Besuch bei Schumanns

We were allowed to touch it…but only one did!

On Wednesday, October 6, class 9c of Peter-Breuer-Gymnasium went on a field trip to the Robert-Schumann-Haus Zwickau with our teachers Mr. Scheffler and Mrs. Groß.

We had a guided tour through the birth house of Robert Schumann. The tour was given in English by Mrs. and Mr. Synofzik. The house, which is a museum today, was destroyed in 1954 by a flood and was completely reconstructed after original plans.

The museum is divided into different parts of Schumann’s life and each room represents a certain time of his biography. Starting with a room dedicated to his childhood and adolescence in Zwickau, the tour shows important cornerstones of his life and career and ends in front of the room where he was born on June 8 in 1810.

We were demonstrated a lot of unique pianos like the one Schumann used for practice with an apparatus with which he ruined his middle finger. That marked the end of his career as a professional pianist and made him concentrate on composing.

Another piano that we got to see and Mr. Scheffler was even allowed to touch and play, was the famous grand piano of Clara Schumann which she played at her first public performance at the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

For many of us, the demonstrations of those remarkable instruments were the absolute highlight, next to interesting manuscripts, original portraits and properties of the composer and his wife.

Thanks again to Mrs. and Mr. Synofzik for this great experience!

Anna Piertner, 9c