Rahel Levin was born in 1771 in Berlin. She was the daughter of a very wealthy Jewish businessman. When Rahel was 19, her father died, leaving his trade business to her oldest brother. At that time women were not allowed in schools, and were not involved in business. She did not get along with her mother, and she was granted partial independence. Her brother gave her a small allowance from the family's money. .
Rahel moved into the attic of her families home. She began weekly groups, mostly males coming to discuss philosophy, art, literature, theater and more. The people who come see her as a very cultured, educated, and affectionate. One salon philosopher says she had a beautiful soul. People said she was the most cultured woman in Europe. Her salon was one if the most famous in Berlin. .
Philosopher Rudolf Steiner explained it perfectly, "Those with status and a name gathered here. Princes and philosophers, poets and musicians, society ladies and daughters of the bourgeoisie. they quarreled, criticized, applauded, recited, and discussed. Sarcastic or refined, profound or witty, but always in openness and tolerance. Whoever could speak declared his opinion: about the French Revolution or the rights of women, about the new literature and about love, about the art of acting and about romantic affairs, about Napoleon and about Hegel." German idealist philosopher.
In 1814, Rahel marries Karl August Varnhagen. She also converts to Protestantism, finding spirituality that she couldn't find in Judaism. She also changes her name to Antoine Frederike. Rahel kept in correspondence with her friends her entire life, her husband had her letters published in book form after her death. .
In her memoirs, she wrote about her conversion to Protestantism, "What for such a long time was the greatest shame, the sharpest pain and misfortune - to be born a Jewess - I would not now miss at any price." .