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Waldeck in Tirschenreuth, Bavaria, Germany — Central Europe
 

Letzte Lebensphase und Tod in Ansbach
⎯⎯⎯
Last phase of life and death in Ansbach

 
 
Letzte Lebensphase und Tod in Ansbach / Last phase of life and death in Ansbach Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 29, 2024
1. Letzte Lebensphase und Tod in Ansbach / Last phase of life and death in Ansbach Marker
Inscription.  German:
Erfüllte letzte Lebensphase
Koessler selbst schrieb seiner Entscheidung, noch einmal nach Budapest zurückzukehren, er sei der eindringlichen Bitte des Akademiedirektors Jeno Hubay (Eugen Huber) gefolgt, die Kompositionsmeisterklasse zu leiten. Seinem früheren Schüler Emmerich Kálmán zufolge war jener Appell eine Art Hilfsaktion, die er und Hubay zusammen geplant hatten, um den Komponisten aus seiner finanziellen Notlage zu befreien.

Insgesamt weitere fünf Jahre verbrachte Koessler letztlich in Budapest. In dieser Zeit unterrichtete er neue Schüler in der Kompositionslehre, und es entstand eine Triosuite für Geige, Viola und Klavier (1922).

Ein Jahr später fand ein Komponistenabend mit seinen Werken statt. Zu Beginn des Jahres 1925 reiste er nach Ansbach ins Goldene Lamm, ehe er am Jahresende seine Lehrtätigkeit in Ungarn für immer beendete und bei der befreundeten Familie Dürr, die sich seiner schon in den Jahren zuvor angenommen hatte, erneut seine Wohnung nahm.

Zwar war er bei seiner Rückkehr nach Ansbach sichtlich aufgeblüht und voller Energie, doch plagten ihn gegen
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Ende April 1925 starke Schmerzen in seinem rechten Fuß. Sein Neffe, der Arzt Dr. Bogner, diagnostizierte eine schwere Arterienverkalkung. Zwei Wochen später stand fest, dass nur eine Amputation des Fußes Abhilfe schaffen konnte, und man lieferte ihn ins Krankenhaus ein. Der operierende Oberarzt Dr. Lunckenbein nahm Anteil an Koesslers Leiden und beruhigte ihn damit, dass eine erfolgreiche Operation sein Leben verlängern könne.

Welche Ängste Koessler vor dem Eingriff heimsuchten, belegt eine Stelle in einem Bericht des Oberlandesgerichtsrats Gottfried Vocke, der den Komponisten aus dem Goldenen Lamm näher kannte:

„Da richtete sich der alte Herr in den Armen von Frau Dürr im Bette auf und beschwor den Arzt unter Tränen, ihm den einzigen Wunsch zu erfüllen, er möge ihn noch zwei Jahre leben lassen, damit er seinen künstlerischen Nachlaß ordnen könne. Er habe seine Manuskripte in der ganzen Welt verstreut und müsse überall noch letzte Hand anlegen. Dazu brauche er noch zwei Jahre."

Leiderkonntedieserletzte Wunschnichtmehr Wirklichkeit werden. Nach kurzer erster Besserung im Anschluss an die Operation verschlechterte sich Koesslers Zustand stetig, ehe er dann am 23. Mai, einem Pfingstsamstag, am frühen Morgen um 4 Uhr verschied.

Begräbnis und Gedenken
Hans von Koesslers Begräbnis fand am darauffolgenden Dienstag statt. An
The view of the marker along the street image. Click for full size.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 29, 2024
2. The view of the marker along the street
seinem Grab würdigte ihn der Ansbacher Stadtpfarrer Geistl. Rat Sponsel mit den Worten, er habe

„von seinem immensen Können anderen selbstlos und reichlich mitgeteilt und viele vortreffliche Schüler zu bedeutenden Meistern in seiner Kunst herangebildet. Er ist richtungsgebend geworden für die Musik eines ganzen Landes durch zwei Generationen hindurch."

Den Grabstein für Koessler auf dem Ansbacher Friedhof stiftete die Budapester Musikakademie, die ihren Lehrer im Dezember desselben Jahres auch mit zwei Konzerten seiner Werke ehrte. Nach zeitweiser Auflösung wurde das Grab in Ansbach 1983 wieder zum Angedenken des Waldecker Komponisten umgewidmet und erhielt eine neue Inschrift.

Nur wenige Tage nach seinem Tod hatte Gottfried Vocke vorgeschlagen, falls ein Gedenkstein errichtet würde, so kõnne jener nur am Gasthaus, „Zum Goldenen Lamm" seinen Platz finden. Zwei Jahre später wurde dies bereits von zwei Freunden Koesslers in Form einer Gedenktafel umgesetzt, die sich heute im Inneren des Gebäudes befindet.

Bildunterschriften
(Foto Nr. 1) Koesslers Portrait aus der Reihe der Budapester Akademielehrer 1924/25

In Waldeck ist es seit langem das Bestreben des Heimat- und Kulturvereins, die Erinnerung an das Leben und Wirken Hans von Koesslers aufrecht zu erhalten. So errichtete man ihm zu Ehren im Rahmen
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der Marktsanierung 2010 den Koesslerbrunnen.


English Translation:
Fulfilled Final Years
Koessler himself wrote that his decision to return to Budapest was prompted by the earnest request of the Academy's director, Jeno Hubay (Eugen Huber), to lead the composition master class. According to his former student Emmerich Kálmán, this appeal was part of a kind of rescue operation that he and Hubay had planned together to help the composer out of his financial distress.

Koessler ultimately spent another five years in Budapest. During this time, he taught new students composition, and composed a Trio Suite for violin, viola, and piano (1922).

A year later, a composer evening featuring his works was held. At the beginning of 1925, he traveled to Ansbach to the "Goldene Lamm" hotel, before ending his teaching career in Hungary permanently at the end of the year and returning to live with the friendly Dürr family, who had cared for him in previous years.

Though he returned to Ansbach visibly rejuvenated and full of energy, by the end of April 1925, he was suffering from severe pain in his right foot. His nephew, Dr. Bogner, diagnosed a serious case of arterial calcification. Two weeks later, it became clear that only an amputation of the foot could help, and he was admitted to the hospital. The operating senior physician, Dr. Lunckenbein, sympathized with Koessler's suffering and reassured him that a successful operation could extend his life.

The fears Koessler had before the operation are documented in a report by the senior judge Gottfried Vocke, who knew the composer well from his time at the "Goldene Lamm":

"Then the old gentleman, in the arms of Mrs. Dürr, sat up in bed and tearfully begged the doctor to fulfill his only wish—to let him live for another two years so that he could organize his artistic legacy. He had scattered his manuscripts all over the world and still needed to finalize them everywhere. For that, he needed two more years."

Unfortunately, this last wish was never realized. After a brief improvement following the operation, Koessler's condition steadily worsened, and on May 23, early on a Pentecost Saturday at 4 a.m., he passed away.

Funeral and Commemoration
Hans von Koessler’s funeral took place the following Tuesday. At his grave, the city pastor of Ansbach, Geistl. Rat Sponsel, honored him with the words that he had

"selflessly shared his immense talent with others and trained many excellent students to become great masters in his art. He became a guiding figure for the music of an entire country through two generations."

The gravestone for Koessler at the Ansbach cemetery was donated by the Budapest Music Academy, which also honored its teacher with two concerts of his works in December of the same year. After a temporary dissolution, the grave in Ansbach was re-dedicated in 1983 to commemorate the composer from Waldeck, with a new inscription.

Just a few days after his death, Gottfried Vocke had suggested that if a memorial stone were to be erected, it could only be placed at the inn "Zum Goldenen Lamm." Two years later, this was realized by two of Koessler’s friends in the form of a commemorative plaque, which is now displayed inside the building.

Captions
(Photo #1) Koessler's portrait from the series of Budapest Academy teachers 1924/25

In Waldeck, the local history and culture association has long striven to keep alive the memory of Hans von Koessler's life and work. The Koessler fountain was built in his honor as part of the market renovation in 2010.

 
Erected by Hans von Koessler-Weg and Markt Waldeck. (Marker Number 3.)
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1925.
 
Location. 49° 51.862′ N, 11° 57.098′ E. Marker is in Waldeck, Bayern (Bavaria), in Tirschenreuth. It is on Unterer Markt just south of Alte Str., on the left when traveling south. The marker is located along the building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Unterer Markt 37, Waldeck BY 95478, Germany. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is in Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, Central Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire and specifically also the Holy Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Geburt, frühe Kindheit und Familie / Birth, Early Childhood and Family (within shouting distance of this marker); Hans von Kößler (within shouting distance of this marker); Hans v. Kößler (within shouting distance of this marker); Koesslers Werdegang und Karriere / Koessler's background and career (within shouting distance of this marker); Vertiefung: Koesslers Musik Koessler-Archiv / In-Depth: Koessler's Music Koessler Archive (about 150 meters away, measured in a direct line); Blick auf den Kalvarienberg / View of the Mount Calvery / Pohled na horu kalvárie (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Blick auf den neuen Markt / View of the new market / Pohled na novou obec (approx. 0.7 kilometers away); Bergfried, Palas, Kernburg / Fortified tower, palace, main castle / Bašta, palác, hlavní hrad (approx. 0.7 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waldeck.
 
Also see . . .  Hans von Koessler. Wikipedia
Koessler, a cousin of Max Reger, was born in Waldeck, Fichtelgebirge (now part of Kemnath, Upper Palatinate). He was taught the organ from 1874 to 1877 by Josef Rheinberger and attended the choir lessons of Franz Wüllner in Munich. Immediately after that, he moved to Dresden, where he was appointed director and teacher for music theory and choral music at the Dresden School of Music. From 1878, he was also conductor of the Dresdner Liedertafel orchestra. From 1882 to 1908, he initially taught organ and choir at the National Music Academy of Budapest in Hungary. Later, he also became professor for composition and was also given a peerage.
(Submitted on November 23, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 23, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 110 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on November 23, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
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Jun. 6, 2026