Berta Wilhelmi-libro

Berta Wilhelmi, una mujer excepcional en la Granada de entre siglos

With this title it was presented last December  the biographical book by Berta Wilhelmi whose authors are Angel Baena and Gabriel Gomez.

The presentation could not be anywhere other than Pinos Genil. This town is linked to this great woman almost since her arrival in Granada. I found the love and respect that all its inhabitants still have for it very moving.

To make a quick portrait Of this woman, it should be noted that throughout her life, she created and led companies, founded schools and libraries, built a tuberculosis sanatorium, defended equality between men and women, promoted and hosted gatherings of intellectuals, founded canteens and school camps and much more.

All this framed in the end of the s. XIX and beginning of the XX. Surrounded by an old and intransigent society.

She was a woman free of prejudices, bold, determined, with clear ideas, respectful of other ideas, altruistic and generous. But above all to which we Grenadians owe a lot.

From this perspective, it is surprising that until very recently she was a totally unknown woman in Granada. The objective of this article is precisely to make known this woman who would be exceptional at any time and who changed the city of Granada in many aspects.

The history of Granada will never be complete without her.

Berta Wilhelmi

Arrival of Berta Wilhelmi in Granada

Of German origin, he was born on June 25, 1858 in Schriesheim, near Heidelberg.

In this same year her family moved to Granada, although Berta stayed in Germany in charge of her grandmother.

It is difficult to know exactly, but everything indicates that Berta arrived in Granada in 1871.

His father Philipp Ferdinand Wilhelmi y Fromme (for the people of Granada, Don Fernando), an engineer and great entrepreneur, buys and improves the Blanqueo paper mill and expands it with the construction of two more.

On the other hand, his mother Hedwig Karoline Henrich, writer and free thinker and defender of social rights and equality for women.

And finally her grandmother Albertine Röslin, actress and poet, gradually forged the character of this free woman.

At the age of 19, he married with Fernando Dávila de León and Zea, aristocratic family from Granada. However, Berta is a Protestant and does not want to renounce her religion despite the great social pressure that she undoubtedly had to suffer. For this reason the wedding is celebrated with a papal bull.

Throughout his life, he welcomed a large group at his home on Paseo de la Bomba and at his gatherings. of intellectuals and scholars. Among them: Fernando de los Ríos, Gloria Giner, Antonio Gonzales Prats, Alejandro Otero Fernández, Manuel Ángeles Ortiz, José Maria Rodríguez Acosta, Hermenegildo Lanz, Laura de los Ríos Italian, Belgian and English consuls and many more.

She was a fighting woman who never gave up despite the many problems, misfortunes, and eventualities she encountered throughout her life.

 

Berta as a businesswoman.

Since the death of her father in 1896, Berta has been in charge of leading the paper mills.The first years with her husband. But after her death in 1998 she alone.

Years before, she had been involved in the management of factories.

He stood out in thecholera epidemic management,who arrived in Granada in 1886. It is at this moment that he began to implement the hygienist measures that he had surely already learned during his training in Germany and Switzerland.

He begins to install latrines with running water, adopts strict cleaning measures in factories, prohibits crowds, changes the diet of workers, etc. Something totally unusual and revolutionary at the time.

Later in a second epidemic, this time of smallpox, in 1901, he reapplied these measures, along with vaccination. Its workers are the only ones vaccinated in Pinos Genil.

In this area mortality and contagion is lower. In this way it is demonstrated what are the measures to be taken before these events.

But if there is something that defines this woman, it is her ability to work. His activity does not stop and in years of prosperity for his paper mills, he takes the opportunity to create, together with his son, the power station next to the Bleaching factory. This plant gives light not only to his factory, but also to the surrounding towns.

Second marriage and divorce

In 1906, at the age of 48, she married Eduardo Dominguez for the second time. He is one of his workers and a foreman in his factory. Once again she proves to be a free woman and outside of conventions.

In any case, this second marriage does not last too long and ends up getting divorced.

BERTA WILHELMI

His dedication to children

Among his many projects of a philanthropic nature, those related to the education of boys and girls without resources stand out.

In 1913 he created in Pinos Genil amixed school, a popular library with 600 books, distributes healthy breakfasts,winter clothing creates school soup
,that end up being school canteens, organizes excursions and cultural events.

Already in 1886 he had obtained private financing, from the Provincial Council Council and even from the Queen Regent Maria Cristina to inauguratesome colonies in Almuñecar. The second in Spain and the only ones managed by a woman and mixed.

He firmly believes in social regeneration through education.

Not only does it fight against illiteracy, but it also fights for children to have better health.

There is a phrase by Berta that sums up her concept of education very well: “for a child to grow in values ​​and carve out a future, they must be warm and fed, be healthy and feel happy”. If we think a little we realize that sadly this phrase is still valid.

His tenacious stance in favor of gender equality

For Berta, this equality began with the recognition of 3 points.

  • Women’s right to education
  • Education in equal degrees and content
  • Allow them the paid exercise of skills

This third point, although it is obvious, was not defended by all liberal currents.

These ideas were perfectly embodied in her speech at the Pedagogical Congress of 1892 where she defended the aptitude of women for all professions.

BERTA WILHELMIThe fight against tuberculosis

Illness that claimed the life of his brother when he was only 21 years old marked the life of his family. He dedicated his life and a large part of his fortune to the fight against this disease.

After a great struggle, investigations, search for the best trained staff, the perfect place, and at 65 years of age, Berta achieves her dream of creating a Sanatorium for tuberculosis patients in Alfaguara. The inauguration took place on May 17, 1923.

Make it one of the best in Europe and the results are excellent.

The necessary investment amounted to 170,000 pesetas. An astronomical figure at that time.

I highly recommend reading this book.

If you want to know more details about this woman or many of the women who have left their mark on our city, come with me on my visits every Friday.

If you want more information do not hesitate to contact me: Whatsapp 617359043or follow me on mi web o en Instagram ……

Azulejos Alhambra Granada

Alhambra, lo que nunca te has contado

For those who have their first contact with the Alhambra in Granada and learn more about it, the first question is what was it?

When we talk about la Alhambra We must not only think of its beautiful palaces, but of a large monumental complex of more than 13 hectares that encompasses an entire Islamic city, with palaces, mosques, baths and gardens. But the Alhambra was also a fortress and for this reason it is still protected by an impressive wall and towers.

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The Alhambra is the only Islamic city from this era that has been preserved in the world, one of the most visited monuments in Europe and a World Heritage Site since 1984.

And if you want to know a little more about his historia de la Alhambra 

Where is the Alhambra?

The location of the Alhambra is not accidental. It is located on a hill from which the rest of the city of Granada and its surroundings can be seen and controlled. This privileged place guaranteed the physical presence of the sultan over the city he ruled.

The name of the Nazarí dynasty is linked to that of the Alhambra since they are the ones who began its construction from 1238 and moved the court from the hill of the Albaicín to the neighboring hill of Sabika.

Did you know that the Alhambra was not only the residence of the Nasrid sultans? It was also for court officials, noble families, artisans, etc. It was what is called a palatine city, almost independent from the rest of the city of Granada. In the Alhambra, ceramics and silk were manufactured, coins were minted, practically everything that was consumed was cultivated, etc.

Its period of maximum splendor was during the second half of the s. XIV, in this period the population reaches around 2000 inhabitants.

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What makes the Alhambra so special?

But undoubtedly what the Alhambra is known worldwide for is the beauty and refinement of the intense decoration of its palaces, the so-called fear of emptiness, not a single corner remains undecorated. From the wonderful wooden ceilings, to the walls completely covered with magnificent sculpted plasterboard, the ceramics with complex geometric shapes… It is difficult to fix your eyes on a specific place, everything is beautiful, it seems that everything is in movement. If you want to know more, join us on our private visits.

 

What is the Generalife?

A separate chapter deserves Generalife.  To know what it was, you must know that it was an Almunia, that is, a summer residence surrounded by water, gardens and orchards.

Is the Generalife part of the Alhambra?

Located relatively close to the palaces but far from the problems, from the conflicts of the court. A true earthly paradise.

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Let us accompany you, forget about following plans, enjoy and allow us to show you why no one should miss a visit to the Alhambra. Discover our visit  tailor-made for you or as part of a group. Let us accompany you through this little paradise.