ectual circles at Coblenz, Bonn and
Cologne, she retired to the estate of Ruschhaus near Munster, belonging
to her mother's family. In 1841, owing to delicate health, she went to
reside in the house of her brother-in-law, the well-known scholar,
Joseph, Freiherr von Lassberg (1770-1855), at Schloss Meersburg on the
Lake of Constance, where she met Levin Schucking (q.v.); and there she
died on the 24th of May 1848. Annette von Droste-Hulshoff is, beyond
doubt, the most gifted and original of German women poets. Her verse is
strong and vigorous, but often unmusical even to harshness; one looks in
vain for a touch of sentimentality or melting sweetness in it. As a
lyric poet, she is at her best when she is able to attune her thoughts
to the sober landscape of the Westphalian moorlands of her home. Her
narrative poetry, and especially _Das Hospiz auf dem Grossen St Bernard_
and _Die Schlacht im Loener Bruch_ (both 1838), belongs to the best
German poetry of its kind. She was a strict Roman Catholic, and her
religious poems, published in 1852, after her death, under the title
_Das geistliche Jahr, nebst einem Anhang religiuser Gedichte_, enjoyed
great popularity.

Annette von Droste-Hulshoff's _Gedichte_ were first published in 1844
during her lifetime, and a number of her poems were translated into
English by Thomas Medwin. The most complete edition of her works is
that in 4 vols. edited by E. von Droste-Hulshoff (Munster, 1886). The
_Ausgewahlte Gedichte_ were edited by W. von Scholz (Leipzig, 1901).
See Levin Schucking, _Annette von Droste-Hulshoff, ein Lebensbild_
(2nd ed., Hanover, 1871)--her letters to L. Schucking were published
at Leipzig in 1893; also H. Hueffer, _Annette von Droste-Hulshoff und
ihre Werke_ (Gotha, 1887), and W. Kreiten, _Annette von
Droste-Hulshoff_ (2nd ed., Paderborn, 1900).

DROSTE-VISCHERING, CLEMENS AUGUST, BARON VON (1773-1845), German Roman
Catholic divine, was born at Munster on the 21st of January 1773. He was
educated in his native town and entered the priesthood in 1798; in 1807
the local chapter elected him vicar-general. This office he resigned in
1813 through his opposition to Napoleon, but assumed it again after the
battle of Waterloo (1815) until a disagreement with the Prussian
government in 1820 led to his abdication. He remained in private life
until 1835, when he was appointed archbishop of Cologne. Here again his
zeal for the supremacy of the church l