Dear, virtuous, friendly, and dearest beloved Virgin Bride, writes the Nuremberg merchant Balthasar Paumgartner to his fiancée Magdalena Behaim in 1582. This marks the beginning of a sixteen-year correspondence consisting of 169 letters, which offers a unique insight into the working and ownership conditions, gender roles, and family relationships of that time. The way feelings were expressed in these letters was heavily influenced by the contemporary conditions of the letter medium around 1600. This media and emotional historical approach allows for a new perspective on the correspondence, which is still considered a milestone in the historical development of marital feelings.