ANNE LOUISE JERMAINE DE STAEL HOLSTEIN

French writer. Author of the novels "Dolphin" (1802) and Corinne, or Italy! " (1807), books on literature, considered in connection with social institutions "(1800)," The German "(1810).

Prior to Germaine de Stael, no woman has played a role in history, which has fallen to her. It was not the queen, empress, to dominate over the people by virtue of hereditary right. It has achieved a higher honor - became the mistress of doom an entire generation who survived the French Revolution. Germaine de Stael has paved the way for a romantic rebellion in France, it works mark a transitional stage from the Enlightenment to Romanticism. It is hard to find a woman who at the beginning of the XIX century have been so well known in Europe and works which would consider it my duty to explore the most worthy men. Highly prized talent de Stael von Goethe, Schiller, Chamisso, the brothers Schlegel. Byron, skeptical about "women scientists", for it made an exception. "This is an outstanding woman - he wrote in his diary - she made a mental area larger than all other women, taken together, it would have been born a man. " Well, Onegin, tormented by a brutal blues and read over these things about all that was on the bookshelf of an educated man of his time, of course, could not miss the works of French writer.

Agree that is one such "star" neighborhood on the bookshelf speaks of our heroine, more than any eulogy. However, speaking of de Stael as a writer, often forgetting that she probably was not endowed with literary talent, and a brilliant education and living a versatile mind. She wrote plays, novels, but more successful career of its activities were political pamphlets, the theoretical work on aesthetics, in which Germain de Stael expressed disturbing the public mind. She left one of the first historical works of his time - "Consideration of the key events of the French Revolution," published posthumously in 1818.

But Germaine talent manifested itself and another one, now vanished completely field. Swiss banker Necker, her father, was considered a great expert in finance. Louis XVI was called three times to the post of minister to France to save the economy from collapse. By their social position Necker spouses were required to live openly and to hold, as they said, the salon, where local celebrities gathered. In the early eighties, when the Swiss settled in Paris for the first time, salon patrons pay attention to the ever-present at the meeting a teenage girl with an unusually mobile face and a lively, intelligent eyes - daughter of the owner. And if you later become famous for Germain salon techniques, then there is nothing surprising - from a young age she hurried in the evening to take a "rightful" place on a stool near the mother's chair and barely started the debate - all appealed to the hearing. She, of course, is not allowed to "disclose" the mouth, but no one could deny Germain listen open-mouthed. It seemed that it is equally interested in any of the issues discussed in the cabin - politics, religion, literature. But this bliss for Germaine became the talk alone with her father. When in 1781 the minister Necker published his famous financial report, fifteen-year-daughter wrote him an anonymous letter, which commented on this work.

Like many educated young men of the time, Germaine was fond of Rousseau. Now it is difficult to imagine why so much excitement experienced readers, "Julie, or the New Heloise," so many tears shed over the love story of an intelligent plebeian Saint-Preux married to Julie, whose husband Volmir graciously allowed them to communicate with, confident in the virtues of his wife. Germain also was among the admirers of Rousseau touched. However, she did not belong to those who simply sympathize with feelings of heroes. "Social Contract", Rousseau preached, was for Germaine political Bible. The girl had a very powerful analytical mind to see in the "New Eloise" just a love story. Rousseau stimulate thought the young Germaine. In the twenty-two years she wrote "Essay on the writings and character of Rousseau", showing a surprising independence judgments.

But we should not think that our heroine, possessing great logic, like a man being able to clothe their thoughts in clear sentences, are a type of dry, rational woman. In contrast, many contemporaries noted the excessive vehemence of her nature, intemperance, and, if so allowed to say, even bad manners. The person who was busy marriage Swedish envoy Erik Magnus de Stael with a heiress Golsteyna Swiss banker - a girl Necker, wrote after the engagement of young King Gustav III: "I heartily wish that the steel was happy, but, truth to tell, not much confidence in it. It is true that his wife was brought up in the rules of honor and virtue, but it is completely unfamiliar with the light and his decency and, moreover, such a high opinion of his mind that it will be difficult to convince its shortcomings.

Photo — «Anne Louise Jermaine
de Stael Holstein»

It power-hungry and resolute in their judgments, it so sure of herself as a single woman in her age and position. She judges everything awry, and although she could not refuse in the mind, but nevertheless of twenty-five made its judgments unless one is quite appropriate. messenger dares to do it whatever it may remark for fear of alienating her from him at first. " Well, if the marriage M. de Stael clouded tactless imprudence and his fiery wife, did not attach much importance respectability, the marriage did Germain truly unfortunate.

Saddled by debt, pretty shabby secular dude who married for the sake of dowry, Eric de Stael in all respects, "did not reach" until its second half. Poetic dreams a young girl, which she preached in his treatises - to merge into a marriage of two lives into one - crumbled into dust. The only child of their union, Gustavina, did not live up to two years. Wanting to escape from the frustrations Germain with even greater zeal abandoned herself literary pursuits and, like his parents, opened the salon, which, if inherited, collected the former guests of her mother. According to the accounts of contemporaries, fascinated the young mistress buddy brilliant eloquence and ability to improvise and amazing gift of waking thought. "If I was a queen, - said one of her admirers - I would have forced her to always talk to me. "

1789 Revolution de Stael has met with enthusiasm. Pro-opposition to Louis XVI salon enthusiastically welcomed the fall of the Bastille. In addition, Germaine's father, whom she is still idolized by double departing king to retire, the new government was called to public activities. Germain initially took an active part in revolutionary events, but unlimited terror forced her to move from "offensive" to a "protracted defense. " Only the position of the Swedish ambassador's wife helped de Stael to save many of his friends from the guillotine. Once Germain met with the Minister of War of the court of Louis Count Narbonne - a brilliant knight and noble knight, in a word, the man of her dreams. A romantic getaway abroad, which took an active part de Stael, gave Narbonne in her eyes, halo of a martyr. In the end, the woman followed in England, where he found refuge her lover, and not very much regard for the opinions of the world, did not hide the close friendship with the Count. Relations with Narbonne did not last long, soon a letter her husband, in which he urged his unfaithful wife to the family hearth, Germain awakened from romantic dreams. True, Germain gave birth to two sons of Count of Narbonne, which she prudently left the name of de Stael.

It is hard to say right now how to survive the loss of his beloved Count, but do know that while the wound healed heart Germain, and two years later they met in Paris, as good friends, experiencing only mild jabs pride of mutual indifference. Changing political situation has allowed the family de Stael to return to France. The first victory of the young General Bonaparte admired Germain. She wrote him enthusiastic letters. De Stael one of the first noticed that Napoleon went quickly to the dictatorship, and do not bother to hide his own observations. Liberal nature writer took precedence over women's passion. And vengeful Bonaparte never forgave her that. By Germain Napoleon felt downright pathological hatred!

"He could not bear the famous Madame de Stael even before he was angry with her for the political opposition mentality, and hated her for excessive in his opinion, for a woman to political interest, for its claims to erudition and profundity. Unquestioning obedience and obedience to his will - this is the necessary quality, without which the woman for him did not exist "- wrote EV Tarle, in his book "Napoleon. "

However, found the men who saw in it an ideal. In 1794, Germain became acquainted with Benjamin Constant, a very prominent political and literary figures of the time. At that time she was around thirty. She was not beautiful, her features were too large. Home of the charm of his contemporaries, were large black eyes, becomes unusually expressive, when Germain inspire conversation. Its matte-bronze complexion, his eyes it looked like a Turkish woman, as, apparently, knew, and therefore sought to strengthen the similarity headdress that looked like something the eastern turban. Constant was also a striking handsome. His piercing blue eyes, his shook out her blond curls and her fantastic coat, he represented the type of romantic men, which by then in vogue, especially as the melancholic, sated, weary eye on the surrounding completes the picture misses some demonic young man, who bore the imprint of the experienced tragedy. In fact it was quite the opposite - a real "dyavolenkom" in their union became Germain.

Photo — «Anne Louise Jermaine
de Stael Holstein»

Strong-willed, energetic, domineering woman won Constant. In his diary he wrote: "I've never seen a better woman, more graceful, more loyal, but I have not seen as a woman who would bring much insistence, she did not notice it, which to an extent absorbed to the lives of all others and which, when all the merits would have a more despotic personality, all of the existence of another person, minutes, hours, years, should be at its disposal. And when she had given to his passion, there is a disaster such as storms and earthquakes. She - spoiled child, that says it all "

Well, Germain knew his own worth and does not intend was for someone to adapt. Of course, love de Stael and Benjamin Constant worthy descriptions of a serious psychological novel, but in the lives of many lovers' drank to each other blood. " Germain insisted on an actual divorce with former husband, leaving himself only surname de Stael, Constant bore a daughter, but a passionate feeling, which lasted a decade, resulted from the endless scenes of the nerve. Even when they parted, Germain managed to embarrass the rest Benjamin letters. The diary Constant specifically noted rare occasions, not marked by a showdown. What is complex must be a relationship that, unable to stop them, finally exclaiming: "God has freed us from each other. "

Probably, the reader guessed the final novel, our heroine. "On such as Germain, do not marry. " Indeed, Constantine finally sated the passions, is engaged to pretty, unpretentious German girl Charlotte. I. . . immediately began to miss the abandoned mistress. Like a true Don Juan, he savaged the heart of the two women - talented and umneyshey de Stael and colorless, an obscure simpleton.

Meanwhile Germaine conflict with Napoleon reached its climax. In January 1800 Constant gave a speech about the nascent tyranny. Napoleon was furious, he is not without reason, considered de Stael inspiration of this speech. Writer was asked to leave Paris. In April 1800 she responded to this order the publication of the book "On Literature", in which Napoleon saw a direct attack against his government.

Full title of this work on the literature, considered in connection with social institutions "like its basic idea. Tending to solid research, Germain tried to do a survey of European literature from Homer to the French Revolution, explaining the nature of the literature of every nation the terms of its social and political life. This global labor de Stael marked the beginning of the cultural-historical method in literary history.

The first artistic novel, brought fame Germain, was a work inspired by the scenes of the struggle for their own free love. The image of the heroine's Dolphins, unhappy, gifted women, in common with the personality traits most writers. De Stael very little to rely on imagination and preferred to carry on the pages of his creations the most vital problems of time. Because her novels often resembled the political or sociological treatises, manifestoes against the violation of human rights. They were pompous and tight, but they are throbbing so hard the idea that not acquainted with the new works of Madame de Stael was considered in enlightened Europe obscene.

Loud fame awaited the most important novel writer, "Corinne, or Italy. " Recognizable twists and turns her love of drama with Constant echoed in the book of serious generalizations.

In 1811, tired of the harassment, Germaine decided to go to America. However, the new plans has prevented a new love. Being in transit in Switzerland, de Stael met a young and handsome French officer, who healed the wounds it received in the Spanish war. Germain took a warm interest in the fate of the sufferer, and, as expected, at the time of recovery officer is no longer thought of his future without our heroine. True, Germain would not wish "to amuse people and to marry a man who was younger than her twenty years, so it . . . agreed to a secret marriage.

After the fall of Napoleon de Stael triumphantly returned to Paris, where she was expecting a tense political life. The writer realized that the return of the Bourbons on the throne is unacceptable for France, so with her characteristic flair she chose contender for power. However, the conqueror of Napoleon restored the old dynasty of kings. And yet, fifteen years later, in 1830, applicants who supported Germain, became king Louis-Philippe. But it happened after the death of de Stael.

February 21, 1817 Germain went to a reception hosted by the Chief Minister of Louis XVIII. She fell when climbing the stairs. There has been a brain hemorrhage. Germaine de Stael had died in the great day of The Great French Revolution - July 14.