Marcel Grossmann by Claudia Graf-Grossmann

Author:Claudia Graf-Grossmann
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Cham

Even though in his memoirs, Eugen portrays his wife in a much more positive light, and places her modesty and sincerity in the foreground, one cannot help but notice that Hedwig was the pampered pet of the family; she is used to having her wishes promptly fulfilled. Hedwig is not a classic beauty like her sister, although she has a striking face and is always elegantly dressed. She admires Anna, and at first, life in their shared house is lively and harmonious. Both couples decorate their apartments in a manner corresponding to the belle epoque style of the house itself. In Anna and Marcel’s apartment, dark silk wallpaper, wood panelling and parquet flooring contribute to the fashionably sombre atmosphere in the drawing room. The generously proportioned entry hall has modern linoleum flooring, which is waxed to a high gloss each week, the pride of the housewife. The furnishings are heavy and comfortable; some of them date from Father Jules’ family home in Mulhouse, for example a secretary, a commode and a table. The sofa and the armchairs, upon which Albert Einstein is especially pleased to sit during his visits, are still among the family possessions today.

Eugen and Hedwig live in a more expansive style: they have a cook who also doubles as a maid, a nurse for their daughter, and a seamstress who comes in once a month; but Anna and Marcel have only a wry grin for the extravagance of their younger siblings. Hedwig loves parties, for which she engages a lady with a white lace headdress to serve at the table. She also enjoys shopping and walks daily to the centre of town at a heady pace, her breathlessly panting daughter in tow. There, they spend an hour in the shops, drink a cup of hot chocolate in a café, nibble on some pastries and then march briskly back to Hottingen. The younger couple treat themselves to elegant holidays, travel as their hearts desire, and often spend their summers on cultural and gourmet tours in Italy. Little Henriette is sometimes left behind in Zurich, and Hedwig is on occasion quite astonished to find that her sister is not always willing to look after her daughter. It would to be sure never occur to Hedwig to offer her help to Anna in return.

For ten years, the lives of these two quite dissimilar Grossmann families proceed for the most part harmoniously. But the dream of a happy life together in their shared house gradually fades away unnoticed.

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