In his time, Felix Mendelssohn was regarded as an articulate and worldly prodigy. He studied poetry, classics and theology, and at just nine years old, his compositions were already causing a sensation. As a pianist, he was known for his improvisational skills. On a hike from Interlaken to Wengen via the Lauterbrunnen Valley, he became enchanted by the Jungfrau. On 21 August 1842, on a whim, he drew the now historic sketch of the Jungfrau massif and Wengen on the site where the Mendelssohn memorial stands today. It is considered the earliest non-coloured drawing of Wengen.