Elisa von der Recke  was a writer and poet, born in Duchy of Courland (nowadays part of Latvia)

Elisa von der Recke was born in Schönberg (Skaistkalne manor),  Skaistkalne parish, Courland, the daughter of Graf (later Reichsgraf) Johann Friedrich von Medem and his wife, Louise Dorothea von Korff.

In 1771 she married Kammerherr Georg Peter Magnus von der Recke, living with him at Neuenburg Castle (now Jaunpils Castle). She separated from him in 1776 and divorced in 1781.

Their daughter, Frederika von der Recke, died in 1777.

Her younger half-sister was Dorothea von Medem, Duchess of Courland, for whom she carried out diplomatic work after Duchy of Courland was annected by Russian Empire in 1795.

Life

In 1787 her first book, Nachricht von des berüchtigten Cagliostro Aufenthalt in Mitau im Jahre 1779 und dessen magischen Operationen, made a great impact right across Europe, with Catherine the Great even granting Elisa lands in Courland (at that time already annected by Russia) in recognition of the work (making Elisa financially independent).

She got to know Goethe, Schiller, Wieland, Herder and other European literary figures, and intensified their relationships through prolific correspondence.

From 1798 she lived almost exclusively in Dresden, and from 1804 cohabited there with her friend Christoph August Tiedge. Their meetings were religio-sentimentalist in tone, with the singing of chorales by Johann Gottlieb Naumann. Her works consisted mainly of pietist-sentimentalist poems, journals and memoirs.

Elisa von der Recke looked after thirteen foster daughters. She died in Dresden and is buried at the Inneren Neustädter Friedhof in Dresden.

Works

• Nachricht von des berüchtigten Cagliostro Aufenthalt in Mitau im Jahre 1779 und dessen magischen Operationen, 1787
• Johann Lorenz Blessig (Hrsg.): Leben des Grafen Johann Friedrich von Medem nebst seinem Briefwechsel hauptsächlich mit der Frau Kammerherrinn von der Recke, seiner Schwester, 1792 (Digitalisat)
• Familien=Scenen oder Entwickelungen auf dem Masquenballe, ca. 1794, published in 1826 (Digitalisat)
• Über Naumann, den guten Menschen und großen Künstler, article in Neuen Deutschen Merkur, 1803

Posthumously published

• Geistliche Lieder, Gebete und religiöse Betrachtungen, Teubner, Leipzig 1841
• Elisa von der Recke. Band 1. Aufzeichnungen und Briefe aus ihren Jugendtagen, hrsg. von Paul Rachel, 2. Auflage 1902
• Elisa von der Recke. Band 2. Tagebücher und Briefe aus ihren Wanderjahren, hrsg. von Paul Rachel, 1902
• Herzensgeschichten einer baltischen Edelfrau. Erinnerungen und Briefe, Lutz, Stuttgart 1921
• Tagebücher und Selbstzeugnisse, hrsg. v. Christine Träger, Köhler und Amelang, Leipzig / Beck, München 1984, ISBN 3-406-30196-7

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The Cartography of Sentiment: An Exhaustive Inventory of Geographical References in the Writings of Elisa von der Recke (1754–1833)

 

 

I. The Geographical Crucible: Recke’s Baltic and Biographical Landscape

 

The earliest and most defining geographical references in the life and works of Elisa von der Recke are rooted in the Baltic region, specifically the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Kurland), which now constitutes parts of modern-day Latvia. This region provided the initial, often restrictive, framework of her aristocratic existence, contrasting sharply with the intellectual freedom she later pursued across Europe.

 

1.1. Kurland and Semigallia: Birth, Ancestry, and the Early Estates

 

Elisa von der Recke was born Charlotte Elisabeth Konstantia von Médem on May 20, 1754, in Schönberg, located in Skaistkalne parish, Courland.1 This birthplace establishes her lineage within the influential Baltic German aristocracy, whose sizable landholdings defined the socio-political landscape of Kurland (Kurzeme).2 Schönberg, now Skaistkalne, Vecumnieki Municipality, Latvia, serves as the geographical origin of her life story.

Following her marriage in 1771 to Kammerherr Georg Peter Magnus von der Recke, she resided at Neuenburg Castle, known today as Jaunpils Castle, situated in the Semigallia region of Latvia. This structure, more accurately described as a large manor house, had been in the von der Recke family since the sixteenth century. Although geographically significant—it was the site of her early married life—the castle primarily symbolizes personal and domestic confinement for Elisa. It was within this isolated setting that she first turned intensely toward literature, discovering the works of Wieland, Gellert, and Young, which ultimately catalyzed the development of her distinct sentimental-mystical worldview (Empfindsamkeit). The transition from the constraints of life at Jaunpils to the eventual public assertion of her literary voice defines a movement from enforced aristocratic geography to intellectual self-determination.   

 

1.2. Mitau (Jelgava): The Seat of Scandal and the Genesis of Public Authorship (1779)

 

The most crucial geographical reference associated with Recke’s emergence into the European public sphere is Mitau (Jelgava), also located in Courland. Mitau was the specific city where the notorious spiritualist, "Count" Alessandro di Cagliostro, conducted his supposed "magical operations" in 1779.   

The importance of Mitau is entirely derived from Recke’s highly influential 1787 exposé, Nachricht von des berüchtigten Cagliostro Aufenthalt in Mitau im Jahre 1779 und dessen magischen Operationen. This memoir validated the widespread suspicion regarding Cagliostro's charlatanism and articulated the Enlightenment critique of occultism. The publication made Recke famous "right across Europe," converting a regional Baltic town into a universal symbol of intellectual clarity and moral courage. The decision to publish this memoir marks a definitive shift, using the geographical context of a personal trauma (her involvement with Cagliostro) to launch a successful career as a public intellectual.   

 

1.3. Diplomatic and Early Travel Nexus: St. Petersburg and the Russian Court

 

Another crucial location linking her Baltic origins to the broader European political landscape is St. Petersburg, Russia. Recke traveled there in 1795 to conduct diplomatic work on behalf of her native Kurland after the region fell under Russian control. Furthermore, her exposé on Cagliostro had significant reach, even leading her to warn Tsaritsa Catherine the Great about the impostor, an act that further cemented the Mitau incident within the Russian capital’s sphere of influence. St. Petersburg is also recognized as an intellectual center within her expansive social network.   

 

II. The Fixed Point: Dresden and the German Salon Culture (1798–1833)

 

Following her early travels and literary acclaim, Elisa von der Recke settled permanently in Dresden, Kingdom of Saxony (part of the German Confederation), establishing it as the center of her mature life and literary productivity. This decision fundamentally defined her ideological alignment during the late Enlightenment.

 

2.1. Dresden: The Final Residence, Intellectual Center, and Pietist Community

 

From 1798 until her death on April 13, 1833, Recke lived almost exclusively in Dresden. This city served as the enduring nucleus of her later life, characterized by philanthropic endeavors, including caring for numerous foster daughters, and sustained literary output.   

The most significant social-geographical detail of her life in Dresden is her cohabitation, beginning in 1804, with her long-time companion and fellow author, Christoph August Tiedge. Their shared residence was the focal point of a distinctive cultural movement characterized by a "religio-sentimentalist" tone, often featuring the singing of chorales. This cultivation of Empfindsamkeit (Sentimentalism) in Dresden represents her conscious alignment with a strand of German intellectual life that prioritized emotion and piety, providing her with a supportive geographical base for her mature works.   

Additionally, during this final period, her later diaries and biographical accounts frequently note her need to spend time in Dresden’s surrounding mineral springs and baths. This consistent referencing of therapeutic locations reflects a geographical pattern of retreat and self-care, consistent with the sentimental ethos she embraced.   

 

2.2. The Wider German Literary Network: Weimar, Berlin, Leipzig, and Göttingen

 

While Dresden was her anchor, Recke’s correspondence and influence spanned the major literary hubs of the German-speaking world. She maintained strong relationships, primarily through correspondence, with the leading figures of the Weimarer Klassik movement—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, Christoph Martin Wieland, and Johann Gottfried Herder.   

More specifically, academic analysis of her social connections and intellectual orbit confirms that Recke or her close associates spent time in crucial centers of learning such as Göttingen, Leipzig, and Weimar. Furthermore, Berlin is explicitly identified as a location where she hosted literary salons. The selection of Dresden as her primary fixed point, rather than a more dominant cultural center like Weimar, suggests a subtle ideological positioning, signaling her dedication to sentimentalism and pietism over the pure classicism advocated by the Weimar circle.   

 

2.3. Secondary Geographical Context in Correspondence: Nachod

 

A specific, though temporary, geographical reference appears in her later correspondence. In January 1813, Recke wrote a letter from Nachod (present-day Czech Republic/Bohemia). She specified her location as being "22 Meilen hinter Prag an der Schlesischen Gränze" (22 miles behind Prague, on the Silesian border). This precise locational detail in her personal letters provides a geographical marker during a period of complex European movement and military instability, demonstrating that her life, even after settling in Dresden, involved significant temporary sojourns throughout Central Europe.   

 

III. The Movement of Insight: Analyzing the Grand Tour Travelogues (1804–1806)

 

Elisa von der Recke’s most detailed and explicitly geographical documentation is found in her travel journals, which played a central role in her literary production. Travel journalism was one of the few accepted literary genres that allowed women to enter the public sphere during the early nineteenth century. Her comprehensive itinerary is contained within her work, Tagebuch einer Reise durch einen Theil Deutschlands und durch Italien, in den Jahren 1804 bis 1806, edited by Carl August Böttiger and published posthumously.   

The geographical itinerary detailed in her Tagebuch is extensive, transforming her from an observer into a critical analyst of the rapidly changing European continent.   

 

3.1. Mapping the Northern Route: Germany and Alpine Transit (Volume I)

 

The first volume of the journal details the initial southward progression of her journey. The route commenced from Baireuth and continued through Baiern (Bavaria) and Salzburg, before traversing the region of Tyrol. These locations frame the geopolitical complexities of the German states just before the full impact of the Napoleonic restructuring of the Holy Roman Empire, setting the stage for her entry into Italy.   

 

3.2. The Italian Peninsula: From Rome to Naples (Volume I and IV)

 

The core destination of the Grand Tour was Italy, a land that received deep and valuable commentary in her travelogue. Key Italian locations mentioned in her journals include:   

• Rome: The primary destination, noted alongside Albano as key sites for observation and writing.   

• Naples: Served as the practical southern terminus of her documented journey. Volume IV details the subsequent route, which involved the "Abreise von Neapel über Gaeta nach Rom" (Departure from Naples via Gaeta to Rome). Gaeta is thus noted as a transit stop.   

• Terni: A specific stop mentioned during the northward return journey after departing Rome.   

• Mayland (Milan) and Turin: These two major cities in Northern Italy were crucial stops as she traveled through the region toward the Alpine passes.   

The sequencing of her journey through these fragmented Italian regions, which were largely under French control or influence at the time (1804–1806), elevates the travelogue beyond mere picturesque observation. Her stated intention to provide a "methodical analysis" of each city and state she encountered means the geographical list serves as a historical document, recording the state of Europe during a period of profound geopolitical instability.   

 

3.3. Crossing the Alps: Switzerland, Geneva, Chambery, and the French Transition (Volume IV)

 

The return journey involved traversing the mountainous regions of the continent, concluding the documented itinerary:

• Chambery (France): A transit stop listed on the route after Turin.   

• Genf (Geneva), Switzerland: This was a significant stop, listed as a major European center of learning, thereby linking her physical travel to her existing intellectual network.   

• Chamony (Chamonix), France: Listed as the final detailed endpoint of the travel itinerary recorded in the fourth volume.   

While her detailed travelogue explicitly names these locations, it is important to note that certain standard Grand Tour cities, such as Florence and Venice, although commonly referenced in travel literature of the era , are not explicitly named in the cited summary of her 1804–1806 itinerary.   

 

IV. A Comprehensive Geographical Index: Locational Data and Literary Context

 

The geography referenced in Elisa von der Recke’s writings defines her life trajectory from a constrained aristocratic identity in the Baltic region to a respected, mobile European intellectual based in Central Germany.

 

4.1. Mapping Major Geographical Destinations

 

The following table summarizes the identified locations, distinguishing between long-term residences and transient stops documented in her extensive literary output, particularly her travel journals and memoirs.   

Table Title: Comprehensive Geographical Index in Elisa von der Recke’s Writings

Location (Historical/Modern)Historical RegionClassificationPrimary Literary ReferenceChronological PeriodSchönberg (Skaistkalne)Duchy of CourlandBirthplace/Ancestral Home

Memoirs / Biography 

1754Neuenburg Castle (Jaunpils)CourlandMarital Residence

Biography / Correspondence 

c. 1771–1776Mitau (Jelgava)CourlandEvent Site (Cagliostro Exposure)

Nachricht von des berüchtigten Cagliostro Aufenthalt... 

1779St. PetersburgRussiaDiplomatic/Travel Stop

Biography / Correspondence 

c. 1795DresdenKingdom of SaxonyPrimary Residence/Salon

Memoirs, Diaries, Correspondence 

1798–1833Mineral Springs/BathsNear DresdenHealth Retreats

Later Diaries / Correspondence 

Post 1803BaireuthGermany (Baiern)Travel Stop (1804–06 Tour)

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. I) 

1804SalzburgGermany (Transit)Travel Stop (1804–06 Tour)

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. I) 

1804TyrolAustria/ItalyTravel Region (1804–06 Tour)

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. I) 

1804RomeItalyMajor Travel Destination

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. I & IV) 

1804–1806NaplesItalyTravel Destination (Southern Terminus)

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. IV) 

c. 1805GaetaItalyTransit Stop (Naples to Rome)

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. IV) 

c. 1805TerniItalyTransit Stop (Return Journey)

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. IV) 

c. 1805–06Mayland (Milan)ItalyTravel Stop

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. IV) 

c. 1806TurinItalyTravel Stop

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. IV) 

c. 1806ChamberyFranceTransit Stop

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. IV) 

c. 1806Genf (Geneva)SwitzerlandIntellectual Hub/Travel Stop

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. IV) 

c. 1806Chamony (Chamonix)FranceTravel Stop (Alpine)

Tagebuch einer Reise durch... Italien (Vol. IV) 

c. 1806NachodBohemia (Czech Republic)Correspondence Location

Personal Letter 

1813Weimar, Berlin, Leipzig, GöttingenGermanyIntellectual Network Nodes