(Difference between revisions)
Jump to: navigation, search
Revision as of 13:13, 2 November 2010 (edit)
AKulsdom (Talk | contribs)

← Previous diff
Revision as of 13:14, 2 November 2010 (edit) (undo)
AKulsdom (Talk | contribs)

Next diff →
Line 12: Line 12:
After having become a very successful author, Hahn-Hahn decided to convert to Catholicism in 1849. This decision was taken under the guidance of the later archbishop of Mainz, Wilhelm Emanuel von Ketteler, and was possibly motivated by Bystram's death in the same year. The conversion, described by Hahn-Hahn in [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/works/show/55 ''Von Babylon nach Jerusalem''] ("From Babylon to Jerusalem", 1851), produced a religious turn in her literary work which can therefore be divided into two phases: the first one of the very fashionable and mundane author, popular for her travelogues and emancipated novels, as well as for her early poetry, and the second phase when her writing was clearly influenced by her religious awakening and consisted of prose novels inspired by her new faith, religious autobiographical writing and other genres like hagiography and the history of religion. After her conversion, Hahn-Hahn founded a convent in Mainz for young unmarried mothers. Writing then became an important source of income needed to build up and run the convent where she lived herself as a layperson until her death in 1880. <br><br> After having become a very successful author, Hahn-Hahn decided to convert to Catholicism in 1849. This decision was taken under the guidance of the later archbishop of Mainz, Wilhelm Emanuel von Ketteler, and was possibly motivated by Bystram's death in the same year. The conversion, described by Hahn-Hahn in [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/works/show/55 ''Von Babylon nach Jerusalem''] ("From Babylon to Jerusalem", 1851), produced a religious turn in her literary work which can therefore be divided into two phases: the first one of the very fashionable and mundane author, popular for her travelogues and emancipated novels, as well as for her early poetry, and the second phase when her writing was clearly influenced by her religious awakening and consisted of prose novels inspired by her new faith, religious autobiographical writing and other genres like hagiography and the history of religion. After her conversion, Hahn-Hahn founded a convent in Mainz for young unmarried mothers. Writing then became an important source of income needed to build up and run the convent where she lived herself as a layperson until her death in 1880. <br><br>
Ida Hahn-Hahn is one of the most important German female authors of the 19th century. She can also serve as an example for the ambiguous position of a woman writer: Her writing was praised as a model for female writing as well as criticised for promoting 'female egotism' (e.g. in [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/authors/show/75 Fanny Lewald]'s satirical novel about Hahn-Hahn, [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/works/show/382 ''Diogena'']). Judgements about Hahn-Hahn's writing also almost always mixed with moral judgments about her unconventional lifestyle, her illicit relationship with Bystram was the object of constant gossip and her conversion to Catholicism was commented on extensively both in Germany and abroad. Neglected for a long time by scholarly research, Hahn-Hahn was 're-discovered' by feminist literary critics in the 1970s and -80s. More recently, it is her travel writing, especially the Letters from the Orient, that has attracted attention from a postcolonial perspective.<br><br> Ida Hahn-Hahn is one of the most important German female authors of the 19th century. She can also serve as an example for the ambiguous position of a woman writer: Her writing was praised as a model for female writing as well as criticised for promoting 'female egotism' (e.g. in [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/authors/show/75 Fanny Lewald]'s satirical novel about Hahn-Hahn, [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/works/show/382 ''Diogena'']). Judgements about Hahn-Hahn's writing also almost always mixed with moral judgments about her unconventional lifestyle, her illicit relationship with Bystram was the object of constant gossip and her conversion to Catholicism was commented on extensively both in Germany and abroad. Neglected for a long time by scholarly research, Hahn-Hahn was 're-discovered' by feminist literary critics in the 1970s and -80s. More recently, it is her travel writing, especially the Letters from the Orient, that has attracted attention from a postcolonial perspective.<br><br>
-Ida Hahn-Hahn is of great interest for the COST project "Women Writers in History: Toward a New Understanding of European Literary Culture": Not only was she read throughout Europe, her works being translated into, for example, [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/receptions?fromreceptionsearch=1&sort=upper%28authors_works.name%29&page=1&searchtoggle=on&workauthor=hahn-hahn&worktitle=&receptionauthor=&receptiontitle=&medium_ids=11&medium_ids=192&receptionyear=&language_ids=2&references=&notes=&per_page=20&x=22&y=26 English], [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/receptions?fromreceptionsearch=1&sort=upper%28authors_works.name%29&page=1&searchtoggle=on&workauthor=hahn-hahn&worktitle=&receptionauthor=&receptiontitle=&medium_ids=11&receptionyear=&language_ids=1&references=&notes=&per_page=20&x=25&y=31 French], Italian, [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/receptions?fromreceptionsearch=1&sort=upper%28authors_works.name%29&page=1&searchtoggle=on&workauthor=hahn-hahn&worktitle=&receptionauthor=&receptiontitle=&medium_ids=11&receptionyear=&language_ids=4&references=&notes=&per_page=20&x=10&y=28 Dutch] and [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/receptions?fromreceptionsearch=1&sort=upper%28authors_works.name%29&page=1&searchtoggle=on&workauthor=hahn-hahn&worktitle=&receptionauthor=&receptiontitle=&medium_ids=11&receptionyear=&language_ids=7&references=&notes=&per_page=20&x=18&y=23 Swedish], but also her very particular literary career opened up her work to very different reading audiences and comments, especially when the texts are translated and presented abroad.+Ida Hahn-Hahn is of great interest for the COST project "Women Writers in History: Toward a New Understanding of European Literary Culture": Not only was she read throughout Europe, her works being translated into, for example, [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/receptions?fromreceptionsearch=1&sort=upper%28authors_works.name%29&page=1&searchtoggle=on&workauthor=hahn-hahn&worktitle=&receptionauthor=&receptiontitle=&medium_ids[]=11&receptionyear=&language_ids[]=2&references=&notes=&per_page=20&x=12&y=19 English], [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/receptions?fromreceptionsearch=1&sort=upper%28authors_works.name%29&page=1&searchtoggle=on&workauthor=hahn-hahn&worktitle=&receptionauthor=&receptiontitle=&medium_ids=11&receptionyear=&language_ids=1&references=&notes=&per_page=20&x=25&y=31 French], Italian, [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/receptions?fromreceptionsearch=1&sort=upper%28authors_works.name%29&page=1&searchtoggle=on&workauthor=hahn-hahn&worktitle=&receptionauthor=&receptiontitle=&medium_ids=11&receptionyear=&language_ids=4&references=&notes=&per_page=20&x=10&y=28 Dutch] and [http://neww.huygens.knaw.nl/receptions?fromreceptionsearch=1&sort=upper%28authors_works.name%29&page=1&searchtoggle=on&workauthor=hahn-hahn&worktitle=&receptionauthor=&receptiontitle=&medium_ids=11&receptionyear=&language_ids=7&references=&notes=&per_page=20&x=18&y=23 Swedish], but also her very particular literary career opened up her work to very different reading audiences and comments, especially when the texts are translated and presented abroad.
<br><br> <br><br>

Revision as of 13:14, 2 November 2010


Ida Gräfin Hahn-Hahn, German author, 1805-1880



By Elisa Müller-Adams, Universität Trier

Being from aristocratic and protestant origins, Ida Countess Hahn-Hahn led a rather unconventional life. At the age of 21, she married her cousin Friedrich Count Hahn (hence the double-name Hahn-Hahn) in order to support her impoverished family. The marriage was unhappy and after two years Hahn-Hahn and her husband separated. Even so their matrimony brought forth one daughter, Antonie, who was apparently disabled and given into care. Hahn-Hahn never married again, but found a friend and partner in Baron Adolf von Bystram with whom she lived until his death in 1849. Hahn-Hahn started her literary career at the age of 25 establishing herself quickly in the German literary marketplace as a professional writer, publishing poems and very popular travelogues as well as emancipatory novels.

Often referred to as the 'German George Sand', Hahn-Hahn’s novels in this first period of her literary production centered on heroines who strive to fulfill both their potential as artists as well as their romantic aspirations, but are often disillusioned by the limitations set by gender conventions. A good example of this is her most famous novel Gräfin Faustine ("The Countess Faustina"), which was published in 1840 and saw several editions in the following years. In these earlier novels, Hahn-Hahn offers a very detailed and critical portrayal of the lifestyle of the upper classes from a female perspective.

Hahn-Hahn also undertook extensive travels and her travelogues proved very popular, especially her Orientalische Briefe ("Letters from the Orient", 1844) which attracted a lot of attention throughout Europe. She also published books on her travels to Scandinavia, France, Italy and Spain; Meine Reise in England records her journey through England; written in 1848, it was, however, never published during her lifetime.

After having become a very successful author, Hahn-Hahn decided to convert to Catholicism in 1849. This decision was taken under the guidance of the later archbishop of Mainz, Wilhelm Emanuel von Ketteler, and was possibly motivated by Bystram's death in the same year. The conversion, described by Hahn-Hahn in Von Babylon nach Jerusalem ("From Babylon to Jerusalem", 1851), produced a religious turn in her literary work which can therefore be divided into two phases: the first one of the very fashionable and mundane author, popular for her travelogues and emancipated novels, as well as for her early poetry, and the second phase when her writing was clearly influenced by her religious awakening and consisted of prose novels inspired by her new faith, religious autobiographical writing and other genres like hagiography and the history of religion. After her conversion, Hahn-Hahn founded a convent in Mainz for young unmarried mothers. Writing then became an important source of income needed to build up and run the convent where she lived herself as a layperson until her death in 1880.

Ida Hahn-Hahn is one of the most important German female authors of the 19th century. She can also serve as an example for the ambiguous position of a woman writer: Her writing was praised as a model for female writing as well as criticised for promoting 'female egotism' (e.g. in Fanny Lewald's satirical novel about Hahn-Hahn, Diogena). Judgements about Hahn-Hahn's writing also almost always mixed with moral judgments about her unconventional lifestyle, her illicit relationship with Bystram was the object of constant gossip and her conversion to Catholicism was commented on extensively both in Germany and abroad. Neglected for a long time by scholarly research, Hahn-Hahn was 're-discovered' by feminist literary critics in the 1970s and -80s. More recently, it is her travel writing, especially the Letters from the Orient, that has attracted attention from a postcolonial perspective.

Ida Hahn-Hahn is of great interest for the COST project "Women Writers in History: Toward a New Understanding of European Literary Culture": Not only was she read throughout Europe, her works being translated into, for example, [=11&receptionyear=&language_ids[]=2&references=&notes=&per_page=20&x=12&y=19 English], French, Italian, Dutch and Swedish, but also her very particular literary career opened up her work to very different reading audiences and comments, especially when the texts are translated and presented abroad.




AsK November 2010



  • Portraits of Authors: Ida Gräfin Hahn-Hahn >

Personal tools