Everyone knows Joachim Ringelnatz, but the woman by his side is only mentioned in passing. He called her Muschelkalk, an unusual pet name for a very unusual woman. Leonharda Pieper, who accompanied the poet for almost his entire productive life, was 15 years younger than him, came from a small town in East Prussia, was trained as a language teacher for English and French in Eisenach, and married the vivacious and much more experienced poet at the age of 21, despite some reservations. Ringelnatz often spent weeks traveling on the cabaret stages of his time. Initially in Munich, then in Berlin, Muschelkalk was always his closest collaborator, helping with the creation of his poems, taking care of his manuscripts, organizing his performances, handling correspondence, and doing his laundry.