In honor of Ricarda Huch's sixtieth birthday in 1924, Thomas Mann remarked: "Denn nicht nur die erste Frau Deutschlands ist es, die man zu feiern hat, es ist wahrscheinlich heute die erste Europas" (For it is not just the first lady of Germany to whom this celebration is dedicated but today she very likely is the First lady of Europe). In the view of Ernst Alker, "Unter den erzählerischen Talenten der Neuromantik war Ricarda Huch (1864-1947) eines der stärksten, sie selbst die bedeutendste Dichterin der Generation" (Among the writers of neoromanticism, Ricarda Huch [1864-1947] was one of the strongest; she was the most important poetess of her generation).

Huch's works are characterized by depth and diversity. She wrote poems, short stories, novellas, and novels, and became famous for her historical and literary analyses. Her political vision, her firm belief in humanity, and her mastery of...