Marlitt, Eugenie (1825–1887)
Marlitt, Eugenie (1825–1887)
German novelist . Name variations: Eugenie John; E. Marlitt. Born in Arnstadt, Thuringia, on December 5, 1825; died in Arnstadt on June 22, 1887; her father was a portrait painter.
At age 17, Eugenie Marlitt was sent by her foster mother, the princess of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, to Vienna to study vocal music. After appearing in concert in Leipzig, Linz, and Graz, she became deaf and was obliged to give up a contemplated music career. Subsequently, she lived for 11 years at the court of the princess, but ultimately took up residence in her hometown of Arnstadt, in Thuringia. Beginning with Die zwölf Apostel (The Twelve Apostles), which was published in 1865, all her stories first appeared in the journal Die Gartenlaube. Other works include Goldelse (Gold Else), Blaubart (Blue Beard), Das Geheimniss der alten Mamsell (The Old Mamsell's Secret), all written in 1868, Thüringer Erzählungen (Thuringian Tales, 1869), Reichsgräfin Gisela (Countess Gisela, 1879), Heideprinzesschen (The Moorland Princess, 1872), Die zweite Frau (The Second Wife, 1874), Im Haus des Kommerzienrats (In the House of the Counselor, 1877), and Im Schillingshof (1879).