Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann

The first 9 years of our daughter Ursula

Birthday present for her husband  A. Dethleffs.

In the middle of World War II - Ode to the future

In 1942, Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann painted the reverse glass picture. It was her birthday present for her husband Arist Dethleffs. Her daughter Ursula, the only child of the two, was their common focus. The picture documents the happiness of their marriage and the development of the small family in its most beautiful facets. As with a collage, the individual memories are connected to the unique birthday present: The happiness of the young couple, the birth of their daughter, the life in nature, the love of art were their "highligths". In addition, the caravan developed by Arist, according to her dreams. Many citizens - not just the Nazis - turned their noses at that time: A German family, like the Gypsies in a caravan through the German Gaue pulled? "That could have no future - so the omniscient people. The three Dethleffs held together. They were strengthened by a few. The three returned to their common happiness after the war. Many caravan enthusiasts have now followed their example.
Great artists painted in horror during and after World War II in their works the atrocities of the criminals and the seduced by them. In spite of all the unspeakable crimes, Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann with her feminine empathy preserved the belief in the future of the people: her faith and thanks to Arist Dethleffs is the most beautiful message of her birthday present.
How clear the artist is of the fragility of the human Glück estimated, shows the choice of the image carrier: it is glass. Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann last painted on glass in 1923 - the picture: Sicherheit. After that, she only painted the here presented, only known back glass picture for her husband.
Thankful for her happiness, the artist has never forgotten how fragile; her luck too:
fragile like the thin glass on which she painted her ode to the future.

Bernd Riedle

with the assistance from Christian Tauscher and Franz Knittel, April 2018

1931 wedding in Karlsruhe Arist Dethleffs and Fridel Edelmann
Ursula born 5 weeks too early
Ursula 5 weeks too early in the world
Baptism Ursula 8.8.1933 Godparents A.Springer with Dr.Ruth Blos-Schad
Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann 172052 Portrait Ursula 8 weeks lead pencil drawing 1933
Old fashioned stroller from Aunt Ruth
Fridel and Ursula with stroller from Aunt Ruth Nov. 1933
Daily diaper laundry when traveling with child u. residential car
Fridel with Ursula on the washing day at the camping in Würzburg
Arist leaves daughter Ursula flying beach near Bremen
Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann 152056 Image-Arist oil-painting cardboard 1934
Arist u Ursula on the beach v Dühnen North Sea
Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann 172035 Ursula from the side sketch-pencil around 1935
Summer Fam.Dethleffs snaps next to her car
Ursula is standing alone at the Schluchsee for the first time without help
Naked woman Ursula am Schluchsee with bucket
Ursula's favorite clothing
On the way Ursula is freshly wrapped
Ursula and Wohnauto at the lighthouse Stadersand
The purple dress with the Bäri of Saas Fee
Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann 152034 Family portrait Oil-LW 1936
Ursula in the dress of the family portrait
The 3 Dethleffs at Ilse Dethleff's wedding with K. Eugen Riedle, Ulm
Little Ursula with daughters of Aunt Ruth Schad-Blos, 1936
Ursula on the way to the ski course in Saas Fee
Ursula's dress is striped on the dirty trailer hitch
The streamlined new large Dethleffs caravan with lifting roof
On Lake Maggiore - mother and daughter in front of the new streamlined Dethleffs
Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann 176101 Ursula Sketch Pencil around 1938
Ursula Dethleffs 228001 self-portrait 7years 1st collage 1940
Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann 152023 Portrait Ursula oil-painting-board 1941
Ursula with mother in the Globetrotter
Fridel and Ursula am Chiemsee with caravan and cabriolet
Home leave - Father Arist and daughter Ursula at gardening
Short hair - the hairdresser confused Ursula with a boy
Ursula Dethleffs 233006 Madonna with saints Revers Glass Painting in 1941
Our new house in Isny north side
Ursulas way to school in winter with the Dethleffs ski poles and skis
Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann Grandmother-Edelmann with Ursula oil canvas around 1942
Skating on the grotto pond at the house Dethleffs
Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann HG 1942 130001
Backside of the reverse glass picture with handwritten titles u. Descriptions of the individual scenes by Fridel Dethleffs-Edelmann