Small German Village Reaps the Reward of Famous Children’s Poem About a Pear

At some point during the years they spend at elementary school, most children in Germany will come across a poem written by Theodor Fontane in 1889 called “Herr von Ribbeck auf Ribbeck im Havelland” (“Squire von Ribbeck of Ribbeck in the Havelland Region”). Often, German teachers require the kids to learn the poem by heart, as it ranks among the most famous ever written.

The poem tells the story of Squire von Ribbeck, who as per the poem’s title, lives in the Havelland region and generously gives away pears he collects from the many trees in his garden to the children walking by. Old Ribbeck, however, knows that his son is a scrooge and will not continue his legacy, and before he dies, he requests a pear to be put in his grave. Soon, a pear tree begins to grow, and the children can pick the fruit straight from the tree. This way, the legacy of the late Ribbeck continues to live.

While the poem is recited through classrooms in German schools, a lesser known fact about this piece of literature is that the Ribbeck family really existed and lived in a manor in the Havelland region in Brandenburg, around 30 kilometers northwest of Berlin, and Fontane had been a guest there several times during his many explorations of the rural landscapes around the city.

The neo-baroque castle in the village of Ribbeck belonged to the Ribbeck family until 1943, when it was seized. Hans Ribbeck, the last one of the family to have lived here, had openly opposed Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime and was then deported to the concentration camp Sachsenhausen, where he was murdered two years later. He allegedly defied the authorities until the very end, often using the sharp sense of humor he was well known for.

One popular anecdote says Ribbeck liked to draw pigs with big ears into the sand with his walking stick whenever high-ranking party members of Hitler’s NSDAP (Nazi Party) were coming around.

After the end of World War II, the castle went from one proprietor to the next, until it was used for many years as a retirement home. In 2005, however, it was decided by the county council to turn it into a tourist attraction and preserve this fine piece of German cultural history. The renovation process took around four years, during which the castle’s old facade was refurbished. Since 2009, both the castle and the buildings in its immediate surroundings — including the old school, the distillery and the washhouse — have been beautifully restored and attract many visitors throughout the year.

The castle itself now houses a museum introducing both the Ribbeck and Fontane families and their unique history and life stories to visitors, as well as a fine restaurant. The venue has become a popular spot for weddings, thus on the second floor, a special room for wedding ceremonies and parties can be found, as well as a branch of the local civil registry office.

In the garden behind the grand building, 16 pear trees have been planted, each representing one of Germany’s federal states, and thus being a symbol for the reunification of the country that had been divided for so many years.

Only a few steps away from the castle, the old schoolhouse has been transformed into a restaurant without having lost any of its original charm, quite literally. On the right side of the building, the classroom has been left intact, complete with desks, maps, textbooks, and blackboard. Even the little hooks at the back of the room, where the children would hang their jackets and bags are still there. Black-and-white photographs of students and teachers evoke nostalgic feelings.

To the left, the smaller room houses a few tables, where guests can enjoy good old-fashioned German cuisine. A black-and-white cat was fast asleep on one of the benches and couldn’t be disturbed in her early afternoon nap, not even when a family sat down at the table for lunch.

No visit to Ribbeck would be complete without having a dish with pears as main ingredients; the pear pie, served with an enormous, sinful amount of whipped cream, is certainly worth a try.

From here, one can take a stroll through the village past the barn, the parsonage and the washhouse. The legendary pear tree near the church that Fontane made immortal in his poem, did actually exist. However, it was destroyed in 1911 by a storm, and a new one was planted in its stead. The surviving tree stub is on display inside the church.

The washhouse now serves as a shop that sells products revolving around and made of the village’s star, the pear. It also functions as a studio for local artisan Marina Wesche. In the court yard, wooden benches invite visitors to have a seat and relax, drink a cup of coffee or order a bite to eat.

Friedrich Ribbeck, the grandson of Hans Ribbeck — who was murdered in 1945 — still lives in the village with his wife Ute. Their house is located on the grounds of the former riding stable, a few meters from the family cemetery which is also open to the public.

Another place worth visiting is the old distillery. Here, the Ribbeck family produced schnapps made from potatoes. But during the time after World War II, it was mainly used as a granary. As the years passed, the building began to deteriorate, until Friedrich Ribbeck in 2001 decided to buy the old distillery back. These days, the building houses a production site for balsamic vinegar made from — take a guess — pears, while at the same time the spacious 108-square-meter main room can be used for functions.

There is something wonderfully peaceful about this picturesque, rural idyll in this small village, with all of its buildings restored to its former beauty.

If Fontane was still alive, he surely would be a frequent visitor to Ribbeck, where he’d enjoy a good theater performance in the old parsonage, and then sit down in the cafe to make some notes, perhaps even create new poetry, while nibbling on a juicy pear.

This article was first published on October 13, 2013 in the Jakarta Globe newspaper.