▁Schön berg , ▁S ka ist kal ne ▁parish , ▁Cour land , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Graf ▁( l ater ▁Reich sg raf ) ▁Johann ▁Friedrich ▁von ▁Med em ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Lu ise ▁Dor othe a ▁von ▁Kor ff . ▁Her ▁younger ▁half - s ister ▁was ▁Dor othe a ▁von ▁Med em , ▁for ▁whom ▁she ▁carried ▁out ▁diplom atic ▁work . ▁In ▁ 1 7 7 1 ▁she ▁married ▁Kam mer herr ▁Georg ▁Peter ▁Magn us ▁von ▁der ▁Re cke , ▁living ▁with ▁him ▁at ▁Ne uen burg ▁Castle ▁( now ▁Ja un p ils ▁Castle ). ▁She ▁separated ▁from ▁him ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 6 ▁and ▁divor ced ▁in ▁ 1 7 8 1 . ▁Their ▁daughter , ▁Freder ika ▁von ▁der ▁Re cke , ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 7 . ▁ ▁Life ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 7 ▁her ▁first ▁book , ▁Nach richt ▁von ▁des ▁ber ü cht igten ▁C agli ost ro ▁Auf enth alt ▁in ▁Mit au ▁im ▁Jahre ▁ 1 7 7 9 ▁und ▁dessen ▁mag ischen ▁Oper ationen , ▁a ▁mem oir - ex pos é ▁of ▁the ▁months ▁when ▁she ▁studied ▁magic ▁with ▁" Count " ▁Aless andro ▁di ▁C agli ost ro , ▁made ▁a ▁great ▁impact ▁right ▁across ▁Europe , ▁with ▁Catherine ▁the ▁Great ▁even ▁grant ing ▁El isa ▁lands ▁in ▁Russia ▁in ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁( making ▁El isa ▁finan cially ▁independent ). ▁She ▁got ▁to ▁know ▁Go ethe , ▁Sch iller , ▁Wiel