Against the Wind: Eberhard Arnold and the Bruderhof - Plough

Against the Wind
They considered it unlikely that Eberhard would ever recover his health. Emmy
and her husband agreed that under such circumstances it was essential for the
family to remain together. Carl Franklin and Elisabeth Arnold came from Breslau
to discuss the situation. They considered Eberhard and Emmy’s decision to move
the entire family shortsighted and refused to bear any responsibility for their
financial support. Eberhard’s parents did not feel in a position to pay for anything
more than the doctors’ fees and the medication. Needless to say, this put quite a
damper on the celebration of Carl Franklin’s sixtieth birthday and Emy-Margret’s
second birthday on March 10.
A tip from a former theosophist who had been converted during Eberhard’s
memorable Halle lecture series at the Tulpe Auditorium called the Arnolds’
attention to the Pichler cottage, standing empty on the Ritten, the mountain
above the town of Bozen in the Tyrolean Alps. After a swift decision, Eberhard set
off for the southern Tirol on April 2 or 3, leaving Emmy, with Luise’s help, to close
down the apartment in Halle. Since the Pichler cottage was unfurnished, Emmy
had to pack up some of the furniture for transport and have the rest put in storage.
Emmy’s sister Else was recovering from surgery at that time and was unable to
help. On the evening of April 26 Emmy and the children tore themselves away
from the von Hollander grandparents and boarded an express train to Bozen. By
the afternoon of April 27 the family was reunited.
tirol
Situated near a little woods and surrounded by mountain meadows, the Pichler
cottage was reached by a cog railroad up the Ritten. The cottage sat just below the
Maria Himmelfahrt station, at an elevation of thirty-six hundred feet. From there
it was a half hour’s walk by uphill footpath to Oberbozen. The view to the east was
breathtaking, esecially in the evening when the sinking sun gilded the Dolomite
peaks. The Arnolds soon reached an agreement with the owner of the cottage, a Herr
Schweigkofler, and within a few days moved in with Emy-Margret, Hardy, Luise,
and a mass of household goods, including a piano. In June, Else von Hollander joined
them, and the little house with its five tiny rooms was filled to capacity. Included in
the household were a white goat and a St. Bernard named Lampo, which was soon
to be joined by a mate.
The family sent as much time as possible outdoors, not only for the sake of
the fresh air, but more importantly, to avoid the risk of contagion. Eberhard took
his prescribed hours of rest in a little arbor. He strictly observed the daily routine
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