Photographs of Rzedziny (setting of Elizabeth and her German Garden) by Elzbieta Bruska

We are very grateful to Elzbieta Bruska, a highly respected Polish journalist and an enthusiastic ‘Elizabeth’ admirer, for sending us some recent photographs from Poland of various locations associated with ‘Elizabeth and her German Garden’ the site of which is now of course located in Rzedziny, Poland. It is wonderful to know that interest is now growing in Poland thanks to the inspiration of Elzbieta and her collaboration with Teresa Dera, the Mayor of the Community of Dobra.

The community now celebrates the life of ‘Elizabeth’ in an Annual Roses Festival, which takes place in the district of Buk in June each year. This group has also been responsible for the creation of two statues of ‘Elizabeth’ by the sculptor Bohdan Ronin-Walknowski. The states have been placed close to the original site of what was formerly the estate of Nassenheide. It is delightful that the spirit of ‘Elizabeth’ is thus being celebrated in such a charming way by our friends in Poland.

Elzbieta Bruska is also responsible for translating works by Elizabeth von Arnim into Polish and has recently published: ‘Elizabeth and her German Garden’ and ‘The Solitary Summer’. Her next project, ‘All the Dogs of my Life’, should be published later this year. She hopes also soon to complete an essay, telling of the life of ‘Elizabeth’ during the time she spent in Pomerania, near what is now Rzedziny. This, Elzbieta hopes, will help to popularize and stimulate the growing enthusiasm for the work of Elizabeth von Arnim in Poland.

The photographs below show:

The first photo is of the village street: 'The village consists of one street running parallel to the outer buildings of the farm' (the Solitary Summer)
The village street: ‘The village consists of one street running parallel to the outer buildings of the farm’ (the Solitary Summer)
The second photo is of what is probably the former school building: '...in the early spring of last year, having come down for the opening of the village school..' (Elizabeth and her German Garden)
Probably the former school building: ‘…in the early spring of last year, having come down for the opening of the village school..’ (Elizabeth and her German Garden)
The third photo is of the interior of the Church in Boeck (1902) ('Once a fortnight we go to the morning prayer at eleven and sit up in a sort of private box with a room behind, whither wee can retire unobserved when the sermon is too long or our flesh too weak(...) The parson in his gloomy pulpit, surrounded by a framework of dusty carved angels...')
The interior of the Church in Boeck (1902) (‘Once a fortnight we go to the morning prayer at eleven and sit up in a sort of private box with a room behind, whither we can retire unobserved when the sermon is too long or our flesh too weak … The parson in his gloomy pulpit, surrounded by a framework of dusty carved angels…’)
The fourth photo is a recent one of the interior of the church at Christmas time.
The interior of the same church in 2016 at Christmas time.
The fifth is of the Park (formerly Nassenheide) in the autumn.
The Park (formerly Nassenheide) in the autumn.
Seated sculpture of Elizabeth by Bohdan Ronin-Walknowski
Standing sculpture of Elizabeth by Bohdan Ronin-Walknowski

6 thoughts on “Photographs of Rzedziny (setting of Elizabeth and her German Garden) by Elzbieta Bruska

  1. I thank you heartedly for the recollection and the pictures, I am reading now her books! Wonderful, I am in heaven!
    Eleonora Beltrani
    Tuscany

  2. I too am loving her books, and I am in Tuscany, thinking so much of her. She was one of my grandmother’s and mother’s favourite writers and I have avoided her till now – what a mistake. She is sheer delight.

  3. Thank you for publishing this. I’ve wondered for years if anything was still standing on the estate. Do you know how long after Elizabeth lived there the house was demolished or destroyed?

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  5. Hi my name is Jeanne BRIDGMAN
    Elizabeth is the cousin of my Grandmother. Mentioned “Molly ”
    In the book.
    I am fascinated and excited to have the same blood .love reading and discovering more about her
    I also lived in Hamburg in the 1980 .s

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