Luise – The Queen and Her Siblings

Lesung mit Carolin Philipps aus „Luise - Die Königin und ihre Geschwister“.

lesung königin luise – Frau im weissen Kleid mit Krone. Eventtext: Carolin Philipps liest aus Luise – Die Königin und ihre Geschwister, 4. November 2026, 19h, Ballhaus Wedding.

The Luise Myth – The Woman Behind the Legend

A reading by Carolin Philipps from *Luise – The Queen and Her Siblings*

Young, beautiful, and revered: Queen Luise of Prussia was admired during her lifetime like few other women of her era. Poets, diplomats, and students alike raved about her grace, her virtue, and her charisma. Her untimely death at the age of just 34 cemented her status as a legend—the "Queen of Hearts."

But who was Luise, really?

In her book *Luise – The Queen and Her Siblings*, historian Carolin Philipps offers a fresh, surprisingly personal perspective on the famous queen. Her account draws on thousands of letters written to Luise’s five siblings—some of which have never been published before. These letters reveal a Luise beyond the myth: vulnerable, lonely, and despairing, yet also full of zest for life, warmth, and a longing for closeness.

It was only to her siblings that she confided her fears, hopes, and premonitions of death. Only with them could she cast off the role of the ever-smiling queen—and simply be herself.

The result is a moving portrait of a woman whom people think they know everything about, yet who can still be discovered anew: as queen, sister, wife, mother—and as a human being.

Set against the historic backdrop of the Ballhaus Wedding, Carolin Philipps takes her audience on a journey back to the turn of the 19th century—an era defined by upheaval, revolution, and war, when old certainties were shattered and new ideas of freedom and equality were transforming the world.

Next date:

• Date Wednesday, 04/November/2026 19:30
• Venue Ballhaus Wedding
• Address Wriezener Straße 6, 13359 Berlin-Wedding