• 195. Caroline to Luise Gotter in Gotha: Jena, 11 February 1798 [*]
[Jena] 11 February 1798
|446| It greatly disturbed us when we heard from the Seidlers [1] that you, poor dear, had to be on the road until 10:00 [2] — we were all certainly able to appreciate the cold and boredom you had to endure in the meantime — but ’tis all past now, and nothing grieves me more than that everything was over so quickly. Until you are here once again, I will not cease to reproach those responsible.
[Practical matters, errands.]
Let me faithfully relate to you how your dear girl is doing. [Cäcilie Gotter not feeling well.] She is drawing with zeal and patience. Schiller’s head is giving her considerable difficulty, but she has certainly already gained insight into how one must draw, |447| and Schlegel is quite satisfied. — I wrote and told Tischbein that he really should come before Easter, since we would not be here afterward. But he will be staying here a few weeks after that and can then tell us what he thinks of her talent. [3]
This morning we again had a rehearsal, though there is still not much to it, and it is just as well that Cecile is not also performing. [4] The youngsters are doing wretchedly enough. Madam Loder is indefatigable, and the day after tomorrow we plan to rehearse in the assembly hall in the castle. [4a] Gustel is coughing a lot, and every time I hear it, it just pierces my soul. The weather is abominable, no human being can stay healthy in it. And the letters I receive from Braunschweig also speak of nothing but coughs and colds and river fever. [5]
Ott did not depart until Tuesday. [6] In the meantime, Lotte has already scrawled a letter to him, yesterday she was already on the fourth sheet, all crammed full, the poor fellow — how much foolish stuff must it contain! — she would have given it to me to read over, but I was afraid to get near it. It is quite certain that the Bern Constitution will be changed; [7] the result will be that Ott might not only forfeit the title of nobility, but also, as Hufeland believes, de quoi vivre, [8] since his father seems to be living primarily from his previously occupied office and the son was also anticipating such . . .
Stay well, my best, dearest friend, with your children and with your good sister-in-law. This evening at tea we will be reading Egmont [9] . . .
P.S. Schlegel visited Eichstädt and found all the windows full of the most charming flowers, rose-branches, lily of the valley, etc., with several tame canaries flying and singing in the midst of it all, so that |448| everyone remained in the parlor, and on the table in the corner there were raisins and almonds and delicious confitures. Thus does the nixie provide excellent nourishment. [10]
Notes
[*] Chronological note: Caroline’s review of Julchen Grünthal appeared back on 27 January 1798 in the Allgemeine Literatur-Zeitung (1798) 32 (Saturday, 27 January 1798) 253–56. Back.
[1] Presumably Louise Seidler’s aunt Dorette Seidler, whose sister, Christiane, lived in Gotha. Back.
[2] Luise Gotter and her daughter Cäcilie had spent Christmas with the Schlegels in Jena and remained after the New Year; Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter had died in March of the previous year, and Caroline had long insisted that Luise visit them in Jena.
Cäcilie remained in Jena after her mother returned to Gotha, not returning to Gotha herself until well into April. Her sister Julie Gotter in her own turn similarly resided with Caroline between May 1801 and March 1802; several of her letters home are included in this correspondence (Post Karte Durch ganz Deutschland, ed. J. Walch [Augsburg 1795]; Rudolf Koch and Fritz Kredel, Deutschland und angrenzende Gebiete [Leipzig 1937]):
[3] It was during this visit to Weimar and Jena during the spring of 1798 that Tischbein began the portraits of Caroline and Auguste he would then finish in Dessau (Königlich Grosbritanischer und Churfürstlicher Genealogischer Kalender auf das 1774 Iahr; Inhaltsverzeichnis deutscher Almanache, Theodor Springmann Stiftung):
[4] An amateur theater performance was planned for Justus Christian Loder’s birthday on 28 February. See also Caroline’s letter to Luise Gotter on 25 February 1799 (letter 222a [formerly 217, now redated]). Back.
[4a] The Jena city castle, also known as the old castle, stood at the site of what is today the main building of the Friedrich Schiller University.
Although the stump of the castle tower — originally the fourth corner tower in the northeastern part of the city walls — has been preserved, the castle proper was dismantled when the new university building was built during 1905–8. On the following city map from 1884, Leutragasse is indicated to the left, the castle to the top right with its rounded corner tower (Plan der Residenz- und Universitätsstadt Jena [1884], Städtische Museen Jena: Stadtmuseum und Kunstsammlung DE-Mb112/lido/obj/12070842):
Here another town map with Caroline’s residence at Leutragasse 5 at center (Matthäus Seutter, Grundriss der berühmte Thüringische Universitaets Stadt Iena an der Sale, mit Anzeige ihrer vornehmste Gebäude in Kupfer gestochen u. Verlegt durch M. Seutter. S.K.M. Geogr. in Augsp. [Augsburg 1731]):
Here a photograph from 1863 (from Dirk Endler, Das Jenaer Schloss: Die Residenz des Herzogtums Sachsen-Jena, vol. 6 of the series “Dokumentation” of the Städtische Museen Jena [Rudolstadt, 1999]):
Photograph from 1908 (Adolf Stier, Jena, Die deutschen Hochschulen: Illustrierte Monographien 2, ed. Theodor Kappten [Berlin 1908], 20):
[5] Caroline’s apprehension derives from her awareness that Luise’s husband, Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter, had died a year earlier from consumption (Genealogischer Calender auf das Jahr 1785 [Berlin]; Inhaltsverzeichnis deutscher Almanache, Theodor Springmann Stiftung):
Caroline’s sister Luise had married Christian Rudolf Wilhelm Wiedemann in 1796 and was still living in Braunschweig; Caroline’s mother was also living there with the couple. With regard to the health of the Wiedemann family, however, the situation was more dire than Caroline knew; see Luise’s account of her first child’s death. Back.
[6] Caroline is writing on a Sunday; the previous Tuesday would have been 6 February 1798. Back.
[7] Caroline seems to have been quickly informed of events concerning Switzerland. On 9 February 1798, France had decreed the establishment of a Helvetic Republic with fifteen cantons and a unified constitution, a move inspired by a revolutionary group headed by, among others, Frédéric-César de La Harpe (1754–1835), a Vaudois whose aim was to liberate his homeland from the hated Bernese aristocracy. See The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of World History, ed. William L. Langer, 2 vols. (New York 1975), 1:481:
The new republic was to be organized along French lines; excepting for territory annexed to France, all the cantons, together with the subject territories, were to be made into 23 cantons, bound together by an elected chamber of deputies (eight members from each canton), and a senate (four from each canton). At the head was to be a directory of five.
Although Bern declared war on France, and even defeated the French army at Laupen on 5 March 1798, another Bernese force was defeated the same day. Bern surrendered, was sacked, and a considerable indemnity imposed on it. There was, however, continued opposition, and in 1803 Napoleon had to return significant authority to the individual Swiss cantons (Act of Mediation). Back.
[8] Fr., here: means of support. Back.
[9] Goethe’s play Egmont: Ein Trauerspiel in fünf Aufzügen, in Goethe’s Schriften, vol. 5 (Leipzig 1788; also 1791), 1–198. Here Egmont and Klärchen in that edition’s frontispiece by Angelika Kauffmann:
[10] (1) Goettinger Taschen Calendar vom Jahr 1787; (2) Frauenzimmer Almanach zum Nutzen u Vergnügen für das Jahr 1792 (both: Inhaltsverzeichnis deutscher Almanache, Theodor Springmann Stiftung):
Translation © 2012 Doug Stott