Major Rathbone's accomodation in Hannover

[RJNorton]

A great big THANK YOU to Eva for sending this information and images!

"I don’t know whether the following is of any interest for Americans, but I was curious about Major Rathbone’s fate in Hannover and found out that the place he was committed to was not the worst to face your future after becoming insane and kiling your wife in those days.
However, here’s a summary:

According to the death record Major Henry Rathbone was accommodated in Michaelis Cloister (part of the Church of St. Michael), one department of the former Hospital and Nursing Home Hildesheim. It was the oldest institution caring for menntally ill people in Lower - Saxony, Germany.

St. Michaelis Cloister was transformed into a hospital for insane in the course of the dissolution of the monasteries due to the secularization. It was opened on May 30,1827 for “cases of mental and mood illness”. Since the total capacity of 400 patients was continually exceeded, two further departments were opened in 1833 and 1849, and the institution has been named Hospital and Nursing home of Hildesheim. It reached a high reputation and was regarded as the "largest and most prestigious institution of Germany". In 1940, 1132 patients were treated there. During the Nazi reign, within the "action of T4", over 400 patients suffered the removal in the killing facility Hadamar in Hesse, Germany. In 1943 patients were moved complettely and Michaelis Cloister accomodated an SS school. In the last days of the war, Michaelis Cloister and the Church of St. Michael were destroyed in an air raid during WW II on March 22,1945, but reconstruction was begun in 1950 and completed in 1957.

The Church of St. Michael is one of the most important churches in Ottonic (Early-Romanesque) style which in 1985 became a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site for its collection of medieval treasures and its 1000-year old rosebush.

The Abbey Church was constructed between 1001 and 1031 under the direction of Bishop Bernward of Hildesheim (993-1022) as the chapel of his Benedictine monastery. When the Reformation was adopted in Hildesheim in 1542, St. Michael's Church became Lutheran, but the Benedictine monastery remained existing until it was secularized in 1803. The monks would still use the church and its crypt, which remain Catholic to this day.

I attach three images of the hospital and the church.

Hospital and Nursing Home Hildesheim, view from northern direction

1662 sketch of the Abbey Church of St. Michael's

Abbey Church of St. Michael's, current photo

[Laurie Verge]

Great history, Eva. On an early Booth escape route tour, we had a participant whose mother still lived in Hildesheim, and she later sent us highlights of this history. She said there was evidence that Rathbone really didn't live in the asylum here, but rather in a special apartment set aside for him in the clerical residence.

This same source is the one who told us that the cemetery in Germany where Clara and Henry are buried was bombed into oblivion during WWII. She also doubted if the bodies were still there during the bombing, however, because of the European custom of emptying untended graves and reselling the plots.

[LincolnMan]

(05-30-2013 09:25 AM)Laurie Verge Wrote:  Great history, Eva. On an early Booth escape route tour, we had a participant whose mother still lived in Hildesheim, and she later sent us highlights of this history. She said there was evidence that Rathbone really didn't live in the asylum here, but rather in a special apartment set aside for him in the clerical residence.

This same source is the one who told us that the cemetery in Germany where Clara and Henry are buried was bombed into oblivion during WWII. She also doubted if the bodies were still there during the bombing, however, because of the European custom of emptying untended graves and reselling the plots.

So Laurie, there are no known graves of the two? I never thought about where they are buried.

[RJNorton]

Laurie, I also have heard the bombing story. There is an article titled "The Rathbone Connection" by Frank Rathbun in the July 1982 Surratt Society News. I believe this article was also cited in another thread on the forum. The author cites the research of Mr. James O. Hall and Mrs. Peggy Hlavacek. He writes Rathbone was buried in Germany in the city cemetery at Hannover/Engeohde. As time passed, the cemetery management checked out lots with no recent burials and no correspondence indicating family interest. It was decided that Rathbone's remains could be dug up and the bones disposed of.

[Eva Elisabeth]

I checked the cemetery's scale of fees. Currently, the fee for the cheapest gravesite at Engesohde Cemetery is € 1223 =$ 1596 for the fixed period of 20 years. To extend afterwards, so. has to pay again, otherwise the grave will be emptied immediatly. Although the fees surely were different, I would say this exactly happened: in 1931 nobody payed for extension and that was it. And I'm sure it was done immediately as it is common, although the gravesite was not reused until 1952. (I emailed the cemetery management for further information, they promised to research.)

[L Verge]

Does anyone know if Clara was buried in Germany or was brought back to the U.S.? I can't imagine that the family would want her buried in Germany where the tragedy happened, but who knows?

[Eva Elisabeth]

She was buried in Engesohde.

[L Verge]

That was what I thought until you sent this great history and it got me wondering if they were indeed buried together. I don't care if he was mentally ill, I would not want to spend eternity next to the man who killed me.

[BettyO]

Thanks for a facinating look at the "rest of the Rathbone Story", Eva!

I, too am familiar with the bombing story as well and I agree with Laurie - no, husband or not, I wouldn't want to lie for all eternity next to him who killed me!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Me too. But since she had died earlier, she was not asked for her opinion. And they had been married.

[Gene C]

Yes, but now she can nag him for eternity.

[L Verge]

Good point, Gene!

[Eva Elisabeth]

Maybe the Major received his just deserts. When I said his accomodation was not the worst I was thinking of treatment and care. Such a building can be a calming and peaceful place, but - depending on your disposition - you could also find it gloomy, threatning and secluded. (The church and cloister are located on a hill, one reason to establish such a hospital there. The immediate vicinity of insane and deliquents wasn't considered beneficial.) Imagine - being locked away behind thick medieval walls for 28 years, all alone in a foreign country thousands of miles away from home, after so many tragic events...still a sad ending.

[LincolnMan]

(05-30-2013 06:10 PM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  I checked the cemetery's scale of fees. Currently, the fee for the cheapest gravesite at Engesohde Cemetery is € 1223 =$ 1596 for the fixed period of 20 years. To extend afterwards, so. has to pay again, otherwise the grave will be emptied immediatly. Although the fees surely were different, I would say this exactly happened: in 1931 nobody payed for extension and that was it. And I'm sure it was done immediately as it is common, although the gravesite was not reused until 1952. (I emailed the cemetery management for further information, they promised to research.)

I was not familiar with this practice of digging up graves because extensions are not paid. Sounds like Rest In Peace needs to be Rent In Peace.

[Eva Elisabeth]

I agree, but it's common, the result of limited space. And to cover expenses for customary maintenance of the site, disposal, water providence etc.