The funeral of Baroness von Marenholtz-Buelow

from Life of Baroness von Marenholtz-Buelow, by her niece the Baroness von Buelow

That morning took leave of all that was left of her on this earth, but when the coffin was going to be soldered Gebhard called me at my request. Once more I kissed the cold--oh! so cold--forehead, and then placed the lid of the coffin myself over her. When all the many people were assembled, and I heard the ;many voices in the distance, my cousin Gebhard led me to the coffin now closed, and Archdeacon Dr. Schmidt delivered the funeral oration on the text chosen by me: "God is love, he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." At the end of his oration, Dr. Schmidt, in the names of the Allgemeine Erziehungs Verein, and as its President, laid a laurel wreath with reverent words of thanks at the foot of the coffin. then, our Thieme spoke in the most touching, affecting manner on Froebel's words: "Come, let us live for our Children," and, in the name of the teachers of the Froebelstiftung, he placed a laurel wreath on the coffin. Our Kindergartners and pupils sang with voices choked with tears: "Let me go, so that I may see Jesus." Gebhard led me away, whilst the chanting of the chorus of men accompanied the coffin down stairs, and in the long, long procession of the pupils, the carriages full of mourners, the hearse with the coffin, and the special carriages conveying only the palms and flowers, we brought her to the Annenkirchhof, close by.

The faithful Kindergartners of Dresden had wished to carry their great mistress to the grave themselves, but the coffin was far too heavy. So they walked by the side and carried the bands of crepe which hung down from it. Between Gebhard and Willi, I followed the coffin to the grave. the sides of the grave were covered with green branches of pine, and we let her down as into a green bed.

An ice-cold wind pierced us all, and I saw them well, the thousands of tears which were shed, and all those who wished once more to look down into the green bed. I looked down again, and we lowered the wreaths from Hannover and Schwuelper on to the coffin; but weep, I could not. When they led me away, and I looked back once more--behind the grave the evening red softly faded away, but round us it became the same dark and cold.

footnote

Dr. von Marenholtz in Germany utilized three books on his family genealogy. They may have information on Bertha and her relationship with Friedrich Froebel (all are in German):
(1) Schwuelper by Pastor C. Brant (Hildesheim 1912), a biography. Given in commission by Gebhard v. M. 1862.
(2) 5 volumes "A Document Collection" by Hans Marenholtz (1971). - A chronology from 1283 - 1838.
(3) History of the House von Marenholtz by Ilse von Marenholtz Baroness von Nolde (1941).

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