HUCH, hoog', Ricarda, German novelist: b. Braunschweig, 18 July 1864. She lost her parents early and was educated by her grand mother, to whom she dedicated her drama 'Evoe' (1892). This is an historical Renaissance drama and has been called an overture to her later works. Being desirous of obtaining a higher education, she entered the University of Zurich, one of the first higher institutions of learning in Europe, admitting women on a par with men. She took the degree Ph.D. in 1891 and then accepted a position as secretary at the city library in Zurich. Later she traveled, es pecially in Italy, and returned to Germany in 1897. After marrying an Italian dentist, Ceconi, she lived for a time in Vienna and Munich. She has since been divorced from her husband, has married her cousin, Richard Huch, a law yer, and now resides with him in Braunschweig. Her writings are of three types, poems, novels and stories, and literary criticism. Her poems were published in two collections : von Gedichten' (1894) and 'Neue Gedichte' (1907). At first she worked under the influence of Conrad Ferdinand Meyer. She loves to comment on life in her poetry and therefore her poems are not always purely lyrical, but they are full of reverence for things beautiful. She does not wish to reproduce everyday life, but to suggest that which is noble, artistic and musical. She has a keen sense for the beautiful in color, tone and similes. Her chief novel is 'Ludolf Ursleu' (1893). It is the history of the decline of a patrician family of the city of Hamburg. • 'Vita Somniurn Breve' (1902) is a variation of the same theme_ A third novel, 'Aus der Triumphgassc' (1901), takes us to the slum district of an Italian city.
She contrasts the aristocratic-aesthetic view of life of the Romanticists with the social-demo cratic views of our days. Her writings on literary criticism comprise Bliitezeit der Romantik' (1899) • 'Ausbreitung und Verf all der Romantik' (1902), and an essay on Gott fried Keller. They are distinguished by sympathetic interpretation and psychological in sight. Recently she has added to this list a book entitled (Natur und Geist als Wiirzeln des Lebens und der Kunst' (1915). Her other literary writings are 'Der Bundesschwur' (1891) the modern fairy tale von Schlaraffis) (1896): 'Die Teufeleien' (1897), humorous stories ; and 'Haduvig im ICreuzgang,' (1897), a realistic story of dreams and visions' ; the novel 'Liebe' (1899); and the stories 'Fra Celeste' (1900); Won den Konigen und der Krone ( 1904) ' • and Seif enblasen' (1905). Her writings of an historical nature are 'Das Risorgiment& (1908); 'Das Leben des Graf en Fedengo Con f alonieri ( 1910) ;'Die Geschichte von Garibaldi' (1906-07) and 'Der Grosse Krieg in Deutschland' (1913), treating of the Thirty Years' War. In •these writings she has undertaken to use the novelist's and story teller's art in delineating important epochs in the world's.history and to present with poetical freedom characters which arc true to that his tory. Consult Elf riede Gottlieb, 'Ricarda Finch) (Leipzig 1914) ; Friedrich Schoenemann, Vol. XVIII of 'The German Classics' (New York 1914).