Lou Andreas-Salomé (1861-1937) was an inspiration to some of Germany’s most famous thinkers – including Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud. But she was also an intellectual, whose writings on sexual liberation and women’s rights paved the way for generations of feminists.
Lou Andreas-Salomé (1861-1937) was an inspiration to some of Germany’s most famous thinkers – including Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud. But she was also an intellectual, whose writings on sexual liberation and women’s rights paved the way for generations of feminists.
This month, we’re talking about muses–women who were drivers of creativity and inspiration. Once again, we’re proud to partner with Mercedes-Benz (whose famous namesake was inspired by a young muse named Mercedes). Tune in daily for stories of women whose lives inspired work that has shaped our culture.
History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.
Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.
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Hello! From Wonder Media Network, I’m Jenny Kaplan. This is Womanica.
This month, we're talking about muses -- women who were drivers of creativity and inspiration.
Today’s muse was an inspiration to some of Germany’s most famous thinkers – including Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud. But she was also an intellectual, whose writings on sexual liberation and women’s rights paved the way for generations of feminists.
Let’s talk about Lou Andreas-Salomé.
Louise Salomé was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1861. She was the youngest in the family, and the only daughter – and her father, a well-known Russian general, doted on her.
After her relationship with a teacher became toxic – he was much older, and married, and in love with her – Louise got sick. So her mother sent her to Switzerland to recover.
Louise, who now went by Lou, enrolled at the University of Zurich, where she studied theology and art history. But despite her academic success, Lou’s health continued to get worse. When she started coughing up blood, her mother once again planned a move. This time, to a much warmer climate: Rome.
In 1882, Lou and her mother arrived in Italy. Rome at the time was a hotbed of intellectuals, filled with Europe’s most ambitious writers and thinkers. Lou met the philosophers Paul Reé and Friedrich Nietzsche – and soon, both were in love with her.
The three formed a love triangle, and even made plans to live together, in a commune they called the Trinity. Cohabitation never became a reality, but the trio did leave behind a photograph of Lou in a cart, brandishing a whip. Nietzsche and Reé stand in front – her horses.
By 1885, Lou had broken away from both Nietzsche and Reé. Nietzsche, in particular, found inspiration in their breakup. His novel, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, was directly inspired by Lou. He later wrote, “My greatest poem celebrates our union, and our tragic separation.”
By the mid-1880s, Lou’s own writing career had started to blossom. In 1885, she published Im Kampf um Gott, a novel about a man’s destructive effects on three women. The man, it seems, embodied Nietzsche. Each of the three women represented an element of Lou’s personality. The muse had become the artist.
In 1887, Lou embarked on another romantic endeavor – marrying Friedrich Carl Andreas, a linguistics scholar. She ended up hyphenating her last name, though she made sure to put her own name last.
Andreas, like many of Lou’s partners, acted out wildly during their relationship. At one point, he stabbed himself in the chest with a small knife. Within two years, they’d separated.
Over the next decade, Lou continued to write, and publish – and love. She wrote about the feminist themes in Henrik Ibsen’s plays, and about Nietzsche, surprisingly. She had affairs with a doctor from Vienna, and a playwright from Germany.
In 1898, Lou met the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. He was 14 years younger than her, and their relationship became one of worship. Lou, ultimately, was the one who convinced Rilke to take the name “Rainer” – the German version of “Rene”.
As a new century dawned, Lou wrote a number of novels and short stories. But she craved a second career. In 1911, she went to an event hosted by the International Psychoanalytic Association. There, she met Sigmund Freud. By 1913, Lou had started psychoanalyzing herself. Soon, Lou was known – and respected – as an analyst.
Lou died in 1937. For years, her relationships with prominent intellectuals earned her some fame, but it wasn’t until recently that her own work reentered the conversation. Today, Lou is remembered as a writer, a thinker, and an icon of sexual freedom.
All month, we’ve learned about muses. Join us tomorrow as we start a new month, highlighting women of resistance.
For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!
All month, we’re highlighting muses. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram @womanicapodcast.
Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.
Talk to you tomorrow!