Rainer Maria Rilke: Novel about his exciting life in Worpswede!

Rainer Maria Rilke: Novel about his exciting life in Worpswede!

The Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum in Bremen awakens anticipation of a very special exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Rainer Maria Rilke. On the occasion of his 150th birthday on December 4, 2025, the exhibition “Rilke and Art” opens its doors. From September 27, 2025, anyone interested can immerse themselves in the world of the famous poet until January 18, 2026. kreiszeitung.de reports that several new publications on Rilke's life and work will also be published during this time.

One of the most exciting innovations is the novel “Live close to you day by day” by Ronald Fricke, which deals intensively with Rilke's relationship with the German sculptor Clara Westhoff. The story takes place in the picturesque Worpswede Teufelsmoor, where Rilke and Westhoff spent time. Ronald Fricke, himself born in Bremen and now based in Worpswede, uses his story to show the different paths in life of the two protagonists. Westhoff struggles not only with her role as an artist, but also as a mother and wife, while Rilke is described as incapable of leading a middle-class life. The book has 296 pages and costs 18 euros.

A picture of Clara Westhoff's life

Clara Westhoff, born on September 21, 1878, was considered a pioneer among women sculptors in Germany. Her artistic career began at an art school in Munich before moving to Worpswede in 1898 to study with Fritz Mackensen. Spice, with artists such as Paula Becker, who later became Modersohn-Becker, and Ottilie Reylaender, paved the way for her own development.

Westhoff's artistic work took her to Paris in 1900, where she studied with the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin. Her later marriage to Rainer Maria Rilke in Worpswede in 1901 shows how closely the life and art of the two were intertwined. 18 years after their marriage, the family moved to Fischerhude, where their home and studio later became “Café Rilke,” which still exists today. Clara Rilke-Westhoff died on March 9, 1954 in Fischerhude, but her works remained largely private or barely accessible to the public.

A new look at Westhoff

The rediscovery of Clara Westhoff's artistic legacy gained momentum in 1986 when Marina Sauer published a comprehensive biography that shed new light on her importance as an artist. Nowadays, her role as one of the first female sculptors in Germany is increasingly being recognized, which is also important in the context of the upcoming Rilke anniversary and the current exhibition in the Paula Modersohn-Becker Museum. The fates of Rilke and Westhoff remain a fascinating chapter in art and literary history, which is given a fresh perspective by Fricke's novel.

Anyone interested in the connection between art and literature should not miss Ronald Fricke's reading on October 21, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the “Literaturplatz” bookstore in Horn-Lehe. It will certainly be a stimulating evening that brings to life the tension between the biographies of Westhoff and Rilke.