Ida Gräfin von Hahn-Hahn
Ida Gräfin von Hahn-Hahn, born in June 1805 in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was a notable German author and poet. She gained her hyphenated surname after marrying her cousin, Adolf von Hahn, although their brief and troubled marriage ended in divorce. Following this personal upheaval, she embarked on extensive travels across Europe and Asia, during which she produced a body of literary work that included poetry, travel books, and novels. While her writing style is characterized as artificial and aristocratic, it has been acknowledged for its psychological depth.
Hahn-Hahn's focus on aristocratic themes in her novels attracted criticism from contemporaries, such as Fanny Lewald, who parodied her work. The political changes during the 1848 revolution influenced her spiritual journey, leading her to Roman Catholicism, which she justified in her 1851 work, "Von Babylon nach Jerusalem." She briefly resided in a convent before moving to Mainz, where she created a nunnery-like environment while continuing her writing. Despite mixed reviews, particularly of her earlier works, she maintained popularity among aristocratic circles until her death in January 1880 in Mainz.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Ida Gräfin von Hahn-Hahn
Author
- Born: June 22, 1805
- Birthplace: Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany
- Died: January 12, 1880
- Place of death: Mainz, Germany
Biography
Ida Gräfin von Hahn-Hahn, daughter of Graf Karl Friedrich von Hahn, was born in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, in June of 1805. When she was twenty-one, she married a cousin of hers, Adolf von Hahn. This is how she acquired her hyphenated double name. The couple had a short and problematic marriage, which ultimately led to a divorce. After this, Ida traveled extensively, throughout Europe and into Asia. During this time, she wrote poetry, travel books, and novels. These works, while written in an artificial and aristocratic style, are often praised for showing deep psychological insight.
In the years following, Hahn-Hahn continued to write novels about and aimed almost entirely at the aristocrats and their society, and this quickly drew ridicule from other authors, most notably Fanny Lewald. Lewald wrote a parody of Hahn-Hahn’s work in 1847, Diogena, and this book, coupled with the revolution of 1848, apparently drove her towards Roman Catholicism in the year 1850. Hahn-Hahn then wrote a justification for her newfound faith, Von Babylon nach Jerusalem in 1851, and the next year, she retired to a convent in Angers.
She didn’t stay long at the convent, however, and soon moved to Mainz, where she began a nunnery. She lived at the nunnery without joining it, and went back to writing. In the years following, her novels proved to be very popular in the aristocratic cliques. While her later novels were competent, many consider her earlier novels underrated and neglected. Hahn-Hahn died in Mainz, in January of 1880.