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Annette von Droste Huelshoff

Annette von Droste Huelshoff, * 12.01.1797 at Muenster-Roxel, and her association with August von Arnswaldt, *13.08.1798 at Hannover.

Anna (Annette) Elisabeth Francisca Maria Adolphina Wilhelmina Ludovica Freiiin von Droste-Huelshoff was born on January 10.1797 on the Huelshoff-castle at Muenster-Roxel. She was the second daughter of Clemens August II. von Droste-Huelshoff and his wife Therese Luise Baroness von Haxthausen. She died on May 24, 1848 at Meersburg/Bodensee.

The prevailing opinion is, Annette von Droste-Huelshoff seemed to be the greatest poetess of the 19th century. Her life was very calm and when she was 13 years old, she began writing rhymes. In the year 1826, when her brother married and lived at the Huelshoff castle, Annette with her widowed mother moved into the Rueschhaus near Muenster.

In 1838 her first anthology was published, but no one pays attention to it. The weak health forced Annette to go to her brother in law, Joseph Freiherr von Laßberg, who was a German specialist, * 1770 and her sister Jenny. Both lived on the Meersburg-castle on Bodensee. The poet Ludwig Uhland and other poets were visitors on the Meersburg castle. The years on the Meersburg-castle were her greatest ones concerning her creativity. The younger writer Levin Schuecking (1814 - 1883) became her lover for a short time and wrote Annette's biography. Already in 1819, so it is handed down, Annette had a love-affair with Heinrich Straube (1794 - 1819). He was a student of jurisprudence at the University in Goettingen. Straube was born at Kassel and worked at Kassel as an Prokurator and Oberappelationsrat.

August von Arnswaldt , 1798 - 1855 at the same time was a student who studied jurisprudence on the University at Goettingen and later on he became Mecklenburgisch Royal Legationsrat of Hannover, Master at Hardenborstel and Hoja, Gustaevel and Schoenlage. His father was Kurator of the University at Goettingen.
His friends were the brothers Grimm.

It is told that August von Arnswaldt was very well versed in literary, and very religious. No one knows exactly anything about the love affair between Heinrich Straube and Annette von Droste-Huelshoff and August von Arnswaldt and Annette.

For many people the flirtation was mysterious and a speculation. But it is a matter of fact that her step aunt Anna von Haxthausen was the intrigue of the love-affair between Heinrich Straube and Annette. In the year 1830 August von Arnswaldt married Anna von Haxthausen, who was four years younger than Annette von Droste-Huelshoff. The well known works of literature of Annette are: "Die Judenbuche", "Die Taxuswand", "Der Knabe im Moor", "Grueße", "Gaertnersturm", "Hauses Geist", "Der Heidemann", "Bilder aus Westfalen" and "Bei uns zu Lande auf dem Lande".

Heinrich Straube and August von Arnswaldt were members of the Boekendorf circle and there they made acquaintance with Annette von Droste-Huelshoff. She visited the estate Boekendorf for the first time when she was 8 years old to visit her grandparents. On August 19, 1805 she arrived with her mother at Boekerhof estate.

At first, the brothers Werner and August von Haxthausen were the centre of the Boekendorf circle, but also their sisters, especially Anna, who later married August von Arnswaldt. Ludowine and Ferdinandine belonged to the ambitious literary part of this circle, too. Together with a circle of friends they collected fairytales, legends and folktales.

Wilhelm Grimm visited the Boekendorfer circle in 1811 for the first time, his brother Jacob 1846 followed him later. But most frequently, their brother Ludwig Emil Grimm, a Painter, was a guest at the Boekendorfer circle. He recorded his impressions in drawings, watercolours and caricaturists.

Arranged by Gabi and Peter Arnswald