Henriette Stenger

Henriette Bleichröder grew up in a very wealthy family. The family's home was at Dorotheenstraße 8 in Berlin-Mitte; at that time the district was still called Dorotheenstadt. Her father was the banker Julius Bleichröder (1828-1907), youngest son of Samuel Bleichröder (1779-1855), who was also a prominent banker. 

Henriette was the second oldest of six siblings and was called Jettchen.  

Henriette's clothing indicates a wealthy background. The light woolen dress is well made and elaborately decorated. She wears white stockings and elegant leather boots with it. Overall, she looks like a small adult in these clothes and with her serious look.  

Henriette Bleichröder became engaged to Franz Stenger in 1888. This union had led to great controversy in Henriette's family, since Franz Stenger was not of the Jewish faith but a Christian. Decades later, Henriette reported to her granddaughter, "He [her father Julius Bleichröder] thought the Jews were better people than the Christians, so he forbade me to marry Franz Stenger. I became so miserable that Papa's resistance melted through this and through Mama's constant intercession like snow in the sun." 

The wedding took place on December 21, 1889. The young couple moved to Dresden, where Dr. phil. Franz Stenger took up a professorship at the Royal Technical University. The couple's apartment was in Südvorstadt, Sedanstraße 13 (today Hochschulstraße), on the second floor, in the Beletage.   

The trousseau list of Henriette Bleichröder comes from the laundry house of the Mosse brothers, Jägerstraße 47-48 in Berlin-Mitte. The renowned specialty store was founded in 1865 by Theodor and Salomon in Berlin, later a branch was also added in New York, 19 west 45 th Street. 

That Henriette Bleichröder - like her three sisters - was a so-called good match can be seen in her trousseau list: Table, bed and body linen are listed in detail in this directory. A dowry register was an integral part of a marriage contract. The directory was generally signed by the bride's father; in the 19th century, women without a male legal guardian were not legally capable of contracting.

Henriette and her husband Franz Stenger were granted only a short marriage. Franz died on May 21, 1893, shortly before his 34th birthday; they had been married for three years and five months. During this time, their sons Konrad (November 24, 1890) and Rudolf (June 2, 1892) were born. After her husband's death, Henriette Stenger lived with her sons mostly above Florence near the monastery of San Domenico Fiesole.

Her wealthy background enabled Henriette to rent a villa in Italy for several months each year, which belonged to a Swiss painter (probably Arnold Böcklin). She traveled there with her sons from 1897, accompanied by a governess. Konrad and Rudolf went to school in Italy, home teachers took care of the humanistic education according to their status, and the governess was responsible for the social education.    

When Henriette's husband Franz Stenger died, she was 29 years old; their son Konrad was two and a half years old and Rudolf was barely one year old. The place of residence Dresden and with it the apartment in the Sedanstraße 13, were questioned by death of her husband: What was she still to do there, where she had moved with Franz a few years earlier, since he had been able to take up a professorship here after all? 

With two small children, a woman's only option at that time was to return to the bosom of the family. But Henriette Stenger was able to lead a very free life because of the financial security - and the tolerance in her family. When she was not in Florence, she liked to stay with her younger sister Gertrud and her husband Dr. Paul Arons. They lived in a stately house in Berlin-Mitte at Behrenstraße 6. 

Betty Wolff painted the summer house of the Bleichröder family, which stood in Berlin-Pankow; The address was Breite Straße 33. The property was since about 1818 in the possession of the Bleichröders; 1855 Henriette's father Julius Bleichröder still bought the adjacent old Pfarracker and had the large villa built. During the summer months, the entire Bleichröder family lived there, and Betty was a frequent visitor. 

In 1909, Henriette's brother Fritz built another villa on the property for himself and his family. The National Socialists occupied the older of the two villas in 1933; Fritz Bleichröder was initially still able to live in his house with his wife Elli and their three children. They emigrated in the following years; Elli Bleichröder left Germany after the death of her husband in 1938. It was not until 2002 that both houses were demolished after a long period of vacancy and a park was created: the Bleichröder Park. A memorial plaque commemorates the history of the property with its two villas. 

From 1920 at the latest, Henriette Stenger spent the winter months in Berlin's Westend at Ahornallee 46 (14050 B). The city villa was her home north of the Alps, and perhaps the house reminded her of her childhood in the summer villa in Pankow: like this house, it was built in neo-classical style and set in a large garden with old trees. 

The sons Konrad and Rudolf were grown up by now; Rudolf was married in Canada, but the first-born Konrad remained single, living in Berlin and having a close relationship with his mother. They undertook major trips together to Asia and even a trip around the world in 1911/12.