A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Schroeder, Sophia
SCHROEDER, SOPHIA,
Engaged at the Imperial theatres of Vienna, was born in Paderborn, in 1781. Her father's name was Burger. Her mother, after the death of her first husband, married the celebrated actor Keilholz, and went with her daughter to St. Petersburg. Sophia had not been destined for the stage; yet, as the company of players in St Petersburg was very limited, and by the death of Mrs. Stallmers the juvenile parts had become vacant, she yielded to the entreaties of the director, and began her theatrical course in the charming little opera, "The Red Cap." When fourteen years old, she married the actor Stallmers. In Reval, she was introduced to Kotzebue, by whose recommendation she received an engagement at the theatre of Vienna. She performed exclusively comic and naif parts, and was much applauded as Margaret in the "Affinities." After twelve months, she left Vienna to go to Breslau, where she was engaged for the opera. In the part of Hulda, in the "Nymph of the Danube," she was very successful. In 1801, she was invited to Hamburgh There she entered on a new career, in which she shone like a star of the first magnitude; for she devoted herself entirely to tragedy. Domestic grief had turned her cheerful spirits into melancholy; and the slumbering spark of her genius kindled into a mighty blaze In 1804, she married her second husband, Schroeder, director of the Hamburg theatre, and lived twelve years in Hamburg, under the most favourable auspices, until the warlike events of 1813 compelled her to leave this city. After having made a journey, on which she everywhere gained laurels, she accepted an engagement in Prague, whore she remained two years. When the time of her contract had elapsed, she returned to Vienna. Her characters of Phedre. Lady Macbeth, Merope, Sappho, Johanna von Morteaucan, are masterly performances, and excited uabounded admiration.