Rita von Gaudecker

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Rita Margarethe Klara Alexandra von Gaudecker , born von Blittersdorf , called Aunt Rita (born April 14, 1879 in Molstow , Greifenberg district ; † March 18, 1968 Ehingen (Danube) ) was a German writer who wrote many books for children and young people as well as religious works composed. She was also involved in the social field.

Live and act

She was the eighth of nine children of Carl Freiherr von Blittersdorf and his wife Ada Freiin von Behr . The mother died when Rita was six years old. Despite the early death of the mother, which the father could not overcome, she had a happy childhood together with her siblings, about which she wrote in retrospect:

What a real undisguised existence does a country child live. Next to the village people, all the animals on the farm and all of nature. Unknowingly gathering strength from them. Forces of defense and survival (quoted in Berger p. 1).

After her confirmation, years of domiciliary existence followed . She was responsible for the estate budget and was involved in the social field within the chapel association . In 1914, Rita Freiin von Blittersdorf took over the management of the youth welfare organization of the chapel association , and at the same time the editor-in-chief of the association's newspaper We want to help! . From then on she worked more and more as a writer, especially in the field of children's and youth literature. She achieved great success with her autobiographical children's book Unter der Molstower Linde , which appeared for the first time in 1920 and was reprinted in the 1960s. Her religious works for children and confirmands also received a lot of attention, such as So take my hands. Fifty Children's Devotions (1933) or Jesus Go First! Fifty Children's Devotions (1936).

On April 13, 1914, the baron married the naval officer Gerhard Jobst August Moritz von Gaudecker. The marriage remained childless. After stays and a. In Kiel, Trieste, Constantinople and Wilhelmshaven the couple moved to Pomerania . There, Rita von Gaudecker looked after the children's homes, which were run by the chapel association , which she had directed since 1921.

In March 1945 the von Gaudeckers fled from the attractive Russians to Berlin under unimaginable hardships. The couple found their first refuge at the Holstein headquarters of the baronial von Hollen family. Finally it moved to Braunschweig, then to Allmendingen Castle near Ehingen. From there, Rita von Gaudecker led the newly founded Helferbund from the Kapellenverein . In 1965 she resigned from the chair. Shortly afterwards, the association became part of the Helferbund Rita von Gaudecker e. V. renamed, which still exists today. With regard to her literary work, she had increasingly addressed the unimaginable fates of people in her traditional eastern homeland during and after the war, in particular their expulsion .

Rita von Gaudecker received the Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class in 1964 . Four years later, she died in Ehingen hospital at the age of 89.

Works (selection)

  • Under the Molstower linden tree. Braunschweig 1920
  • About the little princess who couldn't sleep. Braunschweig 1921
  • Spread your wings both! Fifty children's devotions. Potsdam 1927
  • The bridge. Stuttgart 1930
  • From the fishing village to the Ottenburg. Potsdam 1931
  • The way to Marie. Hamburg 1932
  • So take my hands. Fifty children's devotions. Potsdam 1933
  • The Christmas guest. Hamburg 1936
  • Jesus go ahead! Fifty children's devotions. Potsdam 1936
  • The uncle from Holland. Schwerin 1937
  • On the new coast. Hamburg 1938
  • Night on the mountain. Gütersloh 1947
  • Lamp in the night. Bielefeld 1953
  • The old lantern. Bielefeld 1954
  • In God's field. Bielefeld 1963

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Manfred Berger:  KRÖCHER, Bertha Luise Ida von. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 24, Bautz, Nordhausen 2005, ISBN 3-88309-247-9 , Sp. 974-983.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )
  2. ↑ http://www.helferbund.de/

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Gaudecker, Rita von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Gaudecker, Rita Margarethe Klara Alexandra von (full name); Blittersdorf, Rita von (maiden name); Aunt Rita
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German writer, director of the chapel association
DATE OF BIRTH April 14, 1879
PLACE OF BIRTH Molstow , Greifenberg district
DATE OF DEATH March 18, 1968
Place of death Ehingen (Danube)