • Hedwig, Queen of Poland and other stories. By C. Author of 'Erna', 'Felicitas' etc. Gottfr. Basse, Quedlinburg and Leipzig 1831 digitized .
  • The staff of duty. A real life story . Wilhelm Hoffmann, Weimar 1832.

literature

  • Detlev L. Lübker, Hans Schröder : Lexicon of the Schleswig-Holstein-Lauenburg and Eutinian writers from 1796 to 1828 , 1. Dept. A – M, Verlag K. Aue, Altona, 1829, p. 6, no. 12, ( online )
  • Selbig (Elisabeth) pseudonym for Charlotte Sophie Louise Wilhelmine von Ahlefeld . In: Universal Lexicon, or complete encyclopedic dictionary . Edited by HA Pierer . Volume 20. Altenburg 1835, p. 573. Digitized
  • Ahlefeld, Charlotte Sophie Louise Wilhelmine from . In: Wigand's Conversations Lexicon for all stands . Volume 1. O. Wigand, Leipzig 1848, p. 168. Digitized
  • New necrology of the Germans . 27. Vol. 1849, pp. 570-582.
  • Ahlefeld, Charlotte v . In: Karl Schütze: Germany's poets and writers from the oldest times to the present. For friends of literature and for use in teaching in higher educational establishments, carefully compiled according to the best aids in alphabetical order . Bach, Berlin 1862, p. 4. Digitized
  • Ahlefeld, Charlotte Sophie Louise Wilhelmine von A. In: German-American Conversations Lexicon: With special consideration for the needs of Germans living in America, using all German, American, English and French sources . Arranged by Alexander J. Schem. Volume 1. Friedrich Gerhard, New York 1869, p. 211. Digitized
  • Ahlefeldt, Charlotte Sophie Louise Wilhelmine from . In: Lexicon of Schleswig-Holstein-Lauenburg and Eutinian writers from 1829 to mid-1866 . Collected and edited by Dr. Eduard Alberti, Volume 1. Kiel 1867, p. 3. Digitized
  • Karl Friedrich Ludwig GoedekeAhlefeldt, Charlotte Sophie Louise Wilhelmine from . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1875, p. 160.
  • Charlotte von Ahlefeld. A directory of their works . In: The autograph collector . Vol. 4, No. 1, 1954 ISSN  0067-2440
  • Walter Kunze:  Ahlefeldt, Charlotte Elisabeth Sophie Louise Wilhelmine von (pseudonym Elise Selbig, Natalie, Ernestine). In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1953, ISBN 3-428-00182-6 , p. 108 ( digitized version ).
  • Herbert Koch: Charlotte von Ahlefeld, December 6, 1777– July 27, 1849 . Local publishing and sales company, Mainz 1977
  • Ahlefeld, Charlotte Elisabeth Sophie Louise Wilhelmine Countess of . In: Gisela Brinker-Gabler , Karola Ludwig, Angela Wöffen (eds.): Lexicon of German-speaking women writers 1800–1945 . Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, Munich 1986, ISBN 3-423-03282-0 , p. 11.
  • Gero von Wilpert : Goethe-Lexikon (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 407). Kröner, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-520-40701-9 , p. 10 (first entry).
  • Love and separation. Charlotte von Ahlefeld's letters to Christian Friedrich Tieck . Edited and commented by James Trainer. Peter Lang, Bern 1999 ISBN 3-906761-87-8 (British and Irish Studies on German Language and Literature 18)
  • Lorely French: Letters from Wilhelmine Geißler , Charlotte von Ahlefeld and Henriette Schubart to Sophie Mereau . In: Katharina von Hammerstein; Katrin Horn (Ed.): Sophie Mereau. Lines of connection in time and space . Winter, Heidelberg 2008 ISBN 3-8253-5384-2 , pp. 405-414

Web links

Commons : Charlotte von Ahlefeld  - Collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikisource: Charlotte von Ahlefeld  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. The spelling of the name Ahlefeld in the ADB and in the NDB was Ahlefeldt (sic!). This name spelling differs from almost all contemporary spellings of the name.
  2. Neue Deutsche Biographie , Volume 1 (1953), p. 108 writes "1777". In all other reference works the year of birth is 1781. Since the contemporary encyclopedias are usually based on direct information from the persons and the entry in the NDB is quite poor, there is no evidence of another year of birth.
  3. Gisela Brinker-Gabler, Karola Ludwig, Angela Wöffen (eds.), P. 11.
  4. 1797 is often given. But all owning libraries, including Emil Weller, state that the year of publication was 1798.
  5. Since 1813 in the possession of Johann Rudolf von Ahlefeld. (W. Lesser: Topography of the Duchy of Schleswig . First Part. Kiel 1853, p. 160).
  6. “Christ the Merciful, standing in clouds on the rainbow, surrounded by a glory and angels' heads, spreads his arms to receive the troubled and burdened”.
  7. Gisela Brinker-Gabler, Karola Ludwig, Angela Wöffen (eds.).
  8. love and separation. Charlotte von Ahlefeld's letters to Christian Friedrich Tieck . P. 15.
  9. Christine Touaillon: The German women's novel of the 18th century. Braumüller, Vienna and Leipzig 1919, p. 501.
  10. ^ Johannes Baptista Diel: Clemens Brentano. A picture of life based on printed and unprinted sources. Completed and edited by Wilhelm Kreiten. Second volume: 1814–1842. Herder, Freiburg i. Br. 1878.
  11. Universal Lexicon, or full encyclopedic dictionary . Edited by HA Pierer. Volume 20. Altenburg 1857, p. 222.
  12. ^ Stefanie Freyer; Nicole Grochowina; Katrin Horn: Frauengestalten Weimar-Jena around 1800. A bio-bibliographical lexicon . Winter, Heidelberg 2008 ISBN 3-8253-5471-7 , p. 38.
  13. Großkochberg family archive. F369, F845
  14. “Love and separation or the strange story of the unhappy love of two princely persons of the present time (by C. v. Ahlefeld). London, with Harris (Severin in Weissenf.) ”. Emil Weller : The wrong and fake print locations. Repertory of the German fonts that have been published under the wrong company since the invention of the art of printing. At the same time as the second part of "masked literature" . Falcke & Rössler, Leipzig 1858, p. 109.