Betty Paoli

Babette was largely self-educated, later describing her formation as à la diable ["haphazard; mixed up"], and became an avid reader.

Her first time apart from her mother was when she left her in Hungary with the family of a grammarian name Schmidt, who tutored her in foreign languages.

Her earliest poems date from her stay in Galicia, describing how poetry restored her hope and gave her courage to go on living.

She returned to Vienna in the spring of 1835 where she first adopted the pseudonym "Paoli" for the publication of the short story Clary in Friedrich Witthauer's [de] Wiener Zeitschrift.

[2] Her poems continued to appear in Moritz Gottlieb Saphir's Humorist and in Prague's leading journal, Ost und West until 1846.

Through Wertheimer's social connections Paoli met Hieronymus Lorm, Franz Grillparzer, Leopold Kompert, and Ernst, Baron von Feuchtersleben.

During this time she took three months to visit France and worked as a freelance writer for the Neue Freie Presse to support herself.

In 1854, Bünau's marriage to Count Sahr [de] brought Paoli's position to an end, although the two remained close friends throughout their lives.

[2]: 387–416 In 1853, while also the companion of Madame Bagréef-Speranski, Paoli became a theater critic for the Hofburg, reviewing the monthly art exhibitions.

Experience as a critic led Paoli to meet Carl von La Roche [de], Heinrich Anschütz, and Fanny Elßler.

She remained very close to the Gabillons, and their daughter Helene wrote crucial information on Paoli that gives us insight into the life of the writer.