Ferdinande von Schmettau
Ferdinande von Schmettau (born April 26, 1798 in Bartenstein , Prussia, † May 25, 1875 in Kösen ) was a symbolic figure and popular heroine for her contemporaries during the wars of liberation against Napoleon .
Life
Ferdinande von Schmettau was the daughter of a Prussian major and lived in Bergel in Silesia . In 1813, Princess Marianne von Prussia appealed to all women in Prussia to hand over their gold jewelry to finance the war in exchange for a brooch or ring made of iron with the inscription “ I gave gold for iron ”. Ferdinande von Schmettau lived with her family in modest circumstances and did not have suitable jewelry. So she got the idea to cut her long blonde hair and sell it to a hairdresser for 2 talers. She was then able to donate these 2 thalers.
Ferdinande von Schmettau was honored for this in 1863, and her sacrifice was recognized in numerous essays and paintings. The most famous picture was Gustav Graef's painting: Ferdinande von Schmettau offers her hair on the altar of the fatherland (1863, National Gallery Berlin). She was presented to the children as a shining example in Prussian and later Reich German school books.
Ferdinande von Schmettau was appointed honorary canons of Zehdenick . She moved to Bad Kosen , where she died. The grave can still be seen today in Bad Kösen.
To finance the First World War , the myth about Ferdinande von Schmettau was used again to subscribe to war bonds or to make valuable donations in kind. The National Socialists' winter relief organization put the famous paintings on again as postcards.
literature
- A. von Ziehlberg: Ferdinande von Schmettau: a memory from 1813 . Baumann, Dessau 1886
- Bernhard von Poten : Schmettau, Ferdinande von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 31, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1890, p. 640.
- Felscher: memorial plaque for Ferdinande von Schmettau . In: Silesian Chronicle. Volume 6, No. 12, March 15, 1913, p. 288.
- Theodor Artopé: Ferdinande von Schmettau. A German woman's life [in Bergel] . In: Heimatblatt Strehlen / Ohlau. 11/1958, p. 9 f., 12/1958, p. 5, 1/1959, p. 9, 2/1959, p. 5 f., 3/1959, p. 5 f., 4/1959, P. 5 f.
- Rudolf Gleiß: A bosom pin from "Ferdinande von Schmettau" [from Bergel] . In: Heimatblatt Strehlen / Ohlau. 12/1960, p. 9.
- Hans-Dieter Speck: In memory of Ferdinande von Schmettau [from Bergel] . In: Heimatblatt Strehlen / Ohlau. 4/1989, p. 9.
See also
Web links
- Ferdinande von Schmettau in Bad Kösen ( Memento from March 28, 2008 in the Internet Archive )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Schmettau, Ferdinande von |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Symbolic figure and folk heroine during the wars of liberation against Napoleon |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 26, 1798 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Bartenstein |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 25, 1875 |
| Place of death | Kosen |