Anna Metta von Oberg (November 10, 1737 – October 25, 1794) was a German

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

ess and close friend to

Augusta Louise zu Stolberg-Stolberg Countess Louise Augusta zu Stolberg-Stolberg (7 January 1753 in Bramstedt, Duchy of Holstein30 May 1835 in Kiel) is known for her lively correspondence with the poet and thinker Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; she is known as ''Goethes Gustchen'' in ...

. Von Oberg was born in Jersbek,

Duchy of Holstein The Duchy of Holstein (german: Herzogtum Holstein, da, Hertugdømmet Holsten) was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It originated when King Christian I of Denmark had his ...

, and lived in the period from 1762 to 1794 in the monastery of

Uetersen Uetersen (, formerly known as ''Ütersen (Holstein)'') is a town in the Pinneberg (district), district of Pinneberg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approximately south of Elmshorn, and northwest of Hamburg at the small Pinnau Ri ...

. There she met Augusta Louise zu Stolberg-Stolberg. After they left the monastery, they lived together in a small apartment south of the monastery. Although Metta was 15 years older, they were linked in a deep friendship. She also played a part in the heart of the friendship between Augusta Louise and the poet

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 trea ...

. Again and again she encouraged the young Augusta Louise in correspondence with the poet, unaware that both would feature in later

literary history The history of literature is the historical development of writings in prose or poetry that attempt to provide entertainment, enlightenment, or instruction to the reader/listener/observer, as well as the development of the literary techniques ...

. Even after 1783, when Augusta Louise moved to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

and married the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

Minister of State Peter Andreas Bernstorff, she remained at the side of her best friend. Metta von Oberg died at the age of 57 after years of illness in the monastery of

. It is thought that without Metta von Oberg, the lively exchange of letters between Augusta Louise zu Stolberg-Stolberg and the poet Goethe would not have been as valuable as it is.

Sources

*Hans Ferdinand Bubbe: ''Versuch einer Chronik der Stadt und des Klosters Uetersen. Band 2 Page 35-37'' (1938) (de) *Plath-Langheinrich, Elsa: ''Als Goethe nach Uetersen schrieb: Das Leben der Conventualin Augusta Louise Gräfin zu Stolberg-Stolberg''. (de) {{DEFAULTSORT:Oberg, Metta Von 1737 births 1794 deaths People from Stormarn (district) People from the Duchy of Holstein German baronesses