Lesereise quer Beet 2026: Alexander Schwarz presents his book "Die Königin der Blumenmaler: Rachel Ruysch"

On Wednesday, 2 September, author Alexander Schwarz visits Christophstal as part of the "Bärenschlössle" reading series, hosted by Thalia bookshop and Freudenstadt Tourismus. From 19:00 he reads from his biographical novel about Rachel Ruysch - a painter who, during her lifetime, was more celebrated than Rembrandt.

Amsterdam, 1679: Rachel trains under the renowned flower painter Willem van Aelst, whom she soon surpasses. When she falls for the portrait painter Juriaen Pool, her life takes a new turn - yet even as a mother of ten she never sets down her brush. Elector Johann Wilhelm appoints her court painter in Düsseldorf. And an encounter with the maidservant Emma, searching for her origins, draws Rachel into dark power struggles. The novel tells this fictionalized life story from the perspective of a woman in the Golden Age of the late 17th century.

Alexander Schwarz has lived in the Netherlands since 1990, with a seven-year interlude in Iceland (2010-2017). His novels and non-fiction books grow from thorough research and frequently focus on women who assert themselves against social constraints. Since 1997 he has co-written travel guides and books on language, society, and Icelandic fairy tales with translator Sabine Burger. A former programme director, publisher, and literary agent, he photographs and makes music in his spare time, living in the Dutch countryside with his partner, a dog, cats, and horses.