The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-04
A GIRL WHOM GOETHE LOVED.
cath of a Baroness Who Once Refused
racoma fine POETS Wife.

Death of a Baroness Who Once Refused
to Become the Poets Wife.
In one OF the most picturesque castles
of Bob emia-Schloss Tribli;zAsurrouud-
ed by a magnificent park, died a Jew
weeks ago a woman who once refused
Goethe's hand in marriage. The great
poet immortaltzed her in one of his most
oeaut iful poems-uhe "Marienbader Ele-
gle"
The lines referred to Baroness Ulrtke
Won Levetzon. who on February 4 cele-
brated the ninetieth anniversary of her
birth. A few weeks later she was in her
tomb. Retweau Goethe's birth-he was
bore in 1749-And the death of the woman
who last inspired his muse there was the
long stretch of IA years. But renown
ages so,fast that the days CT Goethe seem
aver further back. Germans themselves
had apparently %forgotteu that there lived
O woman who had played an important
part in the life of their greatest poet.
Ulrike YOU Levetz III wGs born In Lelp-
zig, February 4, 1904. as the daughter of
a Mecklenburg Court MARSHAL of ancient
race. Her mother-who bore the maiden
name of Won Br lrsigke, met Goethe f1rst
IN Carlsbad in 1905. After her divorce
from her first husband she married a sec
ord, Herr Won Levetzon, who was Killed
on the battlefield of Belle-Alliauce. The
widow passed her summers in M%arienbad,
where her father-a man of wealth-had
purchased 4 lovely nome. In the same
house Goethe, who visited the Bohemian
forests repeatedly for the benefit of his
health, lived from juno IL to July a,
1922. and there met for the first time the
beautiful daughter OF his friend. The
poet ihen was se~yenty-tnree years old,
but still SO handsome aud commanding
that people ignorant OF his name and
fame stopped to gaze at him in awe. The
lovely clever girl-edncated aud trained
with the greatest cafe-5oon inspired the
man swhose Lutte was a woman's broken
heart.n He wrote numerous verses In
her honor during the summer, and parted
from her with deep regret in the autumn
OF that year.
The magnet drew him to Marienbad
again in tue following year.. He arrived
At the resort oil July 2, and met tas
Baroness aud her daughters on July IL.
Among the other guests ut Marienbad
that summer were the poets patron,
Dnke Carl August of Weiner, ex-
King Louis BonaDarte of Holland. the
brother of Napoleon and the Duke OF
Leuchtenberg. The Leyetzou house be-
came their try sting place, aud festival
alter festival followed In their honor.
Goethe accompanied Ulrikeiu daily walks
ssto the MILL" TO Inc hESut4ot uuHob3
ana to the "Waldsitz." and distinguished
ner above all the interesting family. Al
times he called her daughter" and ut
times his "peloyed niece" But his feel
ings soon became deeper. and he was
Allied with an ambition to make Ulrike
his wife. On August is. 1923, the family
moved to Carlsbad.
The poet followed them on August 70.
ami spent a fortnight again in the Levet-
zon house. Those days 10 the poet were
DAVIS of bliss. In the evening after the
long prornenades he read to the young
woman from his poems, explaining their
beauties. or listening to Ulrike sing, re-
cite. or read from Walter Scott, Goetne's
fayorire novelist. At last, tradition says.
he asked Ulrike to become his wife. But
for reasons which she has never placed
on record. the young Baroness declined
his proffered hand. On September D,
Goethe nade her farewell, never to see
her again. He completed his famous
elegy, which will preserve forever the
fam of his last love, on the journey nome.
1t is a monument of which any woman
might be proud.
Frau Won Levetzon married in 1843. her
third husband. Count K~lebesberg, of
SchIoss Triblitz, near Tiplitz. Ulrike
never married. After the death of her
mother, in 1863. she became the sole own
err of the castle and estate OF Trfblitz. The
last years of her life she spent IN minis
tering to tine poor of the neighoorhood,
and she died beloved by all.