When the Congress of Vienna was over, the capital and residence city returned to its original rhythm of life. Baron Stephan von Wesenheim and the beautiful Viennese singer Henriette Fossi-Theimer cultivated a very passionate relationship. One day, the artist received a letter from an unknown admirer. She liked the sensually formulated lines. She demanded that Baron Wesenheim find the author of the document . The Styrian nobleman promised to find the “scribe” for her. A festive soiree at Palais Seymüller was one of the social highlights of January 1821. Celebrities from the worlds of culture, business and politics came together. Privy Councillor Franz Grillparzer was also invited. The host, banker Geymüller, calculated correctly in this matter. He knew that Grillparzer had a weakness for pretty girls. He therefore directed the young women close to the writer. Grillparzer got to know four sisters. Katharina Fröhlich, the youngest, fascinated the famous author. The young baron confronted the Viennese writer with one of his poems, which led to an upset between the two men and almost ended in violence . The reason was the theater singer Henriette Fossi-Theimer. Grillparzer found out from his counterpart where the lady lived in Vienna . Katharina Fröhlich was looking forward to the conversation with Franz Grillparzer, but it came to nothing as he was on his way to meetthe vocal artist he coveted. It was never possible to find out whether the two actually got close to each other. One of the artist ‘s maids wrote in her diary about a very amorous encounter. The most important women in Franz Grillparzer’s life were Marie von Smolenitz, the young Katharina Fröhlich, as well as Heloise Höchner and Josephine Miglitz from Carinthia. One of the writer ‘s most important statements sheds light on his love life: “What I experienced as a man, I tried to shape as a poet.” Time Travel Tip: Former Palais Geymüller, Wallnerstraße 8, 1010 Vienna. This building later housed the Lower Austrian Provincial Museum. It was here that Franz Grillparzer met Katharina Fröhlich. (Sources: Czeike, Felix: Der Graben, (Wiener Geschichtsbücher, Band 10), 137 pages, Vienna, Zsolnay 1972, ISBN: 978-3552024014; Welfenburg, Hubert: Die frivolsten Geschichten aus dem alten Wien, 305 pages, Vienna, Elektra, 1980, ISBN: 978-3272070162; Czeike, Felix: Unbekanntes Wien 1870-1920, 22 pages, 44 sheets of illustrations, Lucerne, 1998, ISBN: 978-3765812170) Access literature for “Erotic Vienna”:Czeike, Felix: Der Graben, (Wiener Geschichtsbücher, Band 10), 137 pages, Vienna, Zsolnay 1972, ISBN: 978-3552024014
Welfenburg, Hubert: Die frivolsten Geschichten aus dem alten Wien, 305 pages, Vienna, Elektra, 1980, ISBN: 978-3272070162 Czeike, Felix: Unbekanntes Wien 1870-1920, 22 pages, 44 sheets of illustrations, Lucerne, 1998, ISBN: 978-3765812170 Editor: Michael Ellenbogen
