Esther Lucie Domeier

Domeier, Esther Lucie née Gad, previously Bernard, 1770—c.1833

by Benjamin Colbert

Esther Gad was born in Breslau, Silesia, daughter of Raphael ben Gad, and granddaughter on her mother's side of Jonathan Eybeschütz, rabbi of Prague and Hamburg. In 1791, She married her first husband, the merchant Samuel Bernard, but divorced in 1796, at that time removing to Berlin. There she met Dr Wilhelm Friederick Domeier, personal physician to Prince August Friederich of England, and later the author of Observations on the Climate, Manners, and Amusements of Malta (1810). Following Domeier to London, Esther converted to Christianity and took the name Lucie, before marrying him; they eventually settled in Malta. Esther Gad established herself as a poet and author early in the 1790s with versatility in German, French, and English, and continued to write and translate throughout her life, including several travel sketches.

Sources:

Hahn, Barbara. 'Lucie Domeier'. Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 1 Mar. 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. Web. 31 Jan. 2016.

Isidore Singer, S. Roubin. ‘BERNARD (also Domeier), ESTHER (née Gad)’. Jewish Encyclopedia (1906). JewishEncyclopedia.com. Web. 20 June 2017.

Martin, Alison E. Moving Scenes: the Aesthetics of German Travel Writing on England, 1783-1830. London: MHRA, 2008. 68-70. Print.

Rudert, Karin. 'Die Wiederentdeckung einer "Deutschen Wollstonecraft": Esther Gad Bernard Domeier für Gleichberechtigung der Frauen und Juden'. Quaderni 10 (1988): 213–61. Print.

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