What does love actually mean—then and now? Gabriele Bagge explores this question in her new historical novel "Happy to some extent" This volume is the third installment in a large-scale family saga that transports readers into the guild world of the early 19th century. It centers on two young people: Sophia Mohr, the daughter of a wigmaker from Diepholz, and Anton Auling, a goldsmith from Münster. They become engaged in 1800—a time when romantic love was just beginning to challenge centuries-old conventions.
When love meets convention
Until the late 18th century, marriages were primarily pragmatic decisions. Securing property, adhering to social norms, and mere survival were paramount. Passion or emotional intimacy played little role. It was only the Romantic era that brought about a new perspective: the longing for closeness, security, and mutual respect became more important—a paradigm shift that Bagge impressively recounts in her saga.
But Sophia and Anton discover that their ideas of a happy life are anything but identical. While Anton is committed to the traditional role model—he as the breadwinner, she as the housewife and mother—Sophia dreams of a partnership on equal terms, a say in financial matters, and a place at her husband's side in the workshop.
Religion as an invisible border
This conflict alone would provide enough tension for a novel, but Bagge shows how complex the reality was for young couples at that time. Social and religious norms exacerbate the situation. Anton is Catholic, Sophia a Protestant – a so-called mixed marriage, which was only permitted with express permission and forced Sophia to raise her children as Catholics. The Church also intervened in married life with clear ideas: women were to be God-fearing, gentle, and tolerant, to ensure domestic happiness, and to bear their husbands' mistakes with patience. Perfect happiness, it was taught, was only possible in the afterlife anyway. It was precisely this thought that inspired Bagge's novel's title: "Happy to a Certain Degree."
The Rules of the Guilds - A Life in a Corset
But it wasn't just spiritual dogmas that set limits; guild regulations also determined one's path in life. Marriages among craftsmen required master craftsmen's titles, the integrity of the trade, and adherence to strict rules. Interestingly, the journeyman's journey opened up new paths for young men like Anton—not only professionally, but also personally. This is how Sophia and Anton first met.
Bagge doesn't tell her story in a vacuum, however, but rather closely links it to the historical upheavals of the time. The Napoleonic Wars left deep scars on people's everyday lives: Cities like Münster, Oldenburg, and Vechta changed hands repeatedly, French troops demanded quarters, and poverty and looting shaped life. Locations like the Bremen Ratskeller, Oldenburg Castle, and the rows of houses on the Prinzipalmarkt provide the plot with an authentic foundation. Thus, Sophia and Anton's love story simultaneously becomes a window into an era full of uncertainty and upheaval.
And what happens after the engagement? Without giving too much away, Sophia and Anton face enormous challenges. Owning their own workshop is difficult, dreams of the future are dashed, financial hardship is pressing, and personal weaknesses put an additional strain on the marriage. Anton is prone to gambling and alcohol addiction, while Sophia struggles to maintain her own direction. Their love is put to the test – whether it is strong enough to withstand all the adversities remains to be seen.
Anyone who follows Bagge's family saga knows: It's not just about a marriage. It's about generations, about the establishment and continuation of a workshop, about the questions of self-determination, duty, and the small hopes for a better life. In doing so, the author opens up a panorama that goes far beyond a classic love story.
A look into the future of the saga
While Volume 3 has now been published, Gabriele Bagge is already working on the final two installments of the saga. Volume 4 is almost finished, and Volume 5 is currently being written. The challenge: weaving all the threads, characters, and stories together into a coherent ending.
With "To a Certain Degree of Happiness," Gabriele Bagge invites you to immerse yourself in a world where love was not a self-evident ideal, but a delicate plant that had to assert itself against tradition, religion, and social norms. A novel for all who appreciate historical authenticity, the depths of human nature, and the longing for closeness in turbulent times.
The book "Happy to some extent" is available in German language in bookstores and from our publishing house, as a printed book (ISBN 978-3-910347-70-0) and as an EPUB (ISBN: 978-3-910347-71-7).
Blog article published in English in October 2025. Machine translated from German.
