Ernestine von Wildenbruch

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Ernestine von Wildenbruch, painting by Eduard Magnus , 1848
Louis von Wildenbruch after a painting by Franz Krüger , 1832

Ferdinande Christiane Friedrike Charlotte Ernestine von Wildenbruch , born von Langen (born October 31, 1805 in Neumarkt , Silesia , † January 2, 1858 in Berlin ) was a Berlin salonnière and mother of the writer Ernst von Wildenbruch .

Life

Ernestine was the daughter of the Prussian captain and later commander of Saarlouis Ferdinand Carl von Langen (1765-1820) and his second wife Christiane Eleonore, née von Schick (1774-1805). As the mother died shortly after Ernestine's birth, her father's friend and supervisor at the time, Colonel Carl Andreas von Boguslawski , took her into his house as a foster daughter.

In 1827 she became the maid of honor of Princess Luise Radziwiłł . In the Palais Radziwill , the center of social life in Berlin at that time, she met the princess's foster son, Louis von Wildenbruch (1803–1874), a son of Prince Louis Ferdinand of Prussia from a relationship with the merchant's daughter Henriette Fromme (1783–1828) , know. After the wedding on August 9, 1837 at Kochberg Castle , the seat of her childhood friend Louise von Stein, Charlotte von Stein's daughter-in-law , her husband transferred from the military to the diplomatic service. From 1842 she lived with her family in Beirut , where her husband had been transferred when he was appointed Prussian Consul General for Syria .

During a home leave she was held by the revolutionary events in Berlin until 1850. She lived in the Palais Radziwill, where she ran a political salon. She then followed her husband to the diplomatic posts in Athens and Constantinople . Due to a serious cancer illness, she returned to Germany in 1857, where she died after suffering severe suffering in her Berlin apartment at Ziehtenplatz 33. She was buried in the old garrison cemetery at the side of her foster parents. The grave has not been preserved, but it can be located.

effect

Ernestine von Wildenbruch was a respected personality in court and diplomatic circles as well as in the Foreign Office , whose experience and judgment were valued. She exerted great influence on her husband's diplomatic activities. During the time of the political uprising, circles loyal to the king frequented her salon.

Marie von Bunsen judged Ernestine von Wildenbruch:

“One understands that in the Foreign Ministry in Berlin the word and judgment of this woman had a tone and weight that has seldom been given to a woman in the council of men. All of her husband's official notes and reports were given for her attention. Abeken conferred with her on the course of Prussian politics as if he were a colleague and received advice more than once, which, even if without a certificate of origin, received serious attention from the managerial position. A true 'donna di gabinetto' as she was often jokingly called in her husband's letters, in whose hands the threads of politics come together. From August 1849 to February 1850, Mrs. Ernestine was again dependent on this activity, which she tirelessly mediated, probed claims, carried out in an admirable manner. The Wednesday evenings in her salon, on which one so often went into the early hours of the morning - although sometimes they only gathered around midnight - with games and an informal exchange of ideas, were undoubtedly one of the main attractions for all personalities who had any relationship with the Foreign Ministry stood. Count Brandenburg , who was particularly valued by Ernestine, was also happy to appear here , in order to rest for a moment after a hard, overwhelming day's work in chatting with the mistress of the house. She also took the social duties outside of the house very seriously in order to be oriented at all times, to be always able to keep her husband up to date on all important events from the first source. "

Works

  • Letters from Ernestine von Wildenbruch 1842–1857, in: From the Prussian Court and Diplomatic Society. Albert von Boguslawski (Ed.) Stuttgart and Berlin 1903.

literature

  • Hedwig Abeken (Ed.): Heinrich Abeken. A simple life in turbulent times. Middle and Son. Berlin 1904.
  • Hedwig Abeken (Ed.): Hedwig von Olfers , b. v. Staegemann 1799-1891. A résumé. Vol. 2: Blooms in romance, matured in selfless love. Compiled from letters. 1816-1891. Middle and Son. Berlin 1914.
  • Marie von Bunsen: The woman and the sociability. Leipzig 1916.
  • Berthold Litzmann : Ernst von Wildenbruch. Grote. Berlin 1913-16.
  • Petra Wilhelmy: The Berlin Salon in the 19th Century (1780–1914). in: Publications of the Historical Commission in Berlin. Volume 73. Berlin 1989.
  • Petra Wilhelmy-Dollinger: The Berlin salons: with historical-literary walks. Walter de Gruyter. Berlin 1999.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The marriage to Louis von Wildenbruch had six children:
    • Luise Rahel (born April 28, 1838 in Berlin, † December 20, 1918 in Klein-Öls ) ∞ Count Paul Yorck von Wartenburg
    • Margarete (born June 2, 1839 in Berlin; † July 1, 1839 there)
    • Berta (born July 5, 1841 in Berlin, † July 29, 1843 in Syria)
    • Heinrich Emin (born October 21, 1842 in Beirut, † March 14, 1893 in Berlin), Prussian colonel à la suite of the General Staff
    • Ernst Adam (born February 3, 1845 in Beirut; † January 15, 1909 in Berlin)
    • Ludwig (born April 8, 1846 in Beirut, † June 26, 1930 in Berlin), Prussian lieutenant general
  2. ^ Petra Wilhelmy-Dollinger: The Berlin salons: with historical-literary walks. Walter de Gruyter. Berlin 1999. p. 418.
  3. ^ Marie von Bunsen: Die Frau und die Geselligkeit , Leipzig 1916, p. 59f
personal data
SURNAME Wildenbruch, Ernestine von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Langen, Ernestine von (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German author and salonier
DATE OF BIRTH October 31, 1805
PLACE OF BIRTH Neumarkt
DATE OF DEATH January 2, 1858
Place of death Berlin