Bettine Brentano/von Arnim: Geschriebenes Leben – gelebtes Schreiben

Bettine von Arnim née Brentano (1785–1859) is today indisputably regarded as the most important female author of German Romanticism. But she differs from her female contemporaries in several respects: she did not make her public debut until the age of fifty, and throughout her life, she published only books consisting of letters and conversations. At the same time, she viewed herself from the outset as a political writer and actively engaged in the debates of her day. She consistently made her own life the subject of her published works, while simultaneously validating her writing through her own way of life. Research on Bettine von Arnim has experienced a remarkable upsurge over the past forty years. Two complete editions of her works have appeared, individual titles have been reissued with scholarly commentary, and numerous correspondences have been published—including those with Achim von Arnim, the Brothers Grimm, Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau, the Prussian King Frederick William IV, her young admirer Julius Döring, and her three sons. The publication of a comprehensive handbook exceeding 700 pages (2019) has impressively reaffirmed the significance of Bettine Brentano/von Arnim for literary and cultural history. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Bunzel (b. 1960), a Frankfurt-based literary scholar and renowned expert on Romanticism, has not only followed recent efforts to gain a new perspective on the author but has also provided significant impetus to current debates surrounding her. He is now internationally recognized as a leading specialist who possesses an unparalleled knowledge of Bettine Brentano/von Arnim’s life and work. Since 1987, he has been researching the life and work of this author, co-editing the „International Yearbook of the Bettina von Arnim Society“, and publishing a multitude of individual studies as well as numerous editions (including „Political Writings“; „Goethe’s Correspondence with a Child“; „This Book Belongs to the King“; „Bettine von Arnim’s Correspondence with Her Sons“; and „Last Love: The Unknown Book of Letters“). Taken together, his essays—originally published in a wide variety of locations—constitute a monograph on her work in the form of individual contributions, a type of study that has not previously existed in a comparable format. The volume serves both as an ideal introduction to Bettine Brentano/von Arnim and as a comprehensive overview of her body of work. With its numerous illustrations, it also presents a visually appealing compendium on this key figure of the 19th century.