Ottilie Wildermuth
Encyclopedia
Ottilie Wildermuth, née Rooschüz (22 February 1817, Rottenburg am Neckar
- 12 July 1877, Tübingen
) was a German writer, particularly notable for her children's books.
, and his wife Leonore (1796–1874, née Scholl). She showed a strong thirst for knowledge early in life and wrote her own stories and poems. In summer 1833 she was allowed to spend six months studying in Stuttgart
. In 1843, aged 26, she married the 36-year-old philologist Wilhelm David Wildermuth (1807–1885). After time as a private tutor in France and England, Wilhelm Wildermuth then moved to be a professor of modern languages in the Lyzeum (now the Gymnasium) in Tübingen
. Ottilie formed the women of Tübingen into a salon
, which she belonged to herself for 34 years until her death. From the very beginning the young couple were friends with Ludwig Uhland
and his wife, the poet Karl Mayer
's family, Klüpfl-Schwab and later several university professors. Her varied education also allowed Ottilie to participate in her husband's work - like him, she taught English. They had five children between 1844 and 1856, but only Agnes, Adelheid and Herrmann survived to adulthood.
In 1847 she sent her first story Die alte Jungfer to the Morgenblatt. Once this had been accepted for publication, she wrote more stories, short stories, novels, biographies, family books, children's history books and idyllic accounts of Protestant Swabian life, in whose circles she moved. Her stories met a public taste and she was printed in the widely-read family periodicals such as Daheim and Die Gartenlaube, which made her known to other contemporary writers. In 1870 she founded the children's magazine Jugendgarten, later continued by her daughters Agnes Willms and Adelheid Wildermuth. In 1871 Ottilie Wildermuth received the great gold medal for Art and Science in Württemberg. In her fiftieth year her health was strongly attacked by a nervous disorder and in July 1877, aged 60, she died of a stroke. She is buried in the Stadtfriedhof in Tübingen, with a monument dedicated to her on the Tübinger Neckarinsel.
Rottenburg am Neckar
Rottenburg am Neckar is a medium-sized town in the administrative district of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It rests about 50 km southwest of the provincial capital Stuttgart and about 12 km southwest of the district town Tübingen...
- 12 July 1877, Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
) was a German writer, particularly notable for her children's books.
Life
Ottilie Rooschüz was the daughter of Gottlob Christian Rooschüz (1785–1847), a Kriminalrat (and from 1819 an Oberamtsrichter) from Marbach am NeckarMarbach am Neckar
Marbach am Neckar is a town on the river Neckar in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The nearest larger cities are Ludwigsburg and Stuttgart ....
, and his wife Leonore (1796–1874, née Scholl). She showed a strong thirst for knowledge early in life and wrote her own stories and poems. In summer 1833 she was allowed to spend six months studying in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
. In 1843, aged 26, she married the 36-year-old philologist Wilhelm David Wildermuth (1807–1885). After time as a private tutor in France and England, Wilhelm Wildermuth then moved to be a professor of modern languages in the Lyzeum (now the Gymnasium) in Tübingen
Tübingen
Tübingen is a traditional university town in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, on a ridge between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.-Geography:...
. Ottilie formed the women of Tübingen into a salon
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...
, which she belonged to herself for 34 years until her death. From the very beginning the young couple were friends with Ludwig Uhland
Ludwig Uhland
Johann Ludwig Uhland , was a German poet, philologist and literary historian.-Biography:He was born in Tübingen, then Duchy of Württemberg, and studied jurisprudence at the university there, but also took an interest in medieval literature, especially old German and French poetry...
and his wife, the poet Karl Mayer
Karl Mayer (poet)
Karl Friedrich Hartmann Mayer was a German jurist and poet of the Swabian school of poets, the circle of Justinus Kerner and the Serach poets' circle under count Alexander von Württemberg . His younger brother Louis Mayer was a landscape painter....
's family, Klüpfl-Schwab and later several university professors. Her varied education also allowed Ottilie to participate in her husband's work - like him, she taught English. They had five children between 1844 and 1856, but only Agnes, Adelheid and Herrmann survived to adulthood.
In 1847 she sent her first story Die alte Jungfer to the Morgenblatt. Once this had been accepted for publication, she wrote more stories, short stories, novels, biographies, family books, children's history books and idyllic accounts of Protestant Swabian life, in whose circles she moved. Her stories met a public taste and she was printed in the widely-read family periodicals such as Daheim and Die Gartenlaube, which made her known to other contemporary writers. In 1870 she founded the children's magazine Jugendgarten, later continued by her daughters Agnes Willms and Adelheid Wildermuth. In 1871 Ottilie Wildermuth received the great gold medal for Art and Science in Württemberg. In her fiftieth year her health was strongly attacked by a nervous disorder and in July 1877, aged 60, she died of a stroke. She is buried in the Stadtfriedhof in Tübingen, with a monument dedicated to her on the Tübinger Neckarinsel.
Works
- Bilder und Geschichten aus dem schwäbischen Leben, 1852
- Neue Bilder und Geschichten aus Schwaben, 1854
- Aus der Kinderwelt, 1854
- Aus dem Frauenleben, 1855
- Erzählungen und Märchen, 1856
- Die Heimath der Frau, 1859
- Im Tageslichte. Bilder aus der Wirklichkeit, 1861
- Aus Schloß und Hütte, 1861
- Lebensräthsel, gelöste und ungelöste, 1863
- Perlen aus dem Sande, 1867
- Zur Dämmerstunde, 1871
- Aus Nord und Süd, 1874
- Ottilie Wildermuths Werke. 4 volumes. Stuttgart: Krabbe 1862
- Eine seltsame Schule - Bärbeles Weihnachten, c. 1900