A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Hendel-Schütz, Henrietta
HENDEL-SCHÜTZ, HENRIETTA.
This celebrated woman, in whom her native country recognises one of its first tragic actresses, and her age the greatest pantomimic artist, was the daughter of the eminent tragedian, Schüler. From her fourth year, she received instruction in declamation and dancing. In the latter art she was so accomplished, even when a child, that she was engaged for the ballet of the Berlin Royal Theatre, of which her father was a member. The celebrated Engel, at that time director of the Berlin Theatre, seems to have duly appreciated her rare talents, for he took her to his house, and instructed her in history, mythology, versification, languages, and declamation. In her sixteenth year, she united herself to the excellent tenor-singer, Eunike, in Berlin, and both were engaged, first at the Prince's Theatre, at Maintz, then at Bonn. There she was undoubtedly prima donna. In the year 1792, they were invited to Amsterdam, where the new German theatre opened for the first time, (November 11th., 1793,) with Kotzebue's drama, "The Indians in England." She performed the part of Gurii, and the audience was enraptured. The French Revolutionary war, which seemed to threaten Holland soon put an end to the German theatre. Mrs. Eunike, therefore left Amsterdam, and went to Frankfurt-on-the-Maine, in October 1794. There her talent for pantomime was awakened by the celebrated painter, Pfarr. He showed her, among others, Rehberg's plates of the attitudes of Lady Hamilton; also some drawings of William Fischbein, a German, in Naples. After these models she studied the art of pantomime; but she spent twelve years in practising, before she ventured on a public exhibition. It is generally acknowledged, that the Hendel-Schütz has much enlarged and elevated this art.
This lady was the wife of no less than four husbands, the last having been Mr. Schütz, Professor of the Fine Arts in the University at Halle, which being closed by Napoleon, Professor Schütz exchanged the academical course for the theatrical profession, and acquired, both in tragedy and comedy, an honourable place among the German dramatic artists. Mr. and Mrs. Schütz did not limit themselves to the principal cities of Germany, but visited also Russia, Sweden, and Denmark, and their fame spread far and wide. In the summer of 1819, they went to Paris, where the pantomimic talent of Mrs. S. was acknowledged in the most select circles by competent judges. They settled afterwards in Halle, where Mr. S. was again engaged as professor. The general conclusion is, that Mrs. Hendel-Schütz, as a pantomimic artist, stands unrivalled in Germany.