Luise Mühlbach
Luise Mühlbach, born Klara Müller in 1814 in Neubrandenburg, Germany, was a notable German writer known for her historical novels. Despite facing educational limitations as a girl, she cultivated her literary interests through access to her grandmother's expansive library and private tutoring. Mühlbach's life took a significant turn after her father's death, freeing her from the pressures of an arranged marriage. She married fellow writer Theodor Mundt in 1839, and their home in Berlin became a hub for intellectual discourse, hosting a literary salon frequented by prominent liberal figures. Mühlbach published several successful novels, including the well-received "Aphra Behn" in 1849, which offered a fictionalized biography of the 17th-century writer. After Mundt's death in 1861, Mühlbach faced financial challenges but persevered in her writing career to support her two daughters. Her works gained popularity in both Germany and the United States, establishing her as a significant figure in 19th-century literature.
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Luise Mühlbach
Writer
- Born: January 2, 1814
- Birthplace: Neubrandenburg, Germany
- Died: September 26, 1873
- Place of death: Berlin, Germany
Biography
Luise Mühlbach was the pseudonym of Klara Müller, who was born in 1814, the daughter of the mayor of Neubrandenburg, Germany. Although she enjoyed a happy childhood, as a girl she was not allowed an education equal to the education boys received. Neubrandenburg teachers refused to allow even private lessons for girls, so Mühlbach studied with the family governesses until moving in with her maternal grandmother in Penzlin, where she was to be instructed by a local pastor. Though the pastor paid little attention to his students, he allowed them access to his expansive library, and Mühlbach eagerly sought this access.
Mühlbach’s father died when she was only fourteen years old, but the sad turn of events enabled her to escape the fate of arranged marriage. She began corresponding with Theodor Mundt, a German writer whose work she admired, and the professional relationship developed into a romantic one. She and Mundt married in 1839 and had two daughters together. The family resided in Berlin, where Mühlbach famously hosted a literary salon that brought together various prominent liberal figures. The works of her husband, a member of the Young German group of authors, were banned by the Diet of the German Confederation in 1835, but Mühlbach was able to prolifically publish her novels. Her historical novels, in particular, were rather well received, including Aphra Behn (1849), which included an updated adaptation of author writer Aphra Behn’s slave novella Oroonoko: Or, The Royal Slave (1688), as well as a loose, fictionalized biography of Behn herself.
Mundt died in 1861, and Mühlbach found herself deep in debt, having neglected her own writing career to care for Mundt during his illness. For her remaining years, Mühlbach worked diligently, both in writing and in keeping up with the business aspects of royalties, advances, and translations, to support herself and her two daughters. However, her work did not go unnoticed; Mühlbach’s novels found success both in Germany and in the United States.