Friedrich Leopold Freiherr von Hardenberg, known under his pseudonym Novalis (1772–1801), is one of the greatest Romantic writers in German literature. The death of his fiancée and his pietistic thinking brought him to his romantic way of writing. In one of his novels he uses the image of a blue flower for the magical task poets have. Novalis had strong connections with the other Romantic writers of his time, such as Tieck {see planet  (8056)} and Schlegel. (M 34344) _ _.