Marie von Schleinitz
Encyclopedia
Marie Baroness (from 1879: Countess) von Schleinitz (from 1886: Schleinitz-Wolkenstein) (22 January 1842, Rome – 18 May 1912, Berlin) was an influential salonnière
of the early German Reich in Berlin and one of the most important supporters of Richard Wagner
.
n ambassador to the Holy See
. Her father died in 1845, and her mother, Marie, married Prince Anthony of Hatzfeldt-Trachenberg (1808–1874) in 1847. By this marriage, the economic situation of mother and daughter, which until then had not been comfortable, was improved due to the wealth of Hatzfeldt. von Schleinitz was trained as a pianist from her early youth; taught by such virtuosos as Carl Tausig
, she developed a remarkable musical talent. Her acquaintance with Franz Liszt
, who also showed interest in the advancement of her musical abilities, dates from this period.
(1807–1885), then Prussian minister of the royal household. Her husband was thirty-five years older than her. In 1879 they were made count and countess by emperor William I, German Emperor
. They had no children.
Her first husband died in 1885. In 1886 von Schleinitz married Count Anton von Wolkenstein-Trostburg (1832–1913), Austrian ambassador first in Berlin, then in Saint Petersburg
, and finally (from 1894) in Paris. Henceforth, she called herself "Countess Schleinitz-Wolkenstein". In summertime, they retired to the country estate of the Wolkenstein family, the castle Ivano in the south of the County of Tyrol
. After her second husband's retirement in 1904, they resettled in Berlin, where both died shortly before the breakout of World War I
.
(1813–1883) beginning from the early 1860s, when she made his acquaintance of at a concert in Breslau. As the wife of the Prussian minister of the royal household, von Schleinitz used her social influence that was connected with her new rank to support and publicise Wagner's career among the leading circles of Prussian society. She supported him at the Prussian court; Emperor William I, granted him the opening of the Bayreuth Festival
in 1876. von Schleinitz helped found the "Bayreuther Patronatsverein" (Bayreuth Patronage Club) in 1870, whose purpose was financing the diverse projects of Wagner, among them the building of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus
, which was completed in 1876.
von Schleinitz and Wagner were close personal friends from their first meeting, and exchanged many letters. After Wagner's remarriage in 1870, von Schleinitz became an intimate friend of Wagner's second wife, Cosima Wagner
, whose daughter Daniela, later Mrs. Henry Thode
, she introduced into Berlin society in the 1880s. Wagner died in 1883.
. She mixed aristocratic and bourgeois elements in her salon, which was a novelty in the then still quite feudal society of Prussia. Until then, nobles, officers, and civil officials had scarcely had come into contact with intellectuals, scholars, and businessmen.
In consequence of her second marriage to Wolkenstein, von Schleinitz gave up her salon in Berlin,and accompanied her new husband on his several diplomatic missions. After his retirement from service in 1904, she reopened her house in Berlin, where she received personal friends and members of the political and cultural life of the Reich until her death in 1912.
(1815–1898). The Prussian prime minister and later Chancellor of Germany
, who maintained a conservative, authoritarian rule over Prussia and Germany, was unsympathetic to von Schleinitz due to her liberal mentality. Bismarck was an enemy of her husband, who had been one of the protagonists of the so-called "new era" from 1858 to 1862, when William I
and his wife Augusta followed a moderate strategy of modernization and liberalization of the Prussian state. von Schleinitz himself was a favorite of the liberal-minded queen Augusta. Nevertheless, von Schleinitz made several unsuccessful attempts to reconcile Bismarck with her husband and herself.
Salon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
of the early German Reich in Berlin and one of the most important supporters of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
.
Youth
Marie – nicknamed "Mimi" – was born in Rome as daughter of Baron Ludwig August von Buch, PrussiaPrussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n ambassador to the Holy See
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
. Her father died in 1845, and her mother, Marie, married Prince Anthony of Hatzfeldt-Trachenberg (1808–1874) in 1847. By this marriage, the economic situation of mother and daughter, which until then had not been comfortable, was improved due to the wealth of Hatzfeldt. von Schleinitz was trained as a pianist from her early youth; taught by such virtuosos as Carl Tausig
Carl Tausig
Carl Tausig was a Polish virtuoso pianist, arranger and composer.-Life:Tausig was born in Warsaw to Jewish parents and received his first piano lessons from his father, pianist and composer Aloys Tausig, a student of Sigismond Thalberg. His father introduced him to Franz Liszt in Weimar at the...
, she developed a remarkable musical talent. Her acquaintance with Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
, who also showed interest in the advancement of her musical abilities, dates from this period.
Marriages
In 1865 von Schleinitz married Baron Alexander von SchleinitzAlexander von Schleinitz
Alexander Gustav Adolf Graf von Schleinitz was the Foreign Minister of Prussia from 1858 to 1861 and minister for the royal household from late 1861 to his death.- Early years :...
(1807–1885), then Prussian minister of the royal household. Her husband was thirty-five years older than her. In 1879 they were made count and countess by emperor William I, German Emperor
William I, German Emperor
William I, also known as Wilhelm I , of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor .Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the...
. They had no children.
Her first husband died in 1885. In 1886 von Schleinitz married Count Anton von Wolkenstein-Trostburg (1832–1913), Austrian ambassador first in Berlin, then in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, and finally (from 1894) in Paris. Henceforth, she called herself "Countess Schleinitz-Wolkenstein". In summertime, they retired to the country estate of the Wolkenstein family, the castle Ivano in the south of the County of Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
. After her second husband's retirement in 1904, they resettled in Berlin, where both died shortly before the breakout of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Richard Wagner
von Schleinitz became a passionate fan of Richard WagnerRichard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
(1813–1883) beginning from the early 1860s, when she made his acquaintance of at a concert in Breslau. As the wife of the Prussian minister of the royal household, von Schleinitz used her social influence that was connected with her new rank to support and publicise Wagner's career among the leading circles of Prussian society. She supported him at the Prussian court; Emperor William I, granted him the opening of the Bayreuth Festival
Bayreuth Festival
The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented...
in 1876. von Schleinitz helped found the "Bayreuther Patronatsverein" (Bayreuth Patronage Club) in 1870, whose purpose was financing the diverse projects of Wagner, among them the building of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus
Bayreuth Festspielhaus
The or Bayreuth Festival Theatre is an opera house north of Bayreuth, Germany, dedicated solely to the performance of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner...
, which was completed in 1876.
von Schleinitz and Wagner were close personal friends from their first meeting, and exchanged many letters. After Wagner's remarriage in 1870, von Schleinitz became an intimate friend of Wagner's second wife, Cosima Wagner
Cosima Wagner
Cosima Francesca Gaetana Wagner, née de Flavigny, from 1844 known as Cosima Liszt; was the daughter of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt...
, whose daughter Daniela, later Mrs. Henry Thode
Henry Thode
Henry Thode was a German art historian.-Biography:He was an art historian at the time of the Weimar republic...
, she introduced into Berlin society in the 1880s. Wagner died in 1883.
Literary salon
From the beginning of her marriage, von Schleinitz hosted a literary salon at the ministerial residence of her husband at No. 77 Wilhelmstrasse in Berlin. She placed particular emphasis on the cultural and intellectual orientation of her salon, which contributed to her later fame as the only aristocratic woman in Berlin involved in modeling the cultural shape of the capital of the recently-created German EmpireGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. She mixed aristocratic and bourgeois elements in her salon, which was a novelty in the then still quite feudal society of Prussia. Until then, nobles, officers, and civil officials had scarcely had come into contact with intellectuals, scholars, and businessmen.
In consequence of her second marriage to Wolkenstein, von Schleinitz gave up her salon in Berlin,and accompanied her new husband on his several diplomatic missions. After his retirement from service in 1904, she reopened her house in Berlin, where she received personal friends and members of the political and cultural life of the Reich until her death in 1912.
Bismarck
Besides her friendship to Wagner, von Schleinitz was known for her rivalry with Otto von BismarckOtto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
(1815–1898). The Prussian prime minister and later Chancellor of Germany
Chancellor of Germany
The Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...
, who maintained a conservative, authoritarian rule over Prussia and Germany, was unsympathetic to von Schleinitz due to her liberal mentality. Bismarck was an enemy of her husband, who had been one of the protagonists of the so-called "new era" from 1858 to 1862, when William I
William I, German Emperor
William I, also known as Wilhelm I , of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor .Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the...
and his wife Augusta followed a moderate strategy of modernization and liberalization of the Prussian state. von Schleinitz himself was a favorite of the liberal-minded queen Augusta. Nevertheless, von Schleinitz made several unsuccessful attempts to reconcile Bismarck with her husband and herself.
Historical role
von Schleinitz stands as a symbolic figure of the little-known liberal-aristocratic opposition against Bismarck's conservative politics during the foundation of the German Reich, as well as for a short, intense blossoming of culture and intellectuality in Germany historically located between the downfall of romanticism and the beginning of modernity.Schleinitz family
- Otto Freiherr von Schleinitz (ed.): Aus den Papieren der Familie v. Schleinitz. Mit einer Vorbemerkung von Fedor von Zobeltitz. Berlin 1904.
Wagner family
- Cosima WagnerCosima WagnerCosima Francesca Gaetana Wagner, née de Flavigny, from 1844 known as Cosima Liszt; was the daughter of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt...
: Die Tagebücher. 2 vols., München 1976 f. - Richard WagnerRichard WagnerWilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
: Schriften und Dichtungen. 16 vols., Fritzsch, Leipzig 1911. - Richard-Wagner-Stiftung Bayreuth (ed.): Richard Wagner: Sämtliche Briefe. 13 vols., Leipzig 2000–2003.
Other primary sources
- Otto von BismarckOtto von BismarckOtto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...
: Gedanken und Erinnerungen, ed. Ernst Friedlaender, Stuttgart 1959. - Bernhard von BülowBernhard von BülowBernhard Heinrich Karl Martin von Bülow , named in 1905 Prince von Bülow, was a German statesman who served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs for three years and then as Chancellor of the German Empire from 1900 to 1909.Bülow was described as possessing every quality except greatness...
: Denkwürdigkeiten. 4 vols., Berlin 1930 f. - Hans von BülowHans von BülowHans Guido Freiherr von Bülow was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard...
: Briefe und Schriften. 8 vols., ed. Marie von Bülow, Leipzig 1895–1911. - Marie von Bunsen: Zeitgenossen, die ich erlebte. Leipzig 1932.
- Philipp zu Eulenburg: Aus fünfzig Jahren. Paetel, Berlin 1923, p. 58 f.
- Anna von Helmholtz: Anna von Helmholtz. Ein Lebensbild in Briefen, ed. Ellen von Helmholtz-Siemens, 2 vols., Berlin 1929.
- Harry Graf KesslerHarry Graf KesslerHarry Clément Ulrich Kessler was an Anglo-German count, diplomat, writer, and patron of modern art. His diaries "Berlin in Lights" published in 1971 revealed anecdotes and details of the artistic and theatrical life in Europe, mostly in Germany, from the collapse of Germany at the end of World War...
: Gesichter und Zeiten (= Gesammelte Schriften, vol. 1). Frankfurt/Main 1988. - Lilli LehmannLilli LehmannLilli Lehmann, born Elisabeth Maria Lehmann, later Elisabeth Maria Lehmann-Kalisch was a German operatic soprano of phenomenal versatility...
: Mein Weg. vol. 1, Leipzig 1913. - Maximiliane von Oriola: Maxe von Arnim, Tochter Bettinas, Gräfin Oriola, 1818–1894. Ein Lebens- und Zeitbild aus alten Quellen geschöpft, ed. Johannes Werner, Leipzig 1937.
- Hildegard von Spitzemberg: Tagebuch, ed. Rudolf Vierhaus, Göttingen 1960.
- Fedor von Zobeltitz: Chronik der Gesellschaft unter dem letzten Kaiserreich. 2 vols., Hamburg 1922.
Secondary literature
- Hans-Joachim Bauer: Schleinitz, Marie Gräfin von. In: Richard-Wagner-Lexikon. Bergisch Gladbach 1988, p. 437.
- Carl Friedrich Glasenapp: Das Leben Richard Wagners. 6 vols., Leipzig 1905–12.
- Martin Gregor-Dellin: Richard Wagner. Sein Leben – sein Werk – sein Jahrhundert. München 1980.
- La MaraIda Marie LipsiusIda Marie Lipsius, alias La Mara was a German writer and music historian.- Life :...
(i.e. Marie Lipsius): Marie Gräfin Schleinitz, jetzt Gräfin Wolkenstein – Marie Gräfin Dönhoff, jetzt Fürstin Bülow. In: Liszt und die Frauen. Leipzig 1911, p. 259–272. - David C. Large: The Political Background of the Foundation of the Bayreuth Festival, 1876: In: Central European History. Vol. 11. Nr. 2 (= Juni), 1978, p. 162–172.
- George R. Marek: Cosima Wagner. Ein Leben für ein Genie. Hestia, Bayreuth ³1983.
- Richard Du Moulin-Eckart: Cosima Wagner. Ein Lebens- und Charakterbild. Berlin 1929.
- Kurt von Reibnitz: Gräfin Schleinitz-Wolkenstein. In: Die große Dame. Von Rahel bis Kathinka. Dresden 1931, p. 138 f.
- Winfried Schüler: Der Bayreuther Kreis von seiner Entstehung bis zum Ausgang der wilhelminischen Ära. Wagnerkult und Kulturreform im Geiste völkischer Weltanschauung. Aschendorff, Münster 1971, (thesis, Münster 1969).
- Petra Wilhelmy: Der Berliner Salon im 19. Jahrhundert. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin u.a. 1989, pp. 274–81, 345–48, 531–533, 820–29.
- Hans Freiherr von WolzogenHans von WolzogenBaron Hans Paul von Wolzogen , was a German man of letters, editor and publisher. He is best known for his connection with Richard Wagner.-Childhood:...
: Nachruf auf Marie Gräfin von Wolkenstein-Trostburg. In: Bayreuther Blätter, 1912, p. 169–72.