Another clue in my quest to trace Rudolf Geschwind in Slovakia are his diaries. Where to find them? As his sons moved away from the territory of what is now the Slovak Republic, the journals might be gone from this area. Nevertheless, there is at least one original to be found in our country.
The first page of the diary in Krupina
As there was no money for such an acquisition at that time, the historian of Andrej Sladkovic Museum in Krupina took out a personal loan to pay its owner for this volume of the diaries. Later, the town of Krupina agreed to buy it, and thus secured this unique document for the museum. This is one of the three diaries which Geschwind left behind that we know about. In this way, at least one of them returned to the town where he bred his now world-renowned roses.
These manuscripts or personal notes are definitely part of the Slovak cultural heritage, no matter who owns them at the moment. They are unique and important. We consider them an item related to Slovak history, as the second part of his life and his breeding activities are linked to our territory.
A rose from Geschwind's garden found in a Herbarium of Andrej Kmeť
"I had at my disposal only scanned copies of those pages related to Countess Chotek. I learnt about them from Mr. Frantisek Glvac who was once the President of the Slovak Rose Society," says historian Stanislav Petras of the Corompa NGO in Dolna Krupa, western Slovakia. "Countess Chotek came to see the roses early and left around noon. For me, a very kind and precious lady." These are the few lines Geschwind wrote about this important encounter.
Countess Maria Henrietta Chotek
The two significant rose experts met to arrange transport for the most precious part of Geschwind's collection to Countess's chateaux in Dolna Krupa, some 190 km away. Maria Henrietta Chotek did this a mere two months before the breeder's death. In the next episode we will travel to Dolna Krupa, where Countess Maria Henrietta Chotek secured for the future the work of Rudolf Geschwind.
Château Dolná Krupá
Diaries
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