Full of curiosity about the unknown
One of the defining features of Lotte Kliebert’s long musical career is undoubtedly her interest in contemporary musical works. This interest is surely one of the reasons for her youthful spirit, which has endured well into old age. Her curiosity about the unknown was undoubtedly sparked by her father, Hofrat Karl Kliebert, who was closely associated with the creative musicians of his time, such as Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Peter Cornelius, Friedrich Smetana, Richard Strauss, Joseph Rheinberger and Hans von Bülow. A composer himself, he considered it a matter of course that the ‘new music’ of the time should be vigorously promoted at the Royal Music School which he directed.
When, in February 1963 – having just been appointed as a composition teacher in Würzburg – I was to take over from Rochus Gebhardt as director of the Studio for New Music, I had the pleasure of meeting Lotte Kliebert for the first time. She had already affiliated the Studio with the Würzburg Association of Composers back in 1958 when it was first established.

Since then, a series of concerts had been organised in an attempt to introduce the people of Würzburg to the broad spectrum of 20th-century music. Naturally, I was tempted by the offer to take over the Studio’s directorship, especially as it came from such a clever, humorous, uniquely energetic and charming lady, who sketched out the Würzburg music scene of yesteryear and today for me in vivid strokes. And so that long first evening at Sterenstraße 38 – during which, incidentally, Franconian wine was also given its due – marked the beginning of an almost 25-year-long, friendly and untroubled collaboration dedicated to promoting contemporary music. Lotte Kliebert helped organise well over 100 studio concerts. There was hardly a concert she missed, and her apt remarks on the works being performed – which bore witness to her great expertise – were always a particular delight for me. In our shared endeavour to alleviate the studio’s constant financial difficulties, I was repeatedly amazed by her imaginative ingenuity. There is much to say about her selfless way of helping others. Time and again, she has supported young artists discreetly but effectively. All in all, this wonderful woman was, and remains, a stroke of good fortune for our city.
As director of the Studio for New Music at the Würzburg Musicians’ Association, I extend my warmest greetings to Ms Lotte Kliebert on her special day, filled with gratitude. I salute her as a shining example and role model for us all.

Bertold Hummel (in: “Seek the Truth, Love the Beautiful, Do Good! – Lotte Kliebert on her 100th Birthday – 15 October 1987”, published by the Würzburg Musicians’ Association (Tonkünstler-Verband Würzburg e.V.) in 1987)

Bertold Hummel dedicated the Andantino for harp, Op. 77e, to Lotte Kliebert on her 100th birthday.

The True, the Good, the Beautiful
A tribute to a 100-year life in our city. Mrs Lotte Kliebert, 15 October 1987.

(...) On 15 October 1887, the director of the “Royal Music School” in Würzburg welcomed his second child, a daughter, into the world at his home in Franziskanergasse; she was christened Lotte Louise (known as Lotte). She had a very close relationship with her highly gifted brother Hans (born 1882). He was awarded a scholarship to the Maximilianeum in Munich, studied law and embarked on a senior career in the civil service. When he was killed in action near Ypres in 1917, it left a wound that never quite healed. Lotte Kliebert’s sister Käthe (born 1889) became a harpist and lived until 1963.

“One cannot be too careful when choosing one’s parents” – Lotte Kliebert evidently took this remark by her mother, which was as mischievous as it was true to life, very, very seriously: on her father’s side – her great-great-grandparents – she hailed from Sommerach am Main. They emigrated to Flöhau near Saaz in the Sudetenland. Their grandson Johann worked as a highly respected notary in Prague; for his services to the reconciliation of Czechs and Germans, he was awarded honorary citizenship of the city of Prague. His grandson, Karl Kliebert – who had been orphaned on both sides at a young age – grew up with him and his sisters in the house known as ‘Zu den zwei goldenen Bären’. Like his grandfather, the multi-talented Karl studied law in Vienna and obtained his doctorate there; at the same time, he studied music (under Hanslick and Bruckner, amongst others) and later in Munich, where he was mentored in particular by Hans von Bülow (conducting) and Josef Rheinberger (composition, piano). On the initiative of Hans von Bülow, he was appointed director of the ‘Royal Music School’ in Würzburg in 1875. He earned an exceptional reputation as the reorganiser of the institute – which he developed, amongst other things, into an exemplary orchestral school – as a composer, as a conductor and as a patron of contemporary music. His friends included such eminent musicians as Friedrich Smetana and Hans von Bülow, whilst his admirers numbered Richard Strauss, Eugen d’Albert and Richard Wagner (“the best music school in Germany”). He died of a stroke at the age of 58, probably as a result of his tireless dedication and constant overwork.

Lotte Kliebert’s mother came from a family of pastors and scholars in the university town of Greifswald, the “Pearl of Pomerania”. Her grandfather, Prof. Karl Ludwig von Urlichs, a full professor of classical philology and archaeology, rendered outstanding services, among other things, by bringing the so-called FEOLI Collection (480 Greek vases) to Würzburg (Martin-von-Wagner Museum). Living with their grandparents, who ran a stately home on Sanderstraße, the children found further favourable conditions for their development: open-mindedness and family warmth, a rich library containing many first editions of German classics, and a wealth of valuable heirlooms, including a number of paintings by C. D. Friedrich, who was still unrecognised at the time; they were encouraged to read the great works of literature, particularly by their grandmother, as well as to draw from models and from nature, and to recognise beauty, for instance in the old façades of the many Petrini and Neumann buildings on Neubau- and Sanderstraße. This laid the foundations for Lotte Kliebert’s comprehensive education. At the age of six, Lotte Kliebert received her first piano lessons; at the Protestant primary school in Münzgasse (1894–1901), she was shown great understanding and encouragement by her teachers Kuch and Fuß, who were pupils of her father, whilst a third teacher, failing to recognise her eye condition, considered her to be untalented. At the age of 13, she entered the Royal Music School and studied piano under the outstanding organist and pianist Leo Gloetzner, a pupil of Rheinberger.

As the annual reports show, she performed in the rather demanding concerts known as ‘pupil recitals’: on 3 November 1907, Robert Schumann’s *Fantasiestücke*, Op. 12; on 18 June 1909, Schumann’s Piano Concerto, Op. 54 on 18 June 1909, and on 1 June 1910 the Piano Concerto in F-sharp minor by H. Bronsart (1830–1913), a subtle pianist from the circle around Franz Liszt, Hans von Bülow and Felix Draeseke of Coburg. Lotte Kliebert’s wide-ranging educational interests are documented in the annual reports for the years 1907–1909. In addition to the compulsory subjects, she took Italian and art history. In 1908, a year after the death of her beloved and cherished father, she passed the private music teacher’s examination with a grade of 1. She continued to study the piano but decided against taking the ‘Künstlerische Reife’ qualification, as she was completely captivated by her work as a music teacher.

In 1901, she became a pupil at the private Sophienschule, at that time the only secondary school for girls in Würzburg; in 1904, she sat the standard examination and progressed to the advanced level known as ‘SELECTA’; two years later (1906), she passed her examination, qualifying as a private English language teacher (grade 1), which allowed her to teach at both state and private schools. She initially taught at the Sophienschule, later at its successor institution, the “Mozartschule”, and only ceased teaching upon reaching the age limit. She set up a private music teaching practice (1908) and met Professor Albrecht Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, grandson of Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, a full professor of law at the University of Würzburg and an excellent pianist. She performed with him – as well as a soloist and in a chamber music ensemble – at the “Volkskonzerte” (People’s Concerts) which he had founded. Two trips to England served to deepen an old friendship, but also to broaden her experiences and perfect her command of the language. She became acquainted with the women’s rights movement originating in England, which campaigned for universal equality for women. All these inspirations, combined with her concern for the ‘plight’ of private female tutors and her firm resolve to intervene to help and alleviate their hardship, ultimately led (together with the language and singing teacher Gusti Kirchdorffer, a niece of the painter Wilhelm Leibl) to the founding of the Private Tutors’ Association (1911). Both Gusti Kirchdorffer (1st Chair) and Lotte Kliebert (2nd Chair and Head of the Group of Private Music Teachers) set about tackling the tasks they had set themselves with great vigour, striving to achieve their objectives: further training for members, addressing professional and social issues (such as setting an appropriate hourly rate, securing social security cover through membership of the Employees’ Insurance Scheme, arranging teaching placements, and advising young colleagues), the introduction of music lessons for pupils, the establishment of a specialist library (sheet music and specialist literature), lectures by leading experts (e.g. by the Munich musicologists Prof. H. v. d. Pfordten and Prof. H. Pfrogner), and ‘Concerts for Young People’; these were very popular concerts featuring ‘established musicians’, aimed at fostering a love of and understanding for fine music through exemplary performances and explanatory introductions penned by Lotte Kliebert. She also gave lectures on the same subject at the adult education centre at the invitation of Prof. Mendelssohn. Thus, Lotte Kliebert’s versatile talents, her wide-ranging educational interests, the many encouraging influences in her parents’ home and at her grandparents’ house, combined with a thorough education and an eminently sociable disposition, result in a tireless, fruitful ‘activity’ in the Goethean sense, particularly throughout the hardships of the First World War and the years of inflation.
When, on the advice of the First Chairman of the Bavarian Association of Composers, Prof. Hermann Wolfgang Freiherr von Waltershausen (Munich), and Prof. Dr. b.c. Hermann Zilcher, Director of the Bavarian State Conservatoire of Music, the Würzburg branch of the “Reich Association of German Musicians and Music Teachers” was founded in 1926, Lotte Kliebert joined the organisation together with the group of private music teachers from the Private Teachers’ Association. She herself became treasurer and took on the ‘lion’s share’ of the work involved. The varied and helpful activities from the time of the Association of Female Private Music Teachers were continued, intensified and expanded; likewise, the trusting, indeed cordial, relationship amongst the members was maintained.

In 1935, the “Reich Association of German Music Teachers and Composers” was dissolved altogether. Following a rigorous review of their qualifications, the members were automatically transferred to the local branch of the “Reich Chamber of Music”. Lotte Kliebert worked, untroubled by party ideologies or worse, on the further education and training of the members, particularly during the fortnightly training weeks with first-class lecturers such as Dr Wilhelm Twittenhoff, Prof. Fritz Jöde, Prof. Felix Oberborbeck and Dr Herbert Just. Lotte Kliebert is also a permanent lecturer. The aim of these courses is theoretical and practical refinement and, just as importantly, an openness to new developments, such as those evident in youth music, the choral movement, the revival of early music and its instruments (such as the recorder, lute, viola da gamba, fiddle, harpsichord) and the folk song, which form the very foundation of vocal and instrumental learning and music-making. Other areas of focus during these training weeks include: the cultivation of old and new choral music; the exploration and musical realisation of New Music; an introduction to rhythmic gymnastics; and a particularly in-depth study of old and new chamber music. It pre-empted the establishment of an ideologically run municipal youth music school (motto: ‘Youth leads youth’) by founding a professionally run youth music school in 1942, in order – as it put it – ‘to keep its colleagues in work’.

On the night of 16 March 1945, the ‘Sunday town’ of Würzburg was struck by the most terrible catastrophe in its history. The post-war years that followed were a period of indescribable hardship and unimaginable misery. Lotte Kliebert, too, was left with nothing. Everything she had once built up, everything she had lived for, no longer existed. As conditions gradually improved in the 1950s, and supported by a “loyal circle of steadfast friends”, she began to rebuild her life: On 30 October 1955, on Lotte Kliebert’s initiative, the Würzburg branch of the Bavarian Musicians’ Association was founded. She herself initially became Vice-Chair, and 15 months later, Chair. As early as 1956, the series of music lessons for schoolchildren was resumed and – —a “cultural achievement” for our city—the “Tonkünstler-Verband subscription concerts” were established, the first concert series of supra-regional significance in post-war Würzburg. The second “major achievement” was the founding of the “Studio for New Music”, an institution so vibrant and of such high quality that it would have been a credit to many a far larger city. The impressive series of 155 events, under the artistic direction of Professors B. Hummel and Dr Kl. H. Stahmer from the University of Music and otherwise organised by the Tonkünstler-Verband, speaks volumes. With unwavering loyalty, Lotte Kliebert carries out the association’s many internal tasks, ranging from advising members, recommending young music teachers and supporting colleagues in need, right through to the day-to-day work we somewhat colloquially refer to as ‘paperwork’. Despite the eye condition she has had since birth, she writes letters and publications in a style characterised by great sensitivity and nobility, which reflects the essence of her personality: a distinguished education, personal charm, a sense of duty, and a daily commitment to those values which, in Plato’s words, are the goals of humanity: truth, goodness and beauty.

At the age of 97, Lotte Kliebert stepped down as chair of the Würzburg Musicians’ Association. She remains tirelessly active, as is her nature: writing, advising, taking part in the concert scene and the intellectual and cultural life of our city, inspiring, mediating and helping wherever possible: She is an example of a thoroughly fulfilling 100-year life dedicated to others, whilst remaining open to the finer things in life: be it at concerts, at festivals and celebrations, or amongst friends – preferably over a glass of fine Franconian wine.
Lotte Kliebert has received numerous prestigious awards and honours, including:
the Ring of Honour from the City of Würzburg, the Federal Cross of Merit, 1st Class, honorary citizenship of the University of Music, honorary membership of the Bavarian Musicians’ Association, honorary chair of the Würzburg Musicians’ Association, Honorary Member of the Friends’ Association of the Hermann Zilcher Conservatoire.
Two honorary titles say even more: to the people of Würzburg she is the ‘Grande Dame de musique’; to her friends and colleagues, she has remained the ‘soul of the association’ right up to this festive day.
It is the wish of all those who have walked alongside her for a greater or lesser part of their lives that Lotte Kliebert may remain, for a long time to come, so healthy, so mentally alert, so inspiring and so active for this city and for all who know and admire her.

Dear Mrs Kliebert,

I have not, of course, listed all your activities, initiatives and achievements, as my aim was to highlight your origins, your life’s journey and the extraordinary nature of your personality. I know that your modesty makes you wonder whether all this – the honours, celebrations and reports – might be too much; yet you yourself know how many people are looking forward to celebrating your 100th birthday with you. But you also know how important, indeed how necessary, it is to point to examples of a life well-lived, particularly in our difficult, complex and – as it seems to me – often rather directionless times. With long-standing, warm affection, yours

Stephan Werner (in: “Seek the Truth, Love the Beautiful, Do Good! – Lotte Kliebert on her 100th birthday – 15 October 1987”, published by the Tonkünstlerverband Würzburg e.V. in 1987)