Maria Karoline Herder (born 28 January 1750 in Reichenweier,

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

(then part of

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

), died 15 September 1809 in

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...

) was a German editor who collected and published the works of her famous husband, philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder.

Biography

She was born Maria Karoline Flachsland, the daughter of Johann Friedrich Flachsland (1715–1755) and his wife Rosina Catharina Mauritii (1717–1765). Orphaned at a young age, she went to live at the home of her sister Friederike Katharina (1744–1801) in Darmstadt. There, she became a member of the "Darmstadt Circle," which became one of the most important developers of a concept they called " sensitivity."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...

, who soon became her friend, Franz Michael Leuchsenring,

Sophie von La Roche Marie Sophie von La Roche (née Gutermann von Gutershofen; 6 December 1730 – 18 February 1807) was a German novelist. She is considered the first financially independent female professional writer in Germany. Biography Sophie von La Roche was ...

Johann Heinrich Merck Johann Heinrich Merck (11 April 1741 – 27 June 1791), German author and critic, was born at Darmstadt, a few days after the death of his father, a chemist. He studied law at Gießen, and in 1767 was given an appointment in the paymaster's depar ...

and her future husband Johann Gottfried Herder belonged to the group.Dobbek, Wilhelm, "Herder, Carolina" in: Neue Deutsche Biographie 8 (1969), pp. 603 f. nline version URL: https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd118549561.html#ndbcontent Karoline (sometimes spelled Caroline or Carolina) was considered very open-minded, highly educated, and proficient in several languages. Within the Circle, she was called "Psyche." Later, Goethe called her his "sister." On 2 May 1773, Karoline married Johann Gottfried Herder (1744–1803) in Darmstadt and took his surname. After the wedding, they moved to

Bückeburg Bückeburg (Northern Low Saxon: ''Bückeborg'') is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It is located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge. Population: 21,0 ...

where he was named court preacher. In their secluded residence, the couple lived their "happiest" and spiritually fruitful time. There, the young family grew significantly with Gottfried (1774-1806) and

August August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, and the fifth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. Its zodiac sign is Leo and was originally named ''Sextilis'' in Latin because it was the 6th month in ...

(1776-1838). After moving to

, more children followed, Karl Emil (1779-1857), Luise (1781-1860), and Emil Ernst Gottfried (1783-1855).

Works

During her marriage, Karoline always took part in her husband's official and literary work and was also an unnamed helper in the creation of many of his works. "No Johann Gottfried Herder without Karoline," poet Johann Gleim boasted of her. Her identification with her husband's life and work was consistent throughout her life. She worked tirelessly on his reputation not only during his lifetime but also after his death. As secretary and editor of his writings and the author of numerous letters, as well as a biographer and editor of Herder-Werke, Karoline Herder remained one of the female figures in the Weimar circle of Neoclassicists.

Last years

A year before Johann Gottfried Herder's death in 1802, he was

ennobled Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteri ...

by the Elector-Prince of

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

, and this act permitted him to add the prefix "von" to his last name. At the same time Karoline added it to hers. Maria Karoline von Herder died in Weimar on 15 September 1809 at 59 years of age and was buried there in the old Jakobsfriedhof (Jacob's cemetery).

Works

* Herder, C. ''Memories from the life of Joh. Gottfried von Herder. Collected and described by Maria Carolina von Herder.'' 2 vols., Tübingen, 1820

References

External links

* Works by and about Maria Karoline Flachsland in the German Digital Library: https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/person/gnd/118549561 *Dobbek, Wilhelm, and Maria K. Herder. ''Karoline Herder''. 1967. Print.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herder, Karoline 1750 births 1809 deaths Johann Gottfried Herder People from Weimar German women editors German editors