Guillaume Kornmann is a banker of Strasbourg, whose lawsuit against his wife (supported by Beaumarchais) was particularly resounding in the years 1780.

In 1774, Kornmann had married young fortunate Switzerland Catherine Marie Foesch, which gives him two children. They settle in Paris where the husband deals with the bank of his uncle. The couple does not get along and Guillaume leaves any freedom to his wife to take a lover, as long as that arranges its business. The lover is certain Daudet de Jossan, right-hand man of the powerful Minister for the war Mr. de Montbarey and syndic-assistant of Strasbourg. But soon the minister leaves his load and the young man becomes suddenly much less frequentable. Moreover Mrs. Kornmann, who does not hesitate to post herself in a scandalous way with him, threat to ask for a separation of goods (the divorce does not exist yet). Fearing to lose at the same time his wife and especially the dowry, Guillaume Kornmann, who meanwhile is almost ruined, obtains from the lieutenant of police force a lettre de cachet and makes lock up the adulterous wife, then pregnant of his/her lover.

In the night from August 3rd to 4th 1781, the woman is thus led in the disciplinary house of the ladies Douai, street of Bellefond, which lodges lost and insane girls. On the authorities of mutual friends, Beaumarchais flies to the help of Mrs. Kornmann (which he does not know yet). Begin the Kormann business then. Released soon, the woman tries without success to obtain a judicial separation and goods, asserting to have her scandalous detention. The misled husband decides to carry felt sorry for against his wife for adultery and the lover, Beaumarchais and the lieutenant of police force Lenoir against slandering and complicity of adultery. He takes for lawyer his friend Nicolas Bergasse, disciple like him of Mesmer. It is then the latest thing of the legal memories which ignite the avid readers of feeling: Bergasse starts with a Report on a “Question of adultery, of seduction and of slandering for the sior Kornman” publishing of many make out which hold the public in breath, while on its side Beaumarchais puts its talent in the drafting of its brilliances reports.

Finally this last is cleared by stop of the Parlement of April 2nd, 1789. Kormann and its Bergasse lawyer are condemned to pay him damages, but the public opinion their largely favorable remainder. In 1793, Mrs Kormann obtains finally the divorce, created by the law of September 20th, 1792.

External bonds

• Article in Nouvel Observateur

Sources

• Maurice Lever, Pierre-Augustin Charon de Beaumarchais, Beech, 2004, volume 3, chapter III.

• Sarah Refined, Private lives, public affairs, the famous causes of France prérévolutionnaire, Fayard, 1997, chapter VI.