Sophie Albrecht (1756–1840), a Successful Woman Writer and Publisher in Eighteenth-Century Germany
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Chapter 10 Beating the Odds: Sophie Albrecht (1756– 1840), a Successful Woman Writer and Publisher in Eighteenth- Century Germany Berit C.R. Royer The example of the German writer, editor, publisher and actress Sophie Albrecht provides noteworthy insights into female commer- cial authorship in the late eighteenth century. Considering her fam- ily background and early education, her subsequent career choices and her achievements in networking with like-minded representa- tives of the German cultural scene, it becomes clear that she stood a good chance of becoming a successful professional writer. Albrecht fought for the recognition of a small literate, and even smaller lit- erary audience in rivalry with male colleagues. Despite inequality, Albrecht succeeded in this artistic as well as entrepreneurial chal- lenge, and even occasionally outperformed idolised contemporary male writers, such as Schiller. Her example demonstrates the ways in which gendering processes worked in favour of male cultural achievements from the very beginnings of media history, and how reception history has solidified this. ∵ The late eighteenth- century German writer, editor, publisher and actress, So- phie Albrecht, was born at a time when the role of women was reduced to their function in the family. Albrecht beat the odds against succeeding as a writer by launching a dual professional career in commercial authorship and professional acting during the 1780s. Specifics on how she entered the literary market, her professional and entrepreneurial qualities in dealing with adver- tising and publishing networks, provide insights into her progressing literary and financial accomplishments. In contrast to this initial success, she also ex- perienced setbacks and financial hardship later on in life. Albrecht received enormous attention during her early career, but was practically forgotten by © Berit C.R. Royer, 2018 | doi 10.1163/9789004383029_011 Berit C.R. Royer - 9789004383029 This is an open access chapter distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC-NDDownloaded 4.0 license. from Brill.com09/24/2021 04:14:36PM via free access 222 Royer the second half of the nineteenth century. It was not until the late 1970s, when the new wave of feminism began drawing attention to the “disappeared” Ger- man women writers of the past that she became of interest again. Feminist scholars started academic study of Albrecht’s work in the late 1980s and since then, scholarly attention to her oeuvre has rapidly intensified.1 This chapter presents detailed background to Albrecht’s familial origins and education, her strategies to a successful career path in publishing and life as a celebrated author. In many ways, she overcame societal and gendered asym- metry in eighteenth century Germany and even exceeded the professional pre- conditions of the expanding German book market. Biographical Clues for a Unique Career as a Writer Despite the fact that Sophie Albrecht has now found her place in German liter- ary studies, verifiable evidence surrounding her birth remains scarce.2 The first known piece of information is a baptism date entry from 6 December 1756 in the Baptismal Register of St. Bonifatius Church in Sömmerda, Thuringia. It was customary then to baptise children three days after birth, so a possible birth- date can be deduced.3 The register shows that Albrecht was born into a privi- leged, highly educated and intellectually outstanding family with sensitivities towards the Enlightenment movement. Johanna Sophia Dorothea Baumer was the eldest daughter of Rebecca Johanna Maria Christina Baumer (?- † 1782), née 1 For a comprehensive overview of feminist research done on Albrecht during the past 39 years, see: Berit C.R. Royer, “Sophie Albrecht, ein künstlerisches Phänomen in Literatur und Theater des 18. Jahrhunderts - Gender, Rezeption und die Arbeitsgemeinschaft mit ihrem Ehemann”, in Verehrt. Verflucht. Vergessen. Leben und Werk von Sophie Albrecht und Johann Friedrich Ernst Albrecht ed. Rüdiger Schütt, Hannover 2015, 314– 21. 2 The following biographical information is in addition to: Berit C.R. Royer, Sophie Albrecht (1757– 1840) im Kreis der Schriftstellerinnen um 1800: eine literatur- und kulturwissenschaftliche Werk- Monographie, Diss. ucd, Ann Arbor 1999, 30– 102; Berit C.R. Royer, “Die Literatur der Schriftstellerin Sophie Albrecht (1757– 1840) und ihrer Erfurter Kolleginnen als frühfeminis- tischer und literaturgeschichtlicher Beitrag zur ‘Dalbergzeit’ (1772–1802)”, in Aufklärung in der ‘Dalbergzeit’ ed Michael Ludscheidt, Erfurt 2006; and Royer, “Sophie Albrecht, ein küns- tlerisches Phänomen”. 3 Verification in form of a birth certificate cannot be obtained. Entry in the Baptismal Reg- ister. “Father: Johann Paul Baumer, Medical Doctor here. Mother: Rebecca Johanna Maria Christina, née Tüntzel from Tuntzenhausen. 1. Godmother: Chamber Master’s wife Johanna Sophia, widowed Jackelius, in Zeitz; 2. Godmother: Anna Maria Dorothea Tüntzel, wife of Georg Tüntzeles, lord of the manor, and judiciary in Tuntzenhausen.” [This and all subse- quent translations are by me, bcr]. Berit C.R. Royer - 9789004383029 Downloaded from Brill.com09/24/2021 04:14:36PM via free access Beating the Odds 223 Tüntzel von Tunzenhausen and Johann Paul Baumer (1725– 1771).4 Her mother came from the noble family of Tüntzel whose origins can be traced back to the Electorate of Saxony. During the seventeenth century, Gabriel Tüntzel, a solicitor, Count Palatine and Elector of Privy, was one of their most recognised family members.5 Exact information on family ties within this aristocratic fam- ily, and its affiliations with other noble families, are difficult to reconstruct. Nonetheless, aristocratic interconnections were partially responsible for So- phie Albrecht’s privileged living and future working conditions. Henriette von Montenglaut was a friend and fellow writer, and she emphasised in her biographical sketch6 that Sophie’s mother belonged to a “highly educated, old aristocratic family whose name never escaped her lips”.7 Yet, little information was provided other than that Albrecht’s mother was descended from noble origin and that she had been “her [daughter’s] leader” in life.8 It makes it all the more remarkable that she chose a bourgeois husband, and intentionally descended the social scale in German feudalistic society. She disregarded the usual adherence to social status with an unacceptable mar- riage: this was in fact no small thing for a woman, who had no impact on her social position otherwise. She bravely left the privileged position she had been born into and married her love, Paul Baumer, a practising medical doctor in Sömmerda, very near Tunzenhausen. Baumer had studied medicine in Halle, Saxony, and received a doctorate at the University of Erfurt, Thuringia. The University of Halle was one of the centres (1694) for the reforming Enlighten- ment movement and provided credentials for an outstanding academic career. 4 Sömmerda belonged from the end of the thirteenth century to the imperial city of Erfurt, Thuringia, and thus to the Archbishopric of Mainz, Germany. 5 Johann Siebmacher, Wappen- Buch, Nürnberg 1701/ 05 and 1772, 143, suspected Meissen, Saxony, to be the place of origin for the family. Johann S. Müller, Des Chur- und Fürstlichen Hauses Sachsen, Ernestin- und Albertinischer Linien Annales von 1400 – 1700, Leipzig 1700, 318, mentioned the presence of G. Tün[t]zel in 1621 among the “whole Electoral House of Saxony” at the Imperial Court in Vienna. See also: Adam Geisler, “Bruchstücke aus dem Leben der deutschen Dichterin Sophie Albrecht” in Gallerie edler teutscher Frauenzimmer, Bd.1, Heft 1, Dessau und Leipzig 1784, 142. 6 Henriette von Montenglaut, “Biographische Skizze der gewesenen Schauspielerin und noch immer still- wirkenden Dichterin Sophie Albrecht in Hamburg, nebst einer Aufforderung an die Deutsche Künstlerwelt”, in Der Freimüthige, Berlin 1828. Source material is scarce about Sophie Albrecht, often not reliable but a few contemporaries are more trustworthy. For a list, see: Royer, “Sophie Albrecht, ein künstlerisches Phänomen”, 227– 28, footnote 51. 7 Montenglaut, “Biographische Skizze”, 958. “Ihre Mutter gehörte, nach Sophiens gegentlicher Erzählung, einem hoch gebildeten, alt adligen Geschlecht, an, dessen Name aber nie ihren Lippen entschlüpfte.” 8 Geisler, “Bruchstücke”, 150, “ihre Leiterin”. Berit C.R. Royer - 9789004383029 Downloaded from Brill.com09/24/2021 04:14:36PM via free access 224 Royer Although he initially began as resident doctor in 1749 in Sömmerda, he later moved his family to Erfurt to take up a professorship. In January 1765, Bau- mer became Professor of Medicine, and, in February, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy.9 He advanced further academically in 1767, and was commended for his service to the university,10 as well as for his contributions to the reform of medical studies and for his various writings on the medical treatment of patients. As the younger brother of the eminent physician, Jo- hann Wilhelm Baumer (1719– 1788), who was also co- founder and first secretary of the 1754 founded “Churfürstlich- Mayntzischen Gesellschaft oder Akademie nützlicher Wissenschaften”11 in Erfurt, he had an influential position in society. Paul Baumer was also a member of that Academy, and additionally won the contest of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin tendered by Frederick the Great in 1764. As a professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, he would enter- tain literary interests with his famous relative, Christoph