Augusta Louise zu Stolberg-Stolberg

Who was Augusta Louise zu Stolberg-Stolberg?

Countess Louise Augusta zu Stolberg-Stolberg is known for her lively correspondence with the poet and thinker Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; she is known as Goethes Gustchen in the history of literature.

She was the younger sister of Goethe's friends Count Friedrich Leopold zu Stolberg-Stolberg and Count Christian zu Stolberg-Stolberg. She lived in a pension for young, unmarried girls from 1770 to 1783 along with the older Baroness Metta von Oberg. Her letters to the young Goethe date to 1775 and 1776. They never met in person.

In all her correspondence she was a lively writer."Augusta – vom Morgen bis in Abend laufen die Depeschen bey ihr ein, wie bey einem Staatsminister, und werden sorgfältiger abgefertigt, als in einer Canzelley" noted Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock.

On 7 August 1783 Augusta Louise moved to Copenhagen, and later married the Danish Minister of State Andreas Peter Bernstorff.