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In 1526, when the mere possession of Luther's works was a punishable offence in Dresden, young Duchess Elisabeth professes her support of the Reformation ever more openly, thereby making bitter enemies for herself at the court of her staunchly Catholic father-in-law George, Duke of Saxony. In innumerable letters, Elisabeth tries to keep the peace between her father-in-law and her Protestant brother, Landgrave Philip of Hesse. This is construed as espionage and costs her Duke George's favour. When Elisabeth's adversaries then accuse her of marital infidelity, she falls completely into disgrace and Duke George even threatens to have her walled up alive ... This novel is a plea for religious tolerance, which is as important today as it has ever been. The author describes the eventful life of a woman who lived on a razor-edge in a time full of contradictions and dangers, without losing sight of the larger context of European history.