In Gratitude to Collector Marianne Bachfeld

About this event

When Marianne Bachfeld died in 2025, she left 22 handwritten treasures to the Freies Deutsches Hochstift, the institution behind the Goethe-Haus and Romanticism Museum. Now they go on show – a personal thank-you to the Frankfurt collector who called her manuscripts ‘teure Freunde’, dear friends that cost money but gave back far more. At the heart of the display is Bachfeld’s favourite piece: Goethe’s wry poem ‘Die Dinte macht uns wohl gelehrt’, a meditation on ink and learning. Around it are autographs she acquired over decades, mostly from Prussian history but also from musicians, scientists and writers. The exhibition is intimate – just one room, the Handschriftenstudio – and feels like a peek into a private flat where every document was a companion. It’s a quiet affair for anyone who loves history on paper, especially the Romantic era. You’ll read the originals, sense the connection between collector and object, and learn about a Frankfurt woman whose passion turned into a generous gift. The opening event on Sunday 27 September at 2 p.m. offers a celebratory start.

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