The Ugly Duchess by Lion Feuchtwanger
"The Ugly Duchess" by Lion Feuchtwanger is a historical novel set in the 14th century, centered around the life of Duchess Margarete Maultasch of Tyrol. The narrative explores the political intrigues of Central European nobility, focusing on Margarete's struggle for power amidst various rival monarchs, including King John of Luxemburg and Albert of Austria. Despite being described as one of the ugliest women, Margarete's intelligence and determination enable her to become a skilled ruler, navigating the challenges posed by her marriage to Prince Johann and later, Margrave Karl.
The story unfolds as Margarete faces betrayals, political conspiracies, and personal tragedies, including the deaths of close allies and her struggles against societal prejudices. Her complex relationships, particularly with her childhood friend Chrétien and her rival Agnes, are crucial to the plot, showcasing themes of loyalty, ambition, and the harsh realities of power. The novel is noted for its rich depiction of the historical context and the psychological depth of its main character, even as it critiques the broader societal dynamics of the time. Feuchtwanger's writing blends historical observation with emotional insight, making "The Ugly Duchess" a compelling exploration of a woman's life in a patriarchal world.
The Ugly Duchess by Lion Feuchtwanger
- FIRST PUBLISHED: Die hässliche Herzogin Margarete Maultasch, 1923 (English translation, 1928)
- TYPE OF WORK: Novel
- TYPE OF PLOT: Historical chronicle
- TIME OF WORK: Fourteenth century
- LOCALE: Central Europe
The Story:
Heinrich, King of Bohemia, Duke of Carinthia, and Court of Tyrol, was important to three people—King John of Luxemburg, Albert of Austria, and Ludwig of Wittelsbach. Though most of the king’s hereditary territory had long been taken by others, the Tyrol and other lands he still owned were valuable. The three rival monarchs sought, by various means, to control them to extend their respective empires.
John of Luxemburg persuaded Heinrich to agree that his daughter, Princess Margarete, should marry John’s son, Prince Johann of Luxemburg and that Princess Margarete should be declared Heinrich’s heir. It was not likely that Heinrich himself should have another heir, even though his wife, Princess Beatrix, was still young.
Princess Margarete and Prince Heinrich were married in childhood. At the wedding feast, Margarete took a fancy to the prince’s page, Chrétien de Laferte, and insisted he be made a knight. Johann refused, but Margarete had her way when the prince’s father agreed.
Margarete was undoubtedly one of the ugliest women ever born. She concentrated on becoming a good ruler and achieving power to compensate for her lack of charm. She always had to be vigilant against the encroachments of other nations, even against her own barons and nobles, who were despoiling the land. When her father died, and John of Luxemburg was killed in battle, she and Johann were the joint heirs of their principalities, but it was Margarete who ruled, governing so cleverly that her fame spread throughout Europe.
She and Chrétien had become close friends. When Heinrich’s mistress died, she left three daughters. One of these, Agnes von Flavon, appealed to Margarete and Heinrich to be permitted to retain the two fiefs that Heinrich had granted her mother. Johann was willing, but the princess declared that one of the estates should go to Chrétien. When a group of barons, including her illegitimate brother, Albert, plotted to drive the Luxemburgers from the country, Margarete consented to the revolt and urged that Chrétien be made leader of the rebels. Then Johann informed Margarete that Agnes was to marry Chrétien. Margarete sent anonymous letters revealing the planned revolt, and the rebellion was put down. Chrétien’s head was sent to her by Johann, who did not know that Margarete herself had revealed the conspiracy.
A Jew named Mendel Hirsch came to the castle to ask permission to settle in the Tyrol. Margarete granted his petition, and the country prospered from the industry and crafts that the Jews brought to the area. Mendel Hirsch became her confidant. Meanwhile, another rebellion was brewing. Jacob von Schenna, a friend from her youth, brought the news of the plot to Margarete. She consented to it listlessly, for her spirit had been broken because of a pogrom which resulted in the death of Hirsch and the other Jews. When Prince Johann returned to the castle, he found it barred to him. Margarete had their marriage annulled.
Margarete and Margrave Karl, son of Emperor Ludwig, were married. As a result, Luxemburgers, who were close to the Pope, influenced the pontiff to excommunicate Margarete and Karl and place the land under an interdict. John’s son was elected Holy Roman Emperor instead of the excommunicated Ludwig. The years followed were unhappy, and plagues and destructive fires ravaged the country. Margarete was blamed because the people thought these visitations were a punishment for her illegal marriage. She and Karl had a son, Prince Meinhard, who grew up easygoing and unintelligent. Conditions of the country were so perilous that Margarete, to secure money, entered into an agreement with Albert of Austria, who promised financial assistance in return for a treaty by which Tyrol should go to Austria if she died without heirs.
In the meantime, Prince Johann wished to remarry. Accordingly, he went to Margarete and made an agreement with her. When a new Pope was elected, the marriage of Margarete and Karl was solemnized, and Prince Meinhard was declared their rightful heir. Later, the interdict was lifted, and church bells pealed as services were resumed.
One day, as the margrave was setting out on a trip, Konrad von Frauenberg, Margarete’s unscrupulous adviser, went to her to say goodbye and hinted that his death might occur at any moment since Karl detested him. Still, it was the margrave who died, mysteriously poisoned, leaving Margarete the undisputed ruler of the principality. Then, Prince Meinhard and another young prince formed the Arthurian Order, which pillaged the community. Later, the order was put down, but Prince Meinhard stayed in Munich, the pawn of a rival prince. Agnes von Flavon was also in Munich and was plotting against Margarete.
At the castle, a group led by Konrad von Frauenberg organized a council to control the state. Margarete wanted her son back, sure that her position would be stronger if he could be married to an Austrian princess. Von Frauenberg went to Munich and after some time succeeded in persuading Prince Meinhard to return home. However, as they were crossing the mountains, von Frauenberg pushed Meinhard off a cliff. He told the pursuers that the prince’s death had been an accident.
Agnes von Flavon returned to Tyrol, where Margarete promptly imprisoned her. She was tried for crimes against the state and convicted. Margarete insisted that Agnes be executed, but the council refused to pass the death sentence. Balked, Margarete was willing to free Agnes if the prisoner acknowledged her crimes against the state, promised to plot no more, and left Tyrol. Agnes refused, believing that Margarete would not order her execution. A few days later, Konrad von Frauenberg slipped into her cell and poisoned Agnes.
Her funeral took place on the same day that Prince Meinhard was buried. All the nobles and barons went to Agnes’ funeral; no one went to that of the prince. Even in death, Agnes had won. A few days later, Margarete was called upon to honor her agreement with Austria. Accordingly, she signed a proclamation to the effect that her territories were now the property of the Austrian duke. Then Margarete went into exile, to spend the rest of her days in a peasant’s hut. A greedy, ugly older woman, she sniffed hungrily whenever she smelled fish cooking for dinner.
Critical Evaluation:
Because of the vast pageant of the story, it is easy to overestimate Lion Feuchtwanger’s achievement in The Ugly Duchess. It is also easy to underestimate the novel. The author is not a mere showman. The Ugly Duchess is a romantic historical melodrama that pulls the reader into the orbit and times of the characters with irresistible force. Margarete’s efforts to spend herself in services that would give sublimated expression to her instincts of love and maternity are sensitively pictured. The subsequent degeneration of her spirit is portrayed convincingly. The life of the robber barons and ruthless kings in their high castles is portrayed with mordant, devastating gusto on a canvas of blood hues, dark browns, and burnished golds. However, only the antihero, Margarete, of the many characters, engrosses the reader’s interest.
Feuchtwanger, a student of philosophy and history, was born in 1884. During World War I, while abroad, he was kidnapped and forced to join the German army. He wrote numerous antiwar plays and was best known as a playwright in pre-Nazi Germany. His novel Power (1928) could find no publisher until after he had written The Ugly Duchess. In 1933, the Nazis confiscated his house and fortune; he escaped to Moscow, then by way of France and Spain to the United States. His international reputation was as a historical novelist.
Feuchtwanger possessed gifts of sharp historical observation and often brought the past to life with vivid immediacy, as in The Ugly Duchess. He used the same careful mastery of detail in his novels of contemporary life. His later works became excessively long and the style ponderous, but his historical romances remained popular for many years. The Ugly Duchess is one of his best-crafted, most engrossing books, principally because he had the insight to see what a fascinating and complex person the notorious Duchess Margarete was. Nevertheless, the novel would have been better if he had used his insight to penetrate the other characters' hearts and souls. As a result of this lack, The Ugly Duchess misses being a great novel. The twenty-first century saw a renewed interest in the works of Feuchtwanger as some works, such as The Oppermanns (1933), were reissued. The author and his works were recognized for presenting themes which remained relevant to contemporary social issues.
Principal Characters:
- Duchess Margarete
- Prince Johannher husband
- Chrétien de LafertePrince Johann’s aide
- Margrave Karl LudwigMargarete’s second husband
- Prince MeinhardMargarete’s son
- Konrad von FrauenbergMargarete’s adviser
- Agnes von FlavonMargarete’s rival
Bibliography
Bloch, Kinga S. "Novels, Narrow Escapes, and the Power of Words – The Work and Life of Lion Feuchtwanger." Leo Baeck Institute London, www.leobaeck.co.uk/research/snapshots/novels-narrow-escapes-and-power-words-work-and-life-lion-feuchtwanger. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
"Feuchtwanger, Lion." Benet’s Reader’s Encyclopedia, Oct. 1996, p. 347. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=25835720&site=ehost-live. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Howe, Quincy. "The Ugly Duchess." The Atlantic, Mar. 1928, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1928/03/the-ugly-duchess/648927. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
"Margaret Maultasch." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition, Mar. 2021, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=134528485&site=ehost-live. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
Struthers, Irene. "Lion Feuchtwanger." Cyclopedia of World Authors, Fourth Revised Edition, Jan. 2003, p. 1. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=164521019&site=ehost-live. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.
"The Ugly Duchess." Cyclopedia of Literary Characters, 4th Edition, May 2015, p. 2536. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=102944475&site=ehost-live. Accessed 24 Oct. 2024.