DROSTE-HULSHOFF, ANNETTE ELISABETH, FREIIN voN German poet, was born at the family seat of Hialshoff near Munster in Westphalia on Jan. Io, Her early mental training was largely influenced by her cousin, von Droste zu Vischering, archbishop of Cologne (see below), and she received a liberal education. After prolonged visits among the intellectual 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 (177o-1855), at Schloss Meers burg on the lake of Constance, where she met Levin Schiicking (q.v.), and there she died on May 24, 1848. Annette von Droste Hiilshoff is, beyond doubt, the most gifted and original of Ger man 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 nar rative poetry, and especially Das Hospiz oaf dem Grossen St. Bernard and Die Scblacht 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 feistliche Ja/ir, nebst einem Anhang religioser Gedichte, enjoyed great popularity.
Annette von Droste-Hiilshoff's Gedichte were first published in 1844 during her lifetime. Collected editions of her works were edited by E. von Droste-Hiilshoff (Munster, 1886) . The Ausgewdhlte Gedichte were edited by W. von Scholz (Leipzig, 19o1) . See, among the many monographs on Annette von Droste-Hiilshoff, those by Levin Schiick ing (and ed., Hanover, 1871), by H. Hueffer (Gotha, 1871; 3rd ed. by Cardauns, 1911) , Gabriele Reuter (19o5) , and A. Balkenhol 0916). For her correspondence see the Sdmtliche Briefe (edit. Cardauns, 1909), and 23 Neue Droste-Hulshof Briefe (edit. M. Schneider, 1923).