01 November 2012

St Matthias Freidhof

The cemetery is perhaps best known for the graves of the Brothers Grimm, and two of Wilhelm's sons -
This headstone intrigued me - the red is leaf-like shapes cast in resin. Hedwig Dohm (1831-1919) was a feminist and author - her influential books were written in the 1870s. One of her five children became the mother-in-law of the writer Thomas Mann.
A lovely, leafy place, the cemetery had other surprises.
It was a surprise to come across a bit of contemporary art - Parla Memento Hedera, a "klang-installation" by Christian Find, using interviews with and readings from the works of people buried here. Inside the little greenhouse, almost hidden by the ivy (hedera), is information on each, with a button to activate the sound.
One was artist, poet, thinker and activist Helga Goetze; another is the Afro-German poet, educator and activist May Ayim.

1 comment:

Diane-crewe said...

I am always amazed who... and what you find in a cemetary!! lol x