Kurt Tucholsky Museum Tour

The name ‚Claire Pimbusch’ is applied in golden writing onto this leather casket, found in Tucholsky’s inheritance.

“Claire” – this is what he called his character in “Rheinsberg. a Story Book for Lovers”. He also called his friend Else Weil “Claire Pimbusch”, with whom he spent an amorous summer weekend in the romantic town Rheinsberg.

Three years later the magic of youth and ease had passed. Tucholsky went to fight in World War 1 and Else Weil resumed her medical studies in Berlin.

Only in 1920 the two came back together and eventually married. A year later Tucholsky wrote in order to mark the publication of the 50000. copy of his little novel:

“Of course the story ‘Rheinsberg’ is true. And Claire exists as well. She now is a wobbly, nose dripping wrinkly and lives in Ducherow not far from Pasewalk where she is shown to nosy tourists for twenty five Pfennig each; in the morning from eleven to one and in the afternoon from three to five. She is closed on Sundays. Her maintenance is kindly paid by our publisher, since she is perfectly destitute.”

Three years later the marriage was divorced. Tucholsky kept the leather casket with Else Weil’s letters for the rest of his live.