The Political Voice in the Writings of Friederike Brun (1765–1835)

Friederike Brun (1765–1835), salonnière, poet, and travel writer, lived and wrote during a time of great political change in Europe. Witnessing firsthand or learning of the violence, wars, and oppression ravaging the Continent during the Revolutionary, Napoleonic, and Restoration eras, it comes as no surprise that these experiences inspired political commentary in her writing. This essay will not only show how Brun’s poems, travelogues, and letters are permeated with her political sentiments but will also argue that Brun’s writing career, encompassing several decades, lays open how her political thinking changed over time. The writings of Brun, a contemporary and friend of Madame de Staël, offer another example of women’s interest and participation in political discourse at the end of the Age of Enlightenment.