Von Ritzebüttel nach Boulogne-Sur-Mer: Reisestationen im Leben von Heinrich Heines

Abstract

Coastal towns and sea ports, seaside resorts and spas always fascinated the poet and writer Heinrich Heine (1797-1856). His early stays on the North Sea (e.g. in Ritzebüttel and on Helgoland) find their sequel later - after he had taken up permanent residence in France - in his journeys to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Heine visited this spa - a very fashionable place at the time - frequently. Here the almost constantly ailing writer took cures, here he met other spa visitors of varying renown, here he also wrote. In a letter from Boulogne-sur-Mer, for example, he provided a detailed account of a sea disaster he had witnessed on September 3, 1833. Following his last journey, Heine complained of the great number of British tourists in Boulogne-sur-Mer, referring to it as an "English town."