Esther von Kirchbach
Encyclopedia
Esther von Kirchback, maiden name Esther von Carlowitz (26 May 1894-19 February 1946) was a German journalist
, poet
and chaplain
.
officer and later War Minister. At the beginning of the First World War, shortly before she graduated, she married Graf Georg zu Münster ("Count George of Munster"), who died of war injuries two years later. As a young widow with a child, she home-studied Mathematics, German, Philosophy and History in Marburg and Leipzig.
In 1921 she married theologian Arndt von Kirchbach, who had two children and had become a priest after his first wife's death. She bore him another six children. As head of Protestant youth work, as Hofprediger of the Sophienkirche and as Superintendent of Freiburg, he was heavily involved in the Church. Together, the von Kirchbachs wrote articles, essays and letters and gave lectures addressing the status of women in various circles.
In 1927 Esther led the Bundes für eine lebendige Volkskirche ("Society for a Living People's Church") in Dresden
. Starting from the Nazi takeover in 1933, she fought against the Nazi policy of Gleichschaltungspolitik der Kirchen (roughly, "Political Synchonisation of Churches"). Her husband was also one of the leading representatives of the Inclusive Church in Dresden. Together, they continued their literary work and lecturing, despite repeated arrests and Adolph von Carlowitz's dismissal.
In 1934 Esther was German delegate to the International Women's Congress in Budapest. In 1945 she was the only woman on the Advisory Board of the Regional Office engaged with refugees and war victims. She took refugees into her own parsonage in Freiberg
.
She died at the age of 51 during surgery for an embolism.
Her life was commemorated on a German stamp (depicted above).
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
.
Biography
Esther was the eldest daughter of four children of Adolph von Carlowitz, SaxonianSaxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
officer and later War Minister. At the beginning of the First World War, shortly before she graduated, she married Graf Georg zu Münster ("Count George of Munster"), who died of war injuries two years later. As a young widow with a child, she home-studied Mathematics, German, Philosophy and History in Marburg and Leipzig.
In 1921 she married theologian Arndt von Kirchbach, who had two children and had become a priest after his first wife's death. She bore him another six children. As head of Protestant youth work, as Hofprediger of the Sophienkirche and as Superintendent of Freiburg, he was heavily involved in the Church. Together, the von Kirchbachs wrote articles, essays and letters and gave lectures addressing the status of women in various circles.
In 1927 Esther led the Bundes für eine lebendige Volkskirche ("Society for a Living People's Church") in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
. Starting from the Nazi takeover in 1933, she fought against the Nazi policy of Gleichschaltungspolitik der Kirchen (roughly, "Political Synchonisation of Churches"). Her husband was also one of the leading representatives of the Inclusive Church in Dresden. Together, they continued their literary work and lecturing, despite repeated arrests and Adolph von Carlowitz's dismissal.
In 1934 Esther was German delegate to the International Women's Congress in Budapest. In 1945 she was the only woman on the Advisory Board of the Regional Office engaged with refugees and war victims. She took refugees into her own parsonage in Freiberg
Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, administrative center of the Mittelsachsen district.-History:The city was founded in 1186, and has been a center of the mining industry in the Ore Mountains for centuries...
.
She died at the age of 51 during surgery for an embolism.
Legacy
In Freiburg, a refuge and an association for the promotion of women's work were established in 1991. This committed non-profit organisation continues the work Esther von Kirchbach began.Her life was commemorated on a German stamp (depicted above).
Sources
Translator's note: These are in German.- Arndt von Kirchbach: Lebenserinnerungen RGG III S1296
- This page was abridged and translated from the German wikipedia on 23 March 2009.