Fanny Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Stele in Hamburg-Mitte, Germany
The Fanny Mendelssohn Bartholdy stele is a stone monument in Hamburg-Mitte honoring the composer and older sister of Felix Mendelssohn. It stands along Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse under trees, and carries a carved relief of Fanny Hensel along with her birth and death dates.
Fanny Hensel was born in Hamburg in 1805 and composed over 400 works during her lifetime, though she was largely kept from performing publicly. The stone monument was erected in November 1997, on the 150th anniversary of her death, by the cultural authorities of Hamburg.
The stele features a small relief of Fanny Hensel and notes carved from her song "Das Schwanenlied," set to a poem by Heinrich Heine. This combination reflects how closely she worked at the intersection of poetry and music throughout her life.
The stele stands along Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse in Hamburg-Mitte and can be visited at any time without charge. A short walk around the area is worthwhile, as other historical markers are nearby.
On the back of the stele, the opening notes of "Das Schwanenlied" are carved directly into the stone, making the monument itself a kind of musical score. This song is said to be one of the last pieces Fanny Hensel performed before her stroke in May 1847.
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