Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland

Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland is a major poem by the German poet and novelist Theodor Fontane. The poem is still popular and learned in German schools. The original manuscript, which was previously believed lost, was sold for an unexpectedly high price in 2007.

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Content

The poem tells of a member of the German lower nobility, named in the title (Squire von Ribbeck, his family name; auf Ribbeck, residing on Ribbeck manor; im Havelland, in the Havelland region). Von Ribbeck is described as gentle and generous; he often gives away pears from his pear-trees to children passing by. But he knows his son and heir to be a scrooge; so when von Ribbeck feels his end near, he asks that a pear be put into his grave. This pear quickly grows into a pear-tree, which now provides free pears to the children, thus preserving the heritage of the late von Ribbeck.

History

The legend of Hans-Georg von Ribbeck (died 1759) and his pear-tree first appeared in a collection of fairy tales in 1887.[1] Fontane used this text as a base for his poem, which he wrote in summer 1889.[2]

The legendary pear-tree on the grave of the von Ribbeck family, near the church of the village Ribbeck, about 30 km north-west of Berlin, did in fact exist at Fontane's time; it was destroyed in a storm in 1911.[2]

Popularity

More than 100 years after its initial publication, the poem is still very popular in Germany. It is available as a picture book in several editions,[3][4] and has been featured on children's TV series Die Sendung mit der Maus.[5] It is the subject of common classroom study in German schools. The poem has also been the subject of many scholarly reviews.[6]

In 2007, the original manuscript of the poem was sold for 130.000 EUR at an auction at Berlin.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Karl Eduard Haase: "Sagen aus der Grafschaft Ruppin und Umgegend“; Neu-Ruppin, Petrenz, 1887. ISBN 3-9804795-1-X.
  2. 1 2 3 130.000 Euro für Herrn Ribbeck auf Ribbeck, DIE WELT, June 26, 2007 (in German)
  3. ↑ Bernd Streiter (illustrator): "Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland"; Aufbau-Verlag, 2002. ISBN 978-3-351-04022-2.
  4. ↑ Karin Blume (illustrator): "Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland", Diogenes Verlag, 1987. ISBN 978-3-257-25098-5.
  5. ↑ Herr von Ribbeck on Die Sendung mit der Maus official page
  6. ↑ See the further reading section on Wikisource

External links

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