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Annette von Droste-Hülshoff was born on 10th January 1797 in Hülshoff, Westphalia, Germany into an aristocratic, roman-catholic family. She lived in the castle, which had been in the family for 400 years and was educated at home with her brothers and sister. Despite being from a noble background she often mixed with the farmers and peasants of Westphalia. As a child Droste listened to readings of Shakespeare, Cervantes, Voltaire, Swift and Scott who later influenced her when she began writing. Droste had poor health and was often very sick, which was made worse in 1826 and 1829 when her father and favourite brother died. After her father’s death, Droste and her mother moved frequently, sometimes staying in Bonn, Cologne, Coblenz or with her sister in Meersburg. In 1830 Droste was introduced to Levin Schücking, he was 17 years younger than her and wrote literature. Droste formed a close relationship with him and became to love him, but her feelings were never returned. From 1841-42 the two of them stayed with Droste’s sister in Meersburg. It was over this period of time that her best poems were written as well as her only completed novel, Die Judenbuche, which Schücking arranged to be published in 1842. In 1846 Droste settled in Meersburg and two years later on the 24th May 1848, died due to the deterioration of her health. Droste is today known as Germany’s most famous poetess. Die Judenbuche is a novel, based on a true story of the murder of a Jew. It follows Friedrich Mergel’s life from his birth and shows how his personality changes through time; he later turns into a murderer. The incidence took place in 1782 in the same town as Droste grew up. Members of her family were involved in the case, as it took place on her land and in 1818 the case was published in a literary magazine by her uncle under the title ‘Geschichte eines Algierer Sklaven’. Between 1760 and 1770 Jews were not considered to be part of a country, but part of a large dispersed Jewish nation. They were frowned upon by society as they could be identified not only by their appearance but also by the way in which they spoke. A German Jew could was easily identified as they had different accents to the rest of the country, they spoke German but in a Yiddish accent.
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