In her new book, Julia Franck traces the history of an extraordinary relationship. Baladine Klossowska and Rainer Maria Rilke met in Paris in the pre-war years.
Image gallery
Julia Franck: Ich ertrinke in den Wassern
Julia Franck
At that time, Baladine Klossowska was married to the painter Erich Klossowski and was a pupil of Pierre Bonnard; Rilke worked for a time as Auguste Rodin’s secretary. The First World War forced Klossowska to leave France. Following her divorce, she lived in Switzerland with her two sons from 1917 onwards. In August 1920, she met Rilke again in Geneva – and became ‘Mouky’ to him.
Yet Julia Franck does not merely tell the story of a great love. She portrays a woman who for a long time was overshadowed by the image of the muse and who fought to find her own artistic voice.
Additional information
Dates
November 2026
| Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1
| ||||||
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
