Annette Von Droste-Hülshoff

January 10, 1797 (age 51)

Havixbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Droste-Hülshoff began to write as a child; 50 poems written between 1804 and 1814 have been preserved. She and her sister contributed folk tales from Westphalia to the Grimms' famous collection of fairy stories. Other examples of her juvenilia are tragedy Berta oder die Alpen ("Berta, or The Alps", 1813), the tale in verse Walter (1818) and a novel Ledwina (begun in 1819 but never completed). Though the works were recognized only by Anton Matthias Sprickmann (1749–1833), the founder of the theatre in Münster and an acquaintance of some important 18th-century poets such as Matthias Claudius and Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock. In 1820 her work began to show marked originality when she embarked on a cycle of religious poems, Das geistliche Jahr ("The Spiritual Year"). The poems were offered to the public only posthumously in 1851, as the author thought them to be too personal and refused to publish them. In 1826, after her father’s death, she moved with her mother and sister to a small country house near Hülshoff called Rüschhaus. She composed poetry, but not prolifically. In 1834 Droste-Hülshoff came on friendly terms with her sister’s husband, Joseph von Laßberg, a specialist in medieval German poetry, and hoped he might help her to publish her work, but neither he nor his friends appreciated modern literature and Droste's came to nothing. The first collection of her poems, containing three long narrative poems (Das Hospiz auf dem großem Saint-Bernard, Das Vermächtnis des Arztes and Die Schlacht in Loener Bruch) and a handful of lyrics, came out in 1838 with the help of her two friends, Christoph Bernhard Schlüter and Wilhelm Junkmann. In a print-run of 500 copies, only 74 were sold. Droste found the failure of her book "humiliating." The year 1840 marked a turning point in her career. In 1838 she met a poet Levin Schücking. Both of them were members of the "Hecken-Schriftstellergesellschaft", a literary salon in Münster, presided over by Elise Rüdiger, The two soon formed a close friendship. Schücking had published an admiring review of Droste's collection and sought her help in writing his own book, Das malerische und romantische Westfalen ("Picturesque and Romantic Westphalia", 1840), and encouraged her renewed literary creativity. In the winter of 1840—1841 Droste wrote her famous novella Die Judenbuche (The Jew's Beech, published 1842), based on an incident which had occurred near Bökerhof in the late 18th century. Now she had a sympathetic reader in Schücking, she began to write in earnest, producing about fifty poems between October 1841 and April 1842. They include poems dedicated to Schücking, often on the theme of ageing (e.g. "Kein Wort", "O frage nicht"), and poems of self-analysis such as "Das Spiegelbild" ("The Image in the Mirror") and "Die Taxuswand" ("The Yew Hedge"), which looks back to her unhappy love affair with Straube. Other lyrics are the nature poems collected in the cycle "Heidebilder" ("Heath Pictures"), including such famous pieces as "Die Krähen" ("The Crows"), "Der Hünenstein", "Die Mergelgrube" ("The Marl Pit") and "Der Knabe im Moor" ("The Boy on the Moor"). These often have an element of supernatural terror. In April 1842, Schücking left Droste’s brother-in-law's castle at Meersburg on Lake Constance, where the two friends had spent autumn and winter together, to take up a job as a tutor in an aristocratic family. Droste returned to Rüschhaus the same summer. The pair would never be so close again, as Droste had strained relationship with his wife, whom Schücking had married in 1843. Droste published a poem "Lebt wohl" ("Farewell") in the literary journal Morgenblatt, saying goodbye to Schücking. To make things worse, in 1846, Rüschhaus published two novels - Die Ritterbürtigen, which contained a highly critical portrait of the Westphalian aristocracy, after private information he could only have derived from conversations with her, and Eine dunkle Tat, which included characters resembling himself and Droste. The character of Katharina, based on Droste, is maternal and possessive and treats the hero as a substitute child. As a result of these publications and her dislike of Schücking's radical political views, Droste made a decisive break with him. Droste's literary productivity declined, but she did compose a few more poems, including the supernatural story "Spiritus familiaris." In September 1844, the prestigious publisher Cotta issued a large collection of her poems from the 1840s. This time Droste enjoyed great success and the book received admiring reviews from many important intellectual figures. Clara Schumann asked her to write an opera libretto for her husband Robert (the project never came to fruition). In time, Droste was acknowledged as the greatest female German author of the 19th century. After Droste's death, Schücking helped publicise her works, publishing the collection of her final poems, Letzte Gaben, in 1860 and an edition of her collected works in 1878-9. Important poems from her last years include "Mondesaufgang" ("Moonrise"), "Durchwachte Nacht" ("Sleepless Night") and "Im Grase" ("In the Grass").

Annette Von Droste-Hülshoff Edit Profile

poet

Background

Annette von Droste-Hülshoff was born at the castle of Burg Hülshoff, Prince-Bishopric of Münster, Holy Roman Empire (now Havixbeck, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany), on January 10, 1797, of noble Westphalian Catholic ancestry. She was the second of four children of Clemens August von Droste zu Hülshoff and Therese Luise.

Education

Annette's great thirst for knowledge was only partially satisfied by a thorough private education in ancient languages, French, natural history, mathematics and music. Her mother believed that Droste might one day go insane due to her early maturity, especially in education, her musical and lyrical abilities as well as her excitability and rich fantasizing. She therefore greatly controlled her daughter's life, banning acting and the reading of Friedrich Schiller, while requiring walks, painting, and embroidery, occupations more appropriate for a proper young woman's development.

Career

Droste-Hülshoff began to write as a child; 50 poems written between 1804 and 1814 have been preserved. She and her sister contributed folk tales from Westphalia to the Grimms' famous collection of fairy stories. Other examples of her juvenilia are tragedy Berta oder die Alpen ("Berta, or The Alps", 1813), the tale in verse Walter (1818) and a novel Ledwina (begun in 1819 but never completed). Though the works were recognized only by Anton Matthias Sprickmann (1749–1833), the founder of the theatre in Münster and an acquaintance of some important 18th-century poets such as Matthias Claudius and Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock.

In 1820 her work began to show marked originality when she embarked on a cycle of religious poems, Das geistliche Jahr ("The Spiritual Year"). The poems were offered to the public only posthumously in 1851, as the author thought them to be too personal and refused to publish them.

In 1826, after her father’s death, she moved with her mother and sister to a small country house near Hülshoff called Rüschhaus. She composed poetry, but not prolifically. In 1834 Droste-Hülshoff came on friendly terms with her sister’s husband, Joseph von Laßberg, a specialist in medieval German poetry, and hoped he might help her to publish her work, but neither he nor his friends appreciated modern literature and Droste's came to nothing.

The first collection of her poems, containing three long narrative poems (Das Hospiz auf dem großem Saint-Bernard, Das Vermächtnis des Arztes and Die Schlacht in Loener Bruch) and a handful of lyrics, came out in 1838 with the help of her two friends, Christoph Bernhard Schlüter and Wilhelm Junkmann. In a print-run of 500 copies, only 74 were sold. Droste found the failure of her book "humiliating."

The year 1840 marked a turning point in her career. In 1838 she met a poet Levin Schücking. Both of them were members of the "Hecken-Schriftstellergesellschaft", a literary salon in Münster, presided over by Elise Rüdiger, The two soon formed a close friendship. Schücking had published an admiring review of Droste's collection and sought her help in writing his own book, Das malerische und romantische Westfalen ("Picturesque and Romantic Westphalia", 1840), and encouraged her renewed literary creativity.

In the winter of 1840—1841 Droste wrote her famous novella Die Judenbuche (The Jew's Beech, published 1842), based on an incident which had occurred near Bökerhof in the late 18th century.

Now she had a sympathetic reader in Schücking, she began to write in earnest, producing about fifty poems between October 1841 and April 1842. They include poems dedicated to Schücking, often on the theme of ageing (e.g. "Kein Wort", "O frage nicht"), and poems of self-analysis such as "Das Spiegelbild" ("The Image in the Mirror") and "Die Taxuswand" ("The Yew Hedge"), which looks back to her unhappy love affair with Straube. Other lyrics are the nature poems collected in the cycle "Heidebilder" ("Heath Pictures"), including such famous pieces as "Die Krähen" ("The Crows"), "Der Hünenstein", "Die Mergelgrube" ("The Marl Pit") and "Der Knabe im Moor" ("The Boy on the Moor"). These often have an element of supernatural terror.

In April 1842, Schücking left Droste’s brother-in-law's castle at Meersburg on Lake Constance, where the two friends had spent autumn and winter together, to take up a job as a tutor in an aristocratic family. Droste returned to Rüschhaus the same summer. The pair would never be so close again, as Droste had strained relationship with his wife, whom Schücking had married in 1843. Droste published a poem "Lebt wohl" ("Farewell") in the literary journal Morgenblatt, saying goodbye to Schücking. To make things worse, in 1846, Rüschhaus published two novels - Die Ritterbürtigen, which contained a highly critical portrait of the Westphalian aristocracy, after private information he could only have derived from conversations with her, and Eine dunkle Tat, which included characters resembling himself and Droste. The character of Katharina, based on Droste, is maternal and possessive and treats the hero as a substitute child. As a result of these publications and her dislike of Schücking's radical political views, Droste made a decisive break with him.

Droste's literary productivity declined, but she did compose a few more poems, including the supernatural story "Spiritus familiaris." In September 1844, the prestigious publisher Cotta issued a large collection of her poems from the 1840s. This time Droste enjoyed great success and the book received admiring reviews from many important intellectual figures. Clara Schumann asked her to write an opera libretto for her husband Robert (the project never came to fruition). In time, Droste was acknowledged as the greatest female German author of the 19th century.

After Droste's death, Schücking helped publicise her works, publishing the collection of her final poems, Letzte Gaben, in 1860 and an edition of her collected works in 1878-9. Important poems from her last years include "Mondesaufgang" ("Moonrise"), "Durchwachte Nacht" ("Sleepless Night") and "Im Grase" ("In the Grass").

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Achievements

Annette von Droste-Hülshoff is commonly considered one of the greatest poets of the German language. Her criminal novella, The Jew's Beech Tree, and many of her poems are required reading in German schools.

Works

$The Jew\'s Beech Tree The Jew\'s Beech Tree$ Das Geistliche Jahr Das Geistliche Jahr

Bilder aus Westfalen Bilder aus Westfalen

book
- The Jew's Beech Tree
  (Based on a true story, The Jew's Beech centres on two bru...)
  1842
- Bilder aus Westfalen
  (German Edition)
- Das Geistliche Jahr
  (German Edition)
  1851

Religion

Her Catholicism was a matter of deep conviction, attained only after wrestling with serious doubts, and this conviction speaks eloquently in the fervor of her religious poetry.

Views

Droste-Hülshoff believed being born too early into a society that does not appreciate art, a society that allows a woman even less artistic autonomy. Thus Droste saw herself as a person outside the social norm, but not as the wife and mother.

Quotations: "If I were a hunter on the open meadow just one bit of a soldier if only I were at least a man then the heavens would guide me; now I must sit so nice and polite like a well-behaved child and may only secretly loosen my hair and let it flutter in the breeze."

"We Haxthausen female cousins were forced to seek the approval of the lions the uncles brought from time to time to Bökendorf in order for them to adjust their judgement accordingly, whereby we afterward had a heaven or a hell in the house, depending upon how they [the lions] had judged us. Believe me, we were wretched animals who fought for our dear lives, and it was namely Wilhelm Grimm who, through his displeasure, scorned me so bitterly and neglected me completely for years so that I have wished death for myself a thousand times over."

"When you gaze at me out of the crystal, the misty circles of your eyes like dying comets, with features in which two souls strangely creep round each other like spies, then I whisper, "Phantom, you are not such as I." … It is certain, you are not I but a strange Being whom I approach, like, Moses, unshod; you are full of powers of which I am unaware, full of strange sorrow, strange desire; God have mercy on me if your soul slumbers in my breast!"

Personality

Droste-Hülshoff was an accomplished piano player and composer as well as a good artist. From childhood she was keenly interested in every aspect of nature.

Physical Characteristics: Annette was born one month prematurely and only saved by the intervention of a nurse. She suffered from problems with her health throughout her life, including migraines, shortness of breath, sleeplessness, rheumatism, thyroid troubles, and agonizing eye problems.

The image of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff adorned the new 20DM bill in the early 1990s, when the Federal Republic of Germany issued new currency: her hair pulled back in a bun with signature curls on the side, her intense eyes dominating her face (some believe due to Graves disease), the collar of the dress close around her neck. All known portraits of her are similar.

Quotes from others about the person

Francis Joste: "The fame of the poetess rests chiefly on her lyric poems, her pastorales, and her ballads. In the poetic representation of nature, few can equal her. The poetical works of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff are imperishable. What makes them so is their originality, the proof that they are the works of a genius. It is this too that gained for their author the well-earned title of "Germany's greatest poetess.'"

Interests

music, painting, nature

Connections

In the summer of 1820 in two summer guests came in Bökendorf. They were August von Arnswaldt (1798–1855), a noble from Hannover, and Heinrich Straube (179–1847), Droste’s uncle August von Haxthausen's collegemate in Göttingen. Droste grew very fond of Straube. The Haxthausen family, led by Annette's step-aunt Anna, disapproved of the relationship because Straube was a commoner and devised a scheme to put an end to it. They persuaded August von Arnswaldt to pretend to pay court to Annette.

After Straube returned to Göttingen that summer, Arnswaldt actively courted Droste, who was certainly physically attracted to him. She quickly took back her confessions of affection for Arnswaldt and reasserted her love for Straube, but it was too late. Arnswaldt triumphantly went to Göttingen to tell Straube about this "indecisive" woman, and the two men wrote Droste a "Dear Jane" letter, ending any chance of reconciliation between Droste and Straube.

Her outwardly calm acceptance of the situation confirmed her haughtiness to her family, but letters and following events illustrate the long-lasting effect the episode had on her. She did not return for 18 years to Bökendorf, which she had enjoyed so much as a second home. The estrangement between her and her uncle, who had delivered the fateful letter according to strict instructions by Arnswaldt, lasted almost 20 years. As for Straube and Arnswaldt, she never saw them again, not daring to travel to Kassel, where both men resided.

Father:: Clemens August von Droste zu Hülshoff
Mother:: Therese Luise
Sister:: Maria Anna
Brother:: Werner Konstantin
Brother:: Ferdinand
Friend:: Levin Schücking

References

The Wild Muse Marion Tymms, whose examination of Droste-Hülshoff’s spiritual life and related work was published in 2012 (God’s Sorely-Tested Child), now discusses her poetic achievements in general and the influences behind them, from her teenage years to maturity, focusing particularly on certain key relationships which affected the course of this troubled woman’s life.
2013
Do Not Ask What Moves Me So Profoundly This is the third book on Droste-Hulshoff's work by Marion Tymms, in succession to God’s Sorely-Tested Child (2012) and The Wild Muse (2013). This volume focuses on her narrative poems, a genre in which Droste-Hülshoff excelled, although this was scarcely recognised during her lifetime.
2016
Ambivalence Transcended: A Study of the Writings of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff This volume is the first comprehensive study in English of Droste's works and authorial career. It combines a broad view of her literary and epistolary writings with close readings of individual works.
1997
Gods Sorely Tested Child: The spiritual life of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff with a translation of Das Geistliche Jahr Though the name of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff was little known during her lifetime, she is now recognised, more than 160 years after her death, as a significant German poet. Her work is linguistically challenging and her imagery taxing, but a study of it can prove richly rewarding. This book aims to open up this opportunity to English-speaking readers.
2012

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