Sibylle Mertens-Schaaffhausen, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetSibylle Mertens-Schaaffhausen
German art historian and archaeologist
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
About Sibylle Mertens-Schaaffhausen
- Sibylle Mertens-Schaaffhausen (29 January 1797 – 22 October 1857) was a German art collector and musician who became significant due in part to interest in archaeology.
- She hosted a salon of importance.
- She became notable for knowledge of gems and coins and was invited to scientific meetings in Rome.
- She supported the German revolutions of 1848–49 and had affectionate relationships with women such as Adele Schopenhauer.
- She has been referred to as the "countess from the Rhine," and her nation's first recognized female archaeologist.In 1816, she married a banker from Cologne, Joseph Ludwig Mertens.
- He was 16 years older than she was.
- Although they had six children together, the marriage was an unhappy one from the beginning.
- A divorce however was out of the question due to religious reasons.
- Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, a writer from her salon and close friend, called it an 'Ehehölle', "marital hell".
- Their wealth made it possible for them to live separate lives: she lived mostly on Schloss Petersburg, while her husband lived mostly in Cologne.
- Although it is suggested that her relationship to women extended to nothing more than "loyal friendships", there is strong evidence that she was a lesbian, something she could not express in public.
- The intimate entries in her diary, which she left to her long time lover Laurina Spinola, are testimony to this.
- Other notable female lovers include Adele Schopenhauer, sister to the famous German philosopher, with whom she had lived together since 1826, along with the mother Johanna Schopenhauer.
- After the death of Laurina, the two women grew closer again.
Read more at Wikipedia
See Also
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