Blog
The Emma Krafft Sensibility
"The idea has taken root that in all of life – be it jobs, relationships, social life – we face utter failure unless we nurture our inner salesman. We are encouraged to create a glossy hyped-up version of ourselves to broadcast to the world."
(Quote from article: 'Is modesty still a virtue?, Financial Times - by
The Emma Krafft sensibility embraces modesty - that which still considers our talents and capacities. It is strong but subtle, rooted in intelligence and embraces subtlety. In a world where everything is advertised to us, discovering something unique has become near nigh impossible.
Funnily, I found the text below from a book on Parisian mannerisms quite relatable.
When you can have anything
She doesn't have a ring on each finger or a big diamond on each ring.
She doesn't wear a gold watch that costs as much as a fancy car.
In fact, she doesn't own a fancy car.
She doesn't carry an enormous designer bag.
But she might have a newspaper under her arm.
She might mention Sartre or Foucault in a conversation.
It's her personality that sparkles and nothing else:
the signs of intellectual wealth
(from How to be Parisian wherever you are by Ebury Press)
Krafft Family Heritage
Through the website Myheritage.com I was able to track down the Krafft family history and even got in touch with distant cousins in Australia (many Templers were sent there after the war). We found that we had many family photos in common, and the research continues about their story. The Templers in Germany settled in parts of Palestine (parts of which are now Israel) .
With different beliefs than that of the Protestant church, the Templer followers started their missionary task in Palestine as early as 1858, which still belonged to the Ottoman Empire.
"The settling was done with careful planning to prevent any failures in a hostile surrounding. Only those people who had skills that were needed for the establishment of the settlements were requested by the center in Kirschenhardthof. Kurt Hutten wrote: “The settlers overcame all difficulties and needs through great diligence and brought trade and agriculture to a high standard, they built a road from Jaffa to Jerusalem and developed excellent cultural and social facilities. A medical service was established in each settlement, and schools, kindergartens and evening classes for further education were started. Later many of the Jewish settlements were based on these examples.”
(Source: "The Templers and other Awakening Movements in the Northern Black Forest and beyond" by Fritz Barth - 2004)
The photos of the settlements show real skill in city planning and organization. I've added some photos and drawings below to show the beauty of the colony at the time. The architecture and organization of the houses in the surrounding natural environment makes me feel nostalgic for a time I never actually lived in.
The German Colony in the 1920's-30's
The German Colony in the present day (a little sad to see how it has changed, isn't it?)
Emma and her jewellery
Emma Krafft was my great-grandmother. I never actually met her, but have been told stories about how she was an elegant lady who always wore red lipstick with matching red nailpolish and that she had her hats specially made.
My dear grandmother, Leyla Baydar had kept her mother's jewels and would sometimes gift them to us over the years on special occasions. The craftsmanship of the time is simply exquisite. Here are some truly vintage pieces for your viewing pleasure.
