Charlotte Kestner-Buff (1753-1828) came from a distinguished family of the Electorate of Hanover. At a ball on June 9, 1772, she met Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), who fell in love with her. At that time, however, Charlotte was already engaged to Johann Georg Christian Kestner (1741-1800), the secretary of the Imperial Chamber Court. In order not to jeopardize the union, Goethe finally left Wetzlar on September 11, 1772. Charlotte then served him in 1774 as the model for "Lotte" in his first novel, "The Sorrows of Young Werther".