Sophie von La Roche
Years: 1731-1807
Biography:
Sophie von La Roche (1731-1807)
| Vital Statistics | Marie Sophie GUTERMANN born 6 Dec (or 6 Sept) 1731 in Kaufbeuren, Bavaria died 18 Feb 1807 in Offenbach/Main |
| Father | Georg Friedrich GUTERMANN (Arzt) (1705-1784) |
| Mother | Regina Barbara UNOLD (1711-1748) |
| Siblings | Sophie was the eldest of 13 children, of whom only 3 girls and 1 boy survived infancy |
| Spouse | Married 1754 Georg Michael Frank, adopted von LA ROCHE born about 1727 died 21 Nov 1788 in Offenbach, Hessen |
| Children | Maximiliane b. 31 May 1756 Fritz b. 10 Dec 1757 Luise b. 13 May 1759 Carl b. 11 Jan 1766 Franz Wilhelm b. 16 Apr 1768 3 children who did not live to adulthood |
In the history of women's writing in Germany, few authors have had more influence than Sophie von La Roche. The publication of her Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim in 1771 proved to be a watershed moment for German-language women's literature: La Roche was immediately rocketed to international fame, she became the first woman in Germany to write a successful novel, the work itself became a pattern for the genre of the epistolary novel in Germany, and the door into the world of literary authorship was pushed open far enough that an increasing number of women authors could, with unceasing effort, force their way into the public eye. Later, in 1783, La Roche also became the first woman in Germany to publish a successful periodical, Pomona für Teutschlands Töchter.
Born in Kaufbeuren on December 6, 1731, Sophie Gutermann received a thorough, strictly Pietist education under the auspices of her father, including topics such as astronomy and history, which were usually excluded for girls. At 15, Sophie became engaged to Gian Lodovico Bianconi, a doctor and scholar from Bologna, Italy, for whom the further education of his fiancee retained first priority. After the death of Sophie's mother, the girl's father forced his 19-year old daughter to break off the engagement, since he and Bianconi could not agree on religious questions. Following a brief engagement to Christian Martin Wieland, then still a student, in 1753 Sophie entered a Vernunftsehe with Georg Michael Frank, adopted La Roche. This relationship brought Sophie von La Roche into contact with the court and refined society, and created an environment in which her intellectual and literary abilities could flourish. Her salon became a gathering place for prominent authors and intellectuals; she also carried on an active correspondence with prominent eighteenth-century authors. Later in life, she traveled widely–one of the first German woman to travel independently. A prolific author, La Roche published a wide variety of works, including travelogues, epistolary novels, moral stories and articles. She died February 18, 1807 in her 76th year, a celebrated author, and yet embittered at the refusal of the younger generation of poets such as Wieland, Schiller and Goethe, to value her literary achievements.
Works
- Briefe an Lina als Mädchen (Counsel for young women)
- Erscheinungen am See Oneida, 3 Bände (Novel)
- Melusinens Sommer-Abende
- Schattenrisse
- Rosaliens Briefe an Mariane von St** volume I and II