Louise von Gall
Louise von Gall was a 19th-century German writer born in 1815, the daughter of General Freiherr von Gall. Orphaned early, she was raised by her mother, who ensured she received a comprehensive education. After her mother’s death around 1840, Gall moved in with her uncle in Darmstadt, where she began to focus on her writing. Her works addressed significant social issues of her time, including politics, economics, and the status of women, often showcasing insights that rivaled those of her more prominent male peers. Although she supported women's dignity through her writing, she did not engage in militant feminist activism. In 1843, she married writer Levin Schucking, and they later settled in Sassenberg to raise their four children. Despite her considerable contributions to literature, she remained relatively obscure during her lifetime and passed away in 1855 after the loss of her fifth child.
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Subject Terms
Louise von Gall
Writer
- Born: September 19, 1815
- Died: March 16, 1855
- Place of death: Sassenberg, Westphalia, Germany
Biography
Louise von Gall was born in 1815 in Germany; her father was the German General Freiherr von Gall. He died some weeks before her birth, and Gall was raised by her mother, who saw that Gall received a well-rounded education. After the death of her mother around 1840, Gall lived with her uncle in Darmstadt. While she was in mourning for her mother, Gall wrote many short stories and novellas. During her time in Darmstadt, Gall also developed friendships with many people who shared her interest literature.
Gall’s work spoke volumes about contemporary social problems such as politics, economics, technology, and injustice during the nineteenth century, and it did so with more strength and clarity than that of some of her more-famous male counterparts. While she was an advocate for upholding the dignity of women and many of her stories deal with the status of women, Gall did not partake in any militant feminist activities. She became an influential writer in Germany during the nineteenth century, though for the duration of her life she was only considered to be a minor author.
In October of 1843 Gall married German writer Levin Schucking. The family moved to Sassenberg in 1852, where a large house would provide ample living space for the couple’s four growing children. Gall passed away in 1855, three months after the death of her fifth child, who was the only one of the Schucking children to be baptized in the Lutheran church.