Gertrud Kolmar in Falkensee - Finkenkrug
Gertrud Kolmar, 1928 (German
literature archive, Marbach) The
family Chodziesner in the garden of the Finkenkruger house, 1937 (Nachlass
Kolmar, German literature archive Marbach). Front
left to right: Gertrud
Käthe Chodziesner Was
deported to Auschwitz in 1943 and murdered Hilde
Wenzel, geb. Chodziesner Emigrated
to Switzerland in 1938, where she died in 1972 Sabine
Wenzel Emigrated
with her mother to Switzerland and now lives in South America Ludwig
Chodziesner Was
deported to Theresienstadt in 1942 and died there in 1943 Thea
Chodziesner geb. Galliner Emigrated
to Chile in 1939 and died there in 1943 at the age of 39 Wolfgang (Ben) Chodziesner Emigrated
with his mother to Chile, later living in Australia and died
there in 2018 Rear from
left to right: Peter Wenzel Emigrated
to Brazil in 1953 and died there in 1961 Margot Chodziesner Emigrated
to Australia in 1939, where she died in 1942 Georg Chodziesner Emigrated
to England in 1939. He died in 1981 in Sidney
"...
Oh, sometimes I would like to put on my coat, put my hat on and walk away, far
away. And I often think of it now, that once snow falls, I can go to Finkenkrug
and, in the moonlight, as I used to do, plod around in the woods; but at the
same time I already know that I will not carry out this plan ... " Letter
from Gertrud Kolmar to his sister Hilde Wenzel. Berlin, December 13, 1939
Life and
Work
The poet
Gertrud Kolmar (1894-1943) lived in the house of her parents in
Falkensee-Finkenkrug from 1923 to 1939. The mansion on the then
Manteuffelstraße, today Feuerbachstraße, was surrounded by a large park-like
garden. In the beauty and seclusion of the place almost her entire lyrical work
was created. The flowers in the garden of the father and the beginning of the
house landscape with pines, sandy paths and animals found their way into their
world of poetry. Until his
arrest by the National Socialists in February 1943, Gertrud Kolmar wrote short
stories, plays and numerous poems. Her
literary work could be saved with the help of the family. The estate is in the
German Literature Archive in Marbach and is available for research purposes.
Remember
Gertrud Kolmar
Thanks to
an initiative of Dr. med. Maria Schaare and Prof. Kurt Magritz, both from
Falkensee-Finkenkrug, was unveiled on September 9, 1979 a memorial plaque for
Gertrud Kolmar, which has meanwhile been listed as a historical monument. In 2007,
the artist Gunter Demnig laid two stumbling blocks in the sidewalk in front of
the former home. They are reminiscent of the last freely chosen place of
residence of the Jewish family Chodziesner. On 1
October 2011, a new breed of rose breeder Jan D. Janßen from the Vierländerrosenhof
in Hamburg in the presence of Gertrud Kolmar's niece, Sabina Wenzel from Paraty
(Brazil), was given the name "Gertrud-Kolmar-Rose". While the
permanent exhibition in the Museum of the City of Falkensee shows traces of the
life and work of Gertrud Kolmar, the Rose Garden with the Gertrud Kolmar Rose
in the back room of the museum offers the opportunity to get to know the poet's
attitude to life.
Hg. From
Johanna Woltmann, Göttingen, Wallstein Verlag, 2014
Biography… 1894 Gertrud Käthe Chodziesner
was born on 10 December 1894 in Berlin-Mitte as the eldest daughter of the
lawyer Ludwig Codziesner and his wife Elise, nee Schönfließ. 1917 At the instigation of the
father of the band Gertrud Kolmar - poems published by Egon Fleischl & Co.
The pseudonym Kolmar derived them even from the German place name (Kolmar) for
the Polish town of Chodziesen. 1923 Family moved to the colony
of Neufinkenkrug, today's Feuerbachstraße. 1938 The compulsory sale of the
villa in December 1938. This resulted in the move of Gertrud Kolmar and her
father on 21 January 1939 in a so-called Jewish apartment to Berlin-Schöneberg. 1943 During the so-called factory
action Gertrud Kolmar was arrested on February 27, 1943 with other Jewish
forced laborers and taken to a transit camp. On March 2, 1943, Gertrud
Kolmar was deported to Auschwitz on the 32nd transport to the East. Your date
of death is unknown. Sources:
Johanna Woltmann "Gertrud Kolmar - Life and Work", Göttingen
Wallstein Verlag, 1995 "Gertrud
Kolmar - Letters" ed. By Johanna Woltmann, Göttingen, Wallstein Verlag,
2014 Kurt
Magritz: For Gertrud Kolmar, Colored sketch, 25 x 34 cm, early 1970s (private
collection).
Colored sketch
