KKÖ Theme Days: Rainer Maria Rilke

Rilke and Women **Friday, July 10, 2026, 7:00 p.m. Augustiner Stift Stammhaus, 2nd Floor (unfortunately not wheelchair accessible) Öhningen Speaker: Simone Frieling** **Free admission** Rilke had few friends. Men were not as important to his life as women. The most important were his mother, with whom he maintained a connection despite all his ambivalence; his early lover Lou Andreas-Salomé, who became his life mentor; his wife Clara Westhoff, whom he soon left; various lovers who took her place, usually only for a short time; and several female patrons, ranging from the Swedish educational reformer Ellen Key to the Princess of Thurn und Taxis. The most significant of these very diverse relationships will be presented in the lecture. In "Da rauscht das Herz" (Ebersbach & Simon), author Simone Frieling has created a striking tribute to Rilke’s female companions. (Graphic: Clara Westhoff & Rainer Maria Rilke Simone Frieling)