March 30, 2024 marks the 250th anniversary of the death of the important personality Karoline von Hessen-Darmstadt (1721-1774), also known as the “Great Landgravine”. The MUSEUM Jagdschloss Kranichstein is honoring this historic event with an exhibition in cooperation with the Hessian State Archives in Darmstadt.

The exhibition provides a deep insight into the natural and environmental history of the 18th century through the multifaceted personality of the landgravine. Karoline left behind an impressive treasure trove of correspondence, which gives us an insight into her active participation in the scientific discourse of the Enlightenment, in which she acted as the “femme savante” of the Enlightenment. Her letters to personalities such as Frederick II of Prussia, Voltaire, Melchior Grimm and Empress Catherine II of Russia reveal a new sense of nature, which is also reflected in her unusual burial in the Herrngarten.

Karoline's lifelong friendship with King Frederick II of Prussia and her participation in the literary “Circle of the Sensitive” in Darmstadt, to which the young Goethe also belonged, shaped her intellectual world. Objects from renowned institutions such as the Kranichstein Hunting Lodge, the Hessian State Museum Darmstadt and the Darmstadt University and State Library are presented in the exhibition.

Interactive design elements, such as audio stations with original quotes from the landgravine's letters, bring to life the natural history perception of Karoline. The exhibition highlights the current relevance of topics such as the relationship with nature, the availability of nature and the changing understanding of nature.