Therese Elisabeth Alexandra Förster-Nietzsche (10 July 1846 – 8 November 1935) was the sister of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the creator of the Nietzsche Archive in 1894.
Förster-Nietzsche was two years younger than her brother. Their father was a Lutheran pastor in the German village of Röcken bei Lützen. The two children were close during their childhood and early adult years. However, they grew apart in 1885 when Elisabeth married Bernhard Förster, a former high school teacher who had become a prominent German nationalist and antisemite. Friedrich Nietzsche did not attend their wedding.
Förster-Nietzsche and her husband created an unsuccessful colony, Nueva Germania, in Paraguay in 1887. Her husband killed himself in 1889. Förster-Nietzsche continued to run the colony until she returned to Germany in 1893 where she found her brother to be an invalid whose published writings were beginning to be read and discussed throughout Europe. Adolf Hitler attended her funeral in 1935.[1]
In the 1950s it was claimed by Nietzsche's new editors and translators such as Walter Kaufmann that Nietzsche's work had been falsely edited by Elisabeth to highlight racist and eugenicist themes, but this account has been the subject of debate in recent scholarship.[2] An alternative theory exonerates Elisabeth and places the distortion of Nietzsche's works in the hands of the Nazis themselves.[3]
Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche was born in 1846 to Carl Ludwig Nietzsche and Franziska Nietzsche (née Oehler). Therese Elisabeth Alexandra Nietzsche was so named after three princesses with whom Carl Ludwig Nietzsche had worked. Carl Ludwig was a Lutheran pastor in the German village of Röcken bei Lützen. Franziska was a rustic. Carl Ludwig died in 1849. Franziska had no prospects and her husband's pension was insufficient. She chose to rely on the charity of Carl Ludwig's mother, Erdmuthe, and the more distinguished prospects which she could open for the children. When remembering her early life, Förster-Nietzsche would suggest that they may have cried a lot.
Friedrich and Elisabeth were close during their childhood and early adult years. He took to calling her Llama throughout their lives because he felt that the description of the load bearing, saliva spitting, stubborn animal fit her well.[4]
Bernhard Förster planned to create a "pure Aryan settlement" in the New World, and had found a site in Paraguay which he thought would be suitable. The couple persuaded fourteen German families to join them in the colony, to be called Nueva Germania, and the group left Germany for South America on 15 February 1887.[5]
The colony did not thrive. The land was not suitable for German methods of farming, illness ran rampant, and transportation to the colony was slow and difficult. Faced with mounting debts, Förster committed suicide by poisoning himself on 3 June 1889. Four years later Elisabeth left the colony forever and returned to Germany. The colony still exists as a district of the San Pedro department.
Friedrich Nietzsche's mental collapse occurred in 1889 (he died in 1900), and upon Elisabeth's return in 1893 she found him an invalid whose published writings were beginning to be read and discussed throughout Europe. Förster-Nietzsche took a leading role in promoting her brother, especially through the publication of a collection of Nietzsche's fragments under the name of The Will to Power.[6]
The common account made by Nietzsche new editors and translators in the 1950s has been that in 1930, Förster-Nietzsche, a German nationalist and antisemite,[7][8] became a supporter of the Nazi Party and, as has been traditionally claimed, she falsified Nietzsche's work to make it a better fit to Nazi ideology.[6][7] This account is now disputed by recent scholarship, which argues that Elisabeth's motivation in selectively editing Nietzsche's works was primarily intended to protect her brother from criticism and to present herself as being close to him.[2]
When Hitler came to power in 1933, the Nietzsche Archive received financial support and publicity from the government, in return for which Förster-Nietzsche bestowed her brother's considerable prestige on the regime.[9] Förster-Nietzsche's funeral in 1935 was attended by Hitler and several high-ranking German officials.[7]
References
^Gray, John (8 January 2016). "Anti-Education by Friedrich Nietzsche review – why mainstream culture, not the universities, is doing our best thinking". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
^ abHolub, Robert C. (2016). Nietzsche's Jewish Problem. Princeton University Press. pp. 20–26. ISBN9780691167558.
^Leiter, Brian (21 December 2015). "Nietzsche's Hatred of "Jew Hatred"". The New Rambler Review of Books.
^Prideaux, Sue (2018). I Am Dynamite! : A Life of Nietzsche (First U.S. ed.). New York: Tim Duggan Books. pp. 20, 261–262. ISBN978-1-5247-6082-3.
^"The colony "Nueva Germania" in Paraguay". Deutsche Welle DW.com. 9 April 2020. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
^ abMartin Heidegger, 1930s courses on Nietzsche (parts of which have been published under the name Nietzsche I (1936-1939), ed. B. Schillbach, 1996, XIV, 596p. and Nietzsche II (1939-1946), ed. B. Schillbach, 1997, VIII, 454p. — note that these publications are not the exact transcription of the 1930s courses, but were done post-war), and Mazzino Montinari, 1974 (Montinari made the first complete edition of Nietzsche's posthumous fragments, respecting chronological orders, whilst Elisabeth Förster's edition was partial, incomplete and arbitrarily ordered, as Heidegger had already noted. Montinari's edition has provided the basis for all further scholarship on Nietzsche's work).
^ abcWroe, David (19 January 2010). "'Criminal' manipulation of Nietzsche by sister to make him look anti-Semitic". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 July 2013. Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, who went on to become a prominent supporter of Adolf Hitler, systematically falsified her brother's works and letters, according to the Nietzsche Encyclopedia [...] When she died in 1935, Hitler attended her funeral.
^"Nietzsche's Sister and the Will to Power: A Biography of Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche". International Nietzsche Studies. University of Illinois Press. July 2007. Retrieved 2 July 2013. Diethe concludes by detailing Förster-Nietzsche's brief marriage and her subsequent colonial venture in Paraguay, maintaining that her sporadic anti-Semitism was, like most things in her life, an expedient tool for cultivating personal success and status.
^"The Most Evil Woman in History". Blogspot. 6 August 2013. Archived from the original on 29 March 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
Sources
Diethe, Carol, Nietzsche's Sister and the Will to Power, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2003. (A biography of Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche)
Macintyre, Ben, Forgotten Fatherland: The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche, New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1992.
External links
Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche (1895). Das Leben Friedrich Nietzsche's. C. G. Naumann.
Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche (1897). Das Leben Friedrich Nietzsche's. C. G. Naumann.
Entretien autour de Friedrich Nietzsche et son temps
January 25, 2023
elisabeth, förster, nietzsche, therese, elisabeth, alexandra, förster, nietzsche, july, 1846, november, 1935, sister, philosopher, friedrich, nietzsche, creator, nietzsche, archive, 1894, 1894borntherese, elisabeth, alexandra, nietzsche, 1846, july, 1846röcken. Therese Elisabeth Alexandra Forster Nietzsche 10 July 1846 8 November 1935 was the sister of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and the creator of the Nietzsche Archive in 1894 Elisabeth Forster NietzscheElisabeth Forster Nietzsche c 1894BornTherese Elisabeth Alexandra Nietzsche 1846 07 10 10 July 1846Rocken PrussiaDied8 November 1935 1935 11 08 aged 89 Weimar Nazi GermanyNationalityGermanKnown forsister of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche founder of Nueva Germania and Nazi sympathiserPolitical partyNSDAPSpouseBernhard ForsterParent s Carl Ludwig Nietzsche Franziska NietzscheForster Nietzsche was two years younger than her brother Their father was a Lutheran pastor in the German village of Rocken bei Lutzen The two children were close during their childhood and early adult years However they grew apart in 1885 when Elisabeth married Bernhard Forster a former high school teacher who had become a prominent German nationalist and antisemite Friedrich Nietzsche did not attend their wedding Forster Nietzsche and her husband created an unsuccessful colony Nueva Germania in Paraguay in 1887 Her husband killed himself in 1889 Forster Nietzsche continued to run the colony until she returned to Germany in 1893 where she found her brother to be an invalid whose published writings were beginning to be read and discussed throughout Europe Adolf Hitler attended her funeral in 1935 1 In the 1950s it was claimed by Nietzsche s new editors and translators such as Walter Kaufmann that Nietzsche s work had been falsely edited by Elisabeth to highlight racist and eugenicist themes but this account has been the subject of debate in recent scholarship 2 An alternative theory exonerates Elisabeth and places the distortion of Nietzsche s works in the hands of the Nazis themselves 3 Contents 1 Early life 2 Nueva Germania 3 Nietzsche Archive 4 Affiliation with the Nazi Party 5 References 6 Sources 7 External linksEarly life EditThis section needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed July 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Elisabeth Nietzsche Elisabeth Forster Nietzsche was born in 1846 to Carl Ludwig Nietzsche and Franziska Nietzsche nee Oehler Therese Elisabeth Alexandra Nietzsche was so named after three princesses with whom Carl Ludwig Nietzsche had worked Carl Ludwig was a Lutheran pastor in the German village of Rocken bei Lutzen Franziska was a rustic Carl Ludwig died in 1849 Franziska had no prospects and her husband s pension was insufficient She chose to rely on the charity of Carl Ludwig s mother Erdmuthe and the more distinguished prospects which she could open for the children When remembering her early life Forster Nietzsche would suggest that they may have cried a lot Friedrich and Elisabeth were close during their childhood and early adult years He took to calling her Llama throughout their lives because he felt that the description of the load bearing saliva spitting stubborn animal fit her well 4 Nueva Germania EditMain article Nueva Germania Bernhard Forster planned to create a pure Aryan settlement in the New World and had found a site in Paraguay which he thought would be suitable The couple persuaded fourteen German families to join them in the colony to be called Nueva Germania and the group left Germany for South America on 15 February 1887 5 The colony did not thrive The land was not suitable for German methods of farming illness ran rampant and transportation to the colony was slow and difficult Faced with mounting debts Forster committed suicide by poisoning himself on 3 June 1889 Four years later Elisabeth left the colony forever and returned to Germany The colony still exists as a district of the San Pedro department Nietzsche Archive EditMain article Nietzsche Archiv Elisabeth Forster Nietzsche 1910 Louis Held Friedrich Nietzsche s mental collapse occurred in 1889 he died in 1900 and upon Elisabeth s return in 1893 she found him an invalid whose published writings were beginning to be read and discussed throughout Europe Forster Nietzsche took a leading role in promoting her brother especially through the publication of a collection of Nietzsche s fragments under the name of The Will to Power 6 Elisabeth Forster Nietzsche Edvard Munch 1906 Affiliation with the Nazi Party EditThe common account made by Nietzsche new editors and translators in the 1950s has been that in 1930 Forster Nietzsche a German nationalist and antisemite 7 8 became a supporter of the Nazi Party and as has been traditionally claimed she falsified Nietzsche s work to make it a better fit to Nazi ideology 6 7 This account is now disputed by recent scholarship which argues that Elisabeth s motivation in selectively editing Nietzsche s works was primarily intended to protect her brother from criticism and to present herself as being close to him 2 When Hitler came to power in 1933 the Nietzsche Archive received financial support and publicity from the government in return for which Forster Nietzsche bestowed her brother s considerable prestige on the regime 9 Forster Nietzsche s funeral in 1935 was attended by Hitler and several high ranking German officials 7 References Edit Gray John 8 January 2016 Anti Education by Friedrich Nietzsche review why mainstream culture not the universities is doing our best thinking The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 2 August 2017 a b Holub Robert C 2016 Nietzsche s Jewish Problem Princeton University Press pp 20 26 ISBN 9780691167558 Leiter Brian 21 December 2015 Nietzsche s Hatred of Jew Hatred The New Rambler Review of Books Prideaux Sue 2018 I Am Dynamite A Life of Nietzsche First U S ed New York Tim Duggan Books pp 20 261 262 ISBN 978 1 5247 6082 3 The colony Nueva Germania in Paraguay Deutsche Welle DW com 9 April 2020 Archived from the original on 16 April 2019 Retrieved 9 April 2020 a b Martin Heidegger 1930s courses on Nietzsche parts of which have been published under the name Nietzsche I 1936 1939 ed B Schillbach 1996 XIV 596p and Nietzsche II 1939 1946 ed B Schillbach 1997 VIII 454p note that these publications are not the exact transcription of the 1930s courses but were done post war and Mazzino Montinari 1974 Montinari made the first complete edition of Nietzsche s posthumous fragments respecting chronological orders whilst Elisabeth Forster s edition was partial incomplete and arbitrarily ordered as Heidegger had already noted Montinari s edition has provided the basis for all further scholarship on Nietzsche s work a b c Wroe David 19 January 2010 Criminal manipulation of Nietzsche by sister to make him look anti Semitic The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 2 July 2013 Elisabeth Forster Nietzsche who went on to become a prominent supporter of Adolf Hitler systematically falsified her brother s works and letters according to the Nietzsche Encyclopedia When she died in 1935 Hitler attended her funeral Nietzsche s Sister and the Will to Power A Biography of Elisabeth Forster Nietzsche International Nietzsche Studies University of Illinois Press July 2007 Retrieved 2 July 2013 Diethe concludes by detailing Forster Nietzsche s brief marriage and her subsequent colonial venture in Paraguay maintaining that her sporadic anti Semitism was like most things in her life an expedient tool for cultivating personal success and status The Most Evil Woman in History Blogspot 6 August 2013 Archived from the original on 29 March 2020 Retrieved 29 March 2020 Sources EditDiethe Carol Nietzsche s Sister and the Will to Power Urbana University of Illinois Press 2003 A biography of Elisabeth Forster Nietzsche Macintyre Ben Forgotten Fatherland The Search for Elisabeth Nietzsche New York Farrar Straus Giroux 1992 External links EditElisabeth Forster Nietzsche 1895 Das Leben Friedrich Nietzsche s C G Naumann Elisabeth Forster Nietzsche 1897 Das Leben Friedrich Nietzsche s C G Naumann Entretien autour de Friedrich Nietzsche et son temps Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Elisabeth Forster Nietzsche amp oldid 1133075023, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
