Rahel Varnhagen: Play inspires in Feuchtwangen!

Rahel Varnhagen: Play inspires in Feuchtwangen!

On June 27, 2025, the play about the impressive personality Rahel Varnhagen will be performed in Feuchtwangen. Anette Daugardt embodies the role of Rahel Varnhagen, who is considered an important writer and hostess of one of the most prominent salons in Europe in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. She is supported by Uwe Neumann, who plays her numerous correspondents. The piece unfolds in the Berlin attic of Rahel Levin, later Varnhagen, around 1800 and shows her social position and her relationships with historically important personalities.

Rahel Varnhagen, born on May 19, 1771 in Berlin, was born into a wealthy Jewish family. Her father was a jeweler. It became a central focus for artists and intellectuals; among others, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Wilhelm von Humboldt and Clemens Brentano came to visit. Their letters, around 6,000 in total to 268 people, form the basis for the play, which can be seen in the Nixel Barn until July 5th. Tickets are available by calling 09852 90444 and on the website www.kreuzgangspiele.de.

Rahel Varnhagen: A fascinating figure

The diversity and intensity of Varnhagen's correspondence make her one of the most influential women of her time. Although she did not write any major books, some of her essays have appeared in publications such as Das Morgenblatt and Das Schweizerisches Museum. Her friendship with Dorothea and Henriette Mendelssohn and Henriette Herz led to the founding of a famous Berlin salon that attracted artists and philosophers.

The production highlights Rahel Varnhagen's intelligence and captivating personality. Uwe Neumann embodies all conversation partners, which illustrates the diversity of their interactions. The performance is a tribute to a woman who overcame extraordinary challenges in her time, including her eventual conversion to Christianity and marriage to Karl August Varnhagen von Ense.

Rahel Varnhagen's portrayal in the play reflects her complex relationship with her Jewish roots. She herself reported a constant interest in improving the situation of her former co-religionists, which is evident in the letters and conversations discussed in the piece. The figure becomes symbolic of the search for identity and the social challenges of many people at that time.

For those interested in the life and work of Rahel Varnhagen, this play offers a unique opportunity to learn more about an impressive woman who significantly influenced the cultural life of her era. The asteroid 100029 Varnhagen bears her memory, as does a biography of Hannah Arendt published in 1957. Varnhagen died on March 7, 1833 in Berlin and was buried in Trinity Cemetery I, a place that today attracts many visitors who want to commemorate her.