Far away from the hustle and bustle of the world

‘Friedensau lies in the middle of the forest. The dark pine forest is bordered by bright green birch trees, with the occasional defiant oak tree in between. The Ihle flows past the village between lush meadows adorned with colourful flowers. Alders and willows grow on the banks of the lazily flowing water, and sometimes tall reeds hide its course.‘* A tranquil place in the middle of nowhere: ’Friedensau lies far away from the hustle and bustle of the world.’ Even today, visitors to Friedensau still imagine themselves to be far from civilisation. The purchase of a site in the middle of small villages and dense forest was a deliberate choice, as the rural location was seen as a guarantee of being able to work and learn undisturbed by ‘the world’. The winter was sometimes adventurous. ‘It often happened that there was snow on the beds in winter.’ The entire site offered potential for improvement. ‘The buildings we took over were poor, but the cowshed was particularly dilapidated. A new barn was built. The cattle had just been moved over when a fire destroyed the old barn. Twenty chickens died in the flames. The people of Friedensau took the fire as a warning sign from God. Therefore, the very next day, it was decided to purchase fire engines and other fire-fighting equipment and, above all, to establish a voluntary fire brigade. Naturally, a fire engine house had to be built to store the equipment. But the chickens also found shelter in the new building and carriages and wagons found protection against the rigours of the weather.’ Nevertheless, the future was also considered, and even a retirement home was envisaged. ‘All doubts were overcome by faith in God's help and the decision was made to build our retirement home. Surrounded by green woods and fragrant meadows, it offered and still offers many dear old people from our community a pleasant place to stay. ‘*

This pleasant place to stay can now look back on 125 years of history. Many have been part of this history themselves. This includes 15-year-old Wilfriede Michael, daughter of the headmaster Wilhelm Michael (who was deported in 1945 and presumably died the same year), who reported on the history of Friedensau's origins in a school essay in 1947. Even if only extracts can be reproduced here, the essay made an impression, so much so that the teacher left a note underneath: ‘And I would also like to see the work.’

However, the history of this secluded village somewhere between pine trees and rutted sandy tracks has a far-reaching effect. Following her father's example, Wilfriede ended up teaching biology and chemistry at Marienhöhe. Her daughter (Edelgard Ninow-Woysch) and granddaughter (Mareike Baumann) also influenced generations of young people as teachers at Marienhöhe.

There are many stories that tell of the many years of activity at our facilities. But no matter how remote this place may be - may it attract attention in such a way that people say: ‘I want to see the work too’ (Text: Bernd Müller, Ph.D.).

* Quotes: Wilfriede Michael, 1945/1947.