Count Wilhelm: A festival for the great sovereign of Schaumburg-Lippe

Count Wilhelm: A festival for the great sovereign of Schaumburg-Lippe

St. Martini-Kirche Stadthagen, Deutschland - In the shade of large personalities, the most important figures can also fade. This often happens when it comes to historical personalities who have not received the same attention as their partners. Such an example is Countess Marie Barbara Eleonore in Schaumburg-Lippe, who will be put into the spotlight in the coming year on the occasion of her husband's 300th birthday, Count Wilhelm zu Schaumburg-Lippe. Count Wilhelm, born in London, is known for his significant contributions to information in his county, especially through reforms in education and agriculture.

Graf Wilhelm, who is considered a great military leader and politician, maintained contacts with important thinkers of his time, including Voltaire and Moses Mendelssohn. His merits are undisputed, but the role of his wife, Marie Barbara Eleonore, has often been less honored. This should change now.

an unknown biography

Marie Barbara Eleonore was married to Count Wilhelm on November 12, 1765. Her biography is not as well documented as that of her husband, what Vera Gretges, a theologian and historian from Bonn, stimulated to deal with her life. As part of her doctoral thesis on Johann Gottfried Herder in Bückeburg, for the first time, she looks at the life and work of Marie Barbara Eleonore. This incoming research will be presented in a lecture on November 12, 2024 in the St. Martini Church in Stadthagen.

The lecture will offer various perspectives on the countess, and both published and unpublished sources such as letters and manuscripts are to be included. These documents could offer new insights into their role and their own perceptions. It is interesting how Marie Barbara Eleonore saw herself and what religious considerations she has made, who may have shaped her thinking and acting.

The lecture entitled "Countess Marie Barbara Eleonore zu Schaumburg-Lippe: Perspectives on a Life" is open to everyone interested. This offers a unique opportunity to learn more about a woman who was often in the shade in history, but whose life has to tell many stories.

The Schaumburg landscape takes the opportunity to honor the merits and the versatile personality of Count Wilhelm with this event, but the view of his wife and their silent influence on social and cultural life is also addressed.

For more information about this event and the background, the detailed report on www.shg-aktuell.de referred.