Die Schwiegertochter. Das Leben der Ottilie von Goethe

He had never had a daughter. Now she was there.

For her father-in-law, the poet and state minister Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, she was indispensable: Ottilie von Goethe, born von Pogwisch from Schleswig-Holstein nobility, was one of the most unconventional, fascinating, and also controversial women of her time. Although her aristocratic relatives disapproved of her marriage to August, the illegitimate son of the poet, the union took place. Ottilie had one main goal: to become Goethe's daughter-in-law.

The marriage to August proved to be problematic, and Ottilie sought solace in various affairs. However, her cheerfulness, intelligence, and willingness to help soon made her irreplaceable to her father-in-law. After August's early death, Ottilie saw caring for Goethe and his work as her life's mission. He, in turn, supported the intellectual interests of the mother of his three grandchildren, Walther, Wolfgang, and Alma. Ottilie also wrote herself, composed poetry, and founded the magazine Chaos. Goethe's last words were addressed to Ottilie.

Dagmar von Gersdorff paints a portrait of a witty, love-hungry, unconventional woman. After Goethe's death, Ottilie had to reinvent herself. She led a restless life between Weimar, Vienna, and Italy. Connected to the intellectual giants of her time through friendships, she enjoyed high regard until the end, not only as Goethe's daughter-in-law.