Maria knew her living on in all the humans she met during her life. She never had energy to spare for recording by photo, movie or scripture; she spread her engergy from moment to moment, and that is how she will be remembered.
The many relatives and friends, who have been surprised by Marias death, got a message like this (in German) together with the commemoration card. Many thanks for the many responses!
When a list of pupils of Marias last class was found, the addresses (more than ten years old!) were used, although the kids hat left to the wide world in the meanwhile. Nevertheless, this letter brought a response with many photos and an audio recording.
Separate notification was sent to Brother David Steindl-Rast with this letter (in German), which he answered herewith (in German), Vanja Palmers responded to this notification with this mail. Dines Bjørner responded with this mail.
By this mail Maria's web pages were announced.
And this is the obituary (in German) at the anniversary of her death in 2016. OSR Elisabeth Riefler, the headmaster of the school Maria served last, sent these memories (in German).
.
In Maria's inheritance we found this envelope:
|
In the envelope there was a picture, and there is a story about this picture: It presents Maria in abundant confidence, with a proud head of curls, in the second grade of primary school. However one year before, Maria had opposed to her school enrolment by grazing the head with her pencil, until the doctor decided to shear all hair (bound to a braid as usual at that time) in order to cure the eschar caused by the pencil. And now on the foto, hair has grown back in all its beauty (but still not long enough to be bound) -- and the young person as confident as can be at this age. We know, that at this time Maria decided to become a teacher herself. |
We consider the envelope with words written by her hand together with the enclosed picture as Maria's legacy. At the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of her birth we forwarded it with this mail printed on a card with the subheading "I want to become .....". The "..." are left open for any young person, open for his or her own confidence.
On the backside of the card the lower verse is covered by Maria's name --- however in such a way, that the name will stick forever: the picture shall become nameless, ready to sink down to the source we all draw from our human beeing.
Open for everybody and nameless, this way legacy might be most appropriate in Maria's sense.