Despite the devastation the Thirty Years' War brought to most German territories, the duchy of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel experienced a cultural flourishing in the seventeenth century, which began with the reign of Duke August the Younger (ruled 1635-1666). Duke August founded the library in Wolfenbüttel, which was the largest library in Europe at the time and still exists today. August's third wife, Sophie-Elisabeth of Mecklenburg (1613-1676), was an educated and very musical noblewoman from northern Germany. After meeting the famous composer Heinrich Schütz, she became his student. Sophie-Elisabeth wrote poetry and composed songs and musical plays performed at court. This song, “I, Ugly Pale Death,” is based on a poem taken from the play, The Triumph of Peace by Justus Georg Schottelius, who was employed as a tutor to the duke and duchess’ children. Sophie-Elisabeth wrote the music for the play. In the play, death, hunger, poverty, and injustice all feature as characters and proclaim themselves the “daughters of war.”