Becker-Neumann, Christiane |
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BORN 15 Dec 1778, Crossen an der Oder (now: Krosno Odrzanskie, Poland) - DIED 22 Sep 1797, Weimar, Thüringen CAUSE OF DEATH tuberculosis GRAVE LOCATION Weimar, Thüringen: Jakobskirchhof |
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Christiane Neumann was the daughter of the actors Johann Christian Neumann and his wife Johanne Elisabeth. She appeared o nthe stage as a child. Duchess Anna Amalia liked her and enabled her in 1787 to study for two years under the famous actress Corona Schröter. After the foundation of the Court Theatre in Weimar in 1791 she and her father were engaged at that theatre. Her father suddeny died and Goethe took over het theatrical education. In 1791 she performed successfully in Shakespeare's "Konig Johann" ("King John") . In 1793 she married the actor and director Heinrich von Blumenthal, who was known as Becker. In 1794 they had a daughter, Corona. Christiane was back on the stage soon afterwards. She played parts in pieces by Lessing, Schiller and Shakespeare. Her friend Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter compared her to the actress Charlotte Ackermann (1757-1775). In 1796 another daughter was boorn, but she died soon afterwards. In the summer of 1797 Christiane fell ill during a guest performance in Lauchstadt. It became clear that she suffered from tuberculosis. After she appeared in Weimar as Euphrosyne in "Das Petermännchen" she was sent home on 18 August 18 to rest, but she died on 22 September. She was buried at the Jakobskirchhof in Weimar. Goethe heard of her death when he was in Zürich and he was deeply shocked. He wrote the poem "Euphrosyne" for her, after the last role that he had seen her in. In 1800 a commemorative column was placed for her in Rosenberg. In 1950 it was transported to the plot of the Marie-Seebach-Stifts at the historical cemetery in Weimar. Related persons • knew Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von • was pupil of Schröter, Corona |
| Images |
 The grave of Christiane Becker-Neumann at the Jakobskirchhof in Weimar. Picture by Androom (04 Feb 2005) |
Sources • Dressler, Roland & Jochen Klauss, Weimarer Friedhöfe, Böhlau Verlag, Weimar, 1996 • Ranft, Gertrud, Historische Grabstätten aus Weimars Klassischer Zeit, Stadtmuseum Weimar, Weimar, 1979 • Christiane Becker-Neumann - Wikipedia (DE) |
