Der Dichter Lenz und Friedericke von Sesenheim

A richly compiled volume brings together the surviving correspondence, poems, and contemporary notes that illuminate the tangled relationships of three early‑Romantic figures. Through Lenz’s letters to the Strasbourg scholar Salzmann, Goethe’s own missives, and a selection of previously unpublished verses, listeners hear the raw emotions and artistic anxieties that drove these writers. The editor’s careful transcription preserves the original tone, letting the 18th‑century voices speak directly to modern ears.

The collection centres on Lenz’s feverish admiration for Friederike von Sesenheim and the rivalry it sparked with Goethe, whose affection for the same woman added a layer of personal and literary competition. As the letters unfold, the listener discovers how love, jealousy, and the quest for artistic recognition intertwined, shaping the poets’ output and reputations. Alongside the heartfelt poetry, the book offers contextual commentary that fills gaps left by earlier biographies, providing a vivid portrait of the cultural world surrounding these iconic creators.