Daughter-in-Law

For her father-in-law, the poet and minister of state Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, she was indispensable: Ottilie von Goethe, née von Pogwisch, of Schleswig-Holstein nobility, was one of the most unconventional, fascinating and controversial women of her time.

Although her proudly aristocratic relatives did not approve of her marriage to August, Goethe’s illegitimate son, the marriage took place. For Ottilie had one main goal: to become the poet’s daughter-in-law.

The marriage to August proved to be problematic and Ottilie sought comfort in various affairs. But her cheerfulness, intelligence and helpfulness soon made her irreplaceable to her father-in-law. After August’s early death, Ottilie saw her life’s task in caring for Goethe and his work. And he supported the intellectual interests of the mother of his three grandchildren Walther, Wolfgang and Alma. Ottilie was also an author herself, wrote poetry and founded the magazine Chaos. Goethe’s last words were meant for Ottilie’s ears.

Dagmar von Gersdorff paints the picture of a witty, unconventional woman hungry for love. After Goethe’s death, Ottilie was forced to reinvent herself. She led an unsteady life between Weimar, Vienna and Italy. Linked to the intellectual greats of her time through friendships, she enjoyed a high reputation until the end, not just for being »Goethe's daughter-in-law«.

»Dagmar von Gerdorff, to whom we already owe the wonderful biography on Goethe's mother Catharina Elisabeth, has once again succeeded in producing a masterpiece of insightful research and pleasing presentation with her new book.« Harro Zimmermann, Frankfurter Rundschau

»Gerdorff succeeds in convincingly interweaving two central aspects of Ottilie's biography in this study. [...] A new view of her that makes Ottilie appear modern from today's perspective at the same time.« Manfred Osten, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

»With profound expertise, but also with a great deal of sympathy, von Gersdorff has succeeded in writing an insightful biography of an extraordinary woman who, despite many misfortunes, wanted to leave behind the female role model of her time and lead her own life.« Mathias Iven, Das Blättchen