In 1750/51, a tragedy took place at the court of Duke Charles Eugene of Württemberg (fig. 1) and his wife, Duchess Elisabeth Fredericka Sophie of Brandenburg-Bayreuth: all their cherished canary birds died under mysterious circumstances! A discussion of this incident, I argue, helps to unveil the significance and emotional appeal of these plumed creatures in eighteenth-century German court culture. These animals were not simply held as livestock, pets or exotic symbols as one might deduce from current historiography; [1] rather court society appreciated its emotional interaction with such birds that enabled communication across and alongside courtly hierarchies. Valued for their feathers, vo
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