Charlotte von Schimmelmann

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Charlotte von Schimmelmann , b. Schubart (born August 10, 1757 in Fossum, Skien , Norway , † December 2, 1816 in Copenhagen ) was a Danish noblewoman who made a name for herself as a Salonnière .

First years

Charlotte Schimmelmann

Magdalene Charlotte Hedevig Schubart was born in Fossum in Skien in southern Norway in August 1757 . At the age of two she lost her father, Lieutenant Carl Rudolph Schubart (1714–59). In addition to her mother Inger Løvenskiold (1732–1808), her wealthy godmother Magdalene Charlotte Hedevig Løvenskiold (1731–1796) took care of comprehensive training for Charlotte and her sister Anna Sybilla. Charlotte dealt with literature, among other things, and learned several languages, which was unusual for girls at this time. Her aunt welcomed members of the enlightened and artistic circles of Copenhagen to her property at Løvenborg Castle.

In May 1782 Charlotte Schubart married the art-loving politician and plantation owner Ernst Heinrich von Schimmelmann, who was already widowed . In 1784 he became Minister of Finance for the entire Danish state and later Prime Minister. His family had become the richest family in Denmark in the 18th century, mainly through the slave and sugar trade with the West Indies . A sugar refinery in Copenhagen and a gun factory in Hellebaek also made good money at the time of the coalition wars .

The couple had no children. It adopted two daughters. Charlotte's sister Anna Sybilla was married to Johan Ludvig Reventlow (1851-1801), a brother of Christian Detlev von Reventlow . Her daughter Vilhelmine (1788–1868) became the wife of Friedrich Adolph von Holstein .

salon

The Schimmelmann couple with Jens Immanuel Baggesen (right)

Following the example of Madame de Stael and her aunt, Charlotte von Schimmelmann organized a salon in Copenhagen in which she brought together elites from politics, business, art and diplomacy who were primarily impressed by the progressive ideas of the French Revolution in 1789. She campaigned for the abolition of slavery , regardless of the fact that the salon was financed in large part from the proceeds of plantations that were worked by slaves.

Schimmelmanns supported schools financially and sponsored Danish artists. Charlotte von Schimmelmann exchanged letters with well-known personalities, including the poet Jens Immanuel Baggesen , who had gathered a circle of Friedrich Schiller's admirers . When it became known that Schiller was in great health and financial difficulties, Ernst Heinrich von Schimmelmann offered the German poet a three-year pension of 1,000 thalers a year. This resulted in a friendship between the Schiller couple and the Schimmelmanns. Parts of their correspondence have been preserved. After Schiller's death, Charlotte Schimmelmann continued the friendship with his wife Charlotte .

Last years

With the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the salon lost its attraction. Schimmelmann's finances collapsed when Ernst Heinrich von Schimmelmann went bankrupt in 1813 . Charlotte Schimmelmann died on December 2, 1816. Her grave in the cemetery of St. Peter's Church in Copenhagen is next to the grave of her husband and his first wife Emilie Rantzau. Only part of your letters have survived.

literature

Web links

Commons : Charlotte von Schimmelmann  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Stefan Winkle : "Schimmelmann and Son Company". The Danish slave trade. . In: Hamburger Ärzteblatt 12/2003; Pp. 530-537
  2. ↑ Annelise Ballegaard Petersen and Anne Scott Sørensen: Breve til Charlotte. Fra Sølyst til Weimar . Odense: Syddansk Universitetsforlag, 2011
  3. ↑ Schiller's letters to Charlotte von Schimmelmann [1]
  4. ↑ Charlotte Schimmelmann. In: gravsted.dk. Retrieved May 13, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Schimmelmann, Charlotte von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schimmelmann, Magdalene Charlotte Hedevig; Schubart, Charlotte (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Danish salonnière
DATE OF BIRTH August 10, 1757
PLACE OF BIRTH Fossum, Skien
DATE OF DEATH December 2, 1816
Place of death Copenhagen