Augusta Louise zu Stolberg-Stolberg

Countess Augusta Louise of Stolberg- Stolberg ( born January 7, 1753 Bad Bramstedt, † May 30, 1835 in Kiel ) is best known for her lively correspondence with the poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Goethe went as Gussie in the literary history.

She was the younger sister of Count Friedrich Leopold Goethe friends of Stolberg- Stolberg ( "Fritz" ) and Count Christian of Stolberg- Stolberg. At 17, she moved into a small apartment in the noble convent Uetersen, a pen for unmarried young ladies, and lived there from 1770 to 1783 along with the 15 year old Baroness Metta of Oberg in 1775 she began after reading The Sorrows of Young Werther anonymous one correspondence with the young Goethe, who was continued until 1782. Personally they learned never to know. Goethe's letters, the first of the " dear unnamed ", which later addressed to " Gustgen " she left Franz Hermann Hegewisch, who had it published in 1839.

Even otherwise, it was a lively writer. " Augusta - from morning to evening run the dispatches her a bey, bey as a Minister of State, and be careful handled, as in a Canzelley " remarked Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock.

On August 7, 1783 Augusta Louise moved to Copenhagen and married after the death of her sister Henriette († 1782 ) widowed Danish Minister Andreas Peter Bernstorff. Their only child together Karl Andreas Christian (1788-1792) was only four years old.

After her husband's death on June 21, 1797 in Copenhagen Augusta Louise lived in several places, mainly with relatives. For several years she lived in Bordesholm, from 1823 in Kiel. She used intensively old and new relationships with friends and relatives, and in particular Emkendorf and Knoop. So she met Johann Caspar Lavater, with whom she had corresponded earlier. This dedicated her 1794 24 short lectures on the history of Joseph the son of Israel. Matthias Claudius wrote to her memory the Spring Song Today I will rejoice. Until her death in Augusta Louise was joined in the religious sense with the Kiel Pastor Claus Harms. After 40 - year break, she wrote in October 1822 again from Bordesholm a letter to Goethe in Weimar ( My address is: Bordesholm ).

Augusta Louise of Stolberg died on 30 May 1835 the Seeburg in Kiel. Your final resting place she found on the side of her husband on the Bernstorff 's Good Dreilützow at Wittenburg Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.