A poetic atmosphere from the Hercynian woods and the monuments of ancient days surrounded our lives.

It was delightful to dream under the rustling beeches of the neighbouring forest; and in the church with its ancient graves and the crypt of St.
Wiperti Cloister, the oldest specimen of Christian art in that region, we were filled with reverence for the days of old.
The life of the great Henry, which I had celebrated in verse at Kottbus, became a reality to me here; and what a powerful influence a visit to the ancient cloister exerted on our young souls! The nearest relatives of mighty sovereigns had dwelt as abbesses within its walls.

But two generations ago Anna Amalie, the hapless sister of Frederick the Great, died while holding this office.
A strange and lasting impression was wrought upon me by a corpse and a picture in this convent.

Both were in a subterranean chamber which possessed the property of preserving animal bodies from corruption.

In this room was the body of Countess Aurora von Konigsmark, famed as the most beautiful woman of her time.