A German Pompadour / Being the Extraordinary History of Wilhelmine van Grävenitz, Landhofmeisterin of Wirtemberg

This narrative recounts the rise and fall of Wilhelmine von Grävenitz, a charismatic courtier whose relationship with the Duke of Württemberg reshaped a provincial court into a lavish, Versailles-like center of ceremony. Drawing on archival papers, memoirs, and local tradition, the account follows intrigues, theatrical entertainments, a mock marriage and court, confiscations and popular hostility, and the construction of palaces tied to her influence. Chapters combine scene-setting, political maneuvering, and personal episodes to show how charm, patronage, and scandal produced a brief triumph and an eventual downfall, leaving enduring architectural and social traces in the region.