Briefe von Ella. The Written Heritage of Rudolph Amandus Philippi and the Letters of his Daughter Ella
Abstract
The study presents the written heritage of the prominent German-Chilean natural scientist Rudolph Amandus Philippi (1808-1904). The collection, which is deposited in the archive of the cultural organization Dirección Museológica UACh in Valdivia (Chile), is comprised of proffesional and personal corresponde of this scientist, but there are also diaries, notebooks, accounting records, etc. of the members of the Philippi family.
In terms of time, the presented archive records are dating back to the period between the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The largest number of letters was written by Ella Böhlendorf (1845-1912), the daughter of R.
A. Philippi; she was sending them regularly from the family hacienda San Juan to Santiago, where the scientist permanently resided.
The study gives a detailed description of Ella Böhlendorf, as well as of her written legacy. Her letters represent an unique source of information, which enables to learn more about the everyday life of the German community in the south of Chile in the last third of the 19th century.
Ella was writing about the events and strories that concerned the family, however, she mentioned also the news and interesting things about her friends, acquintances or other people, less or more close to her. Worth noticing are also the entries concerning the character of her father / researcher R.
A. Philippi, who is in her letters usually portrayed as a thoughful and caring parent and grandparent.
The study is complemented by 8 complete letters of Ella Böhlendorf, which were written between 1883 and 1898 and which were transfered from the Kurrent script and, subsequently, translated into Spanish.