Luise Gottsched

Luise Adelgunde Victorie Gottsched (née Kulmus; 11 April 1713 – 26 June 1762) was a German poet, playwright, essayist, and translator,^[1] and is often considered one of the founders of modern German theatrical comedy.^[2]

Luise Gottsched
Portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann, c. 1750
Born	Luise Adelgunde Victorie Kulmus (1713-04-11)11 April 1713 Danzig
Died	26 June 1762(1762-06-26) (aged 49) Leipzig
Nationality	German
Spouse	Johann Christoph Gottsched

Biography

She was born in Danzig (Gdańsk), Royal Prussia, region of Poland. She became acquainted with her husband, the poet and author Johann Christoph Gottsched, when she sent him some of her own works. He apparently was impressed, and a long correspondence eventually led to marriage. After marriage, Luise continued to write and publish,^[3] and was also her husband's faithful helper in his literary labours.^[4] Her uncle was the anatomist Johann Adam Kulmus.

Works

She wrote several popular comedies, of which Das Testament is the best, and translated The Spectator (9 volumes, 1739–1743), Alexander Pope's Rape of the Lock (1744) and other English and French works. After her death her husband edited her Sämtliche kleinere Gedichte with a memoir (1763).^[5]