Eva’s Poesiealbum
cover of Eva’s Poesiealbum
Today’s and tomorrow’s posts are devoted to an object from my mother’s childhood – her Poesiealbum – an autograph/friendship book. I didn’t know what it was called until Amei Papitto recently translated its contents. The book has a simple red suede cover and measures 6-1/2x9-1/2 inches.
The first time I saw an example of someone else’s album was a few years ago when I read Leslie Maitland’s Crossing the Borders of Time: A True Story of War, Exile, and Love Reclaimed.
The autograph books and yearbooks of my childhood pale in comparison to this album – it appears that each person borrowed it for a few days, chose a page at random, carefully wrote in beautiful calligraphy, and often drew or painted lovely pictures. I am in awe of their talent. The words usually are not original or personal, quoting a poem or literature. The entries were done between 1931 and 1934, when Eva and her friends would have been 10-13 years old. There are 18 entries, one from Harry, two from teachers, and the rest from classmates.
Several of the children chose bittersweet, nostalgic poems. All the more touching given what was about to happen in Europe just a few years later. Who knows what happened to these girls?
Once I had a name for this object, I was able to find websites that discuss history of the Poesiealbum and include verses that were often used.
The following are a few album entries.
This book is dedicated to friendly remembrances, and shows you the names of those who wish you luck and this includes your teacher
Gina Mayer
1931
[from a poem by Marie Calm, pseudonym for Marie Ruhland ]
If you want to be happy
in life, make other people happy
Because the joy that we give comes back into our own heart!With friendly memories!
Nelly KangikVienna, on 9.11.32
This 19th century poem continued to be used (continues still?) long after it appeared in my mother’s book.
[From a poem by German poet Cäsar Flaischlen from Heimat und Welt]
So: to live in beauty…
To be clear and quiet in oneself and all things around
To be clearly visible and open..
One with itself and with the world..
To be allowed to work and not to have to work..
I always think:
This is how life should be that we humans create on this earth..In remembrance of your first school years!
Auguste Müller
May 1931
These are not carefree verses – it’s hard to imagine my 10-year old self appreciating the sentiments of this poem.
This entry appears to be from Eva’s Latin teacher.
Carry on and be strong! God will provide an end to these things as well.
Dr. Helene Miltner
A retired classics professor friend explained to me that the first part ("Perfer et obdura") is from Ovid, Amores III.xi and the second ("dabit deus his quoque finem") is from Vergil, the Aeneid, I. She said: “I can understand blending the two; Ovid's follow-up line is about suffering making it all worth it in the end… not exactly uplifting!” So Eva’s teacher chose to inject hope for the future.
Blessed is the heavenly tie of friendship,
Sympathy, souls are sad with other souls;
The tear lets the friend know how the friend feels
And an eye that looks into the other’s eye,
Most precious it is to be jubilant when the friend is jubilant
To cry with him when he cries.
(Schiller)In friendly remembrance of your classmate
Traute YarwitshVienna, 10 March 1932
I could not find the original source for this, but assume it is a quote Eva and her friends knew.
Love truth, hate lies
Love the good
Hate anything bad
Truth and willpower
Will help you be victorious!In remembrance of your classmate
Bella Nizkoletti
In remembrance of your brother Harry
Even her brother was included in the book – I don’t know if he was responsible for the beautiful marbling of the paper - there are no other pages like this.
More tomorrow….