Letter 13: A nephew restores contact
November 14, 1880 — Beesenlaublingen
From: Carl Hilpert
To: His uncle, identified as David in an annotation

Current reading edition, September 24, 2026. Square brackets mark uncertainty or editorial explanations. Compared with the historical translations; unresolved wording is not supplied as fact.

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Beesenlaublingen, November 14, 1880

Dear Uncle,

The first lines I write to you must bring the sad news that my dear father has died. On May 28 [probably 1880], he was struck by a stroke, and he could no longer speak a word to us.

And these, dear uncle, are the last words he wanted to write to his sister—

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—but he was unable to send them.

Dear uncle, I will now take my father's place so that news reaches you.

Mother is still in Poplitz. She comes and goes at my home, for we live [seven minutes] apart.

I would have written sooner, but we could not find where your address was. My father kept everything carefully.

We also cannot find his sister's address—

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—otherwise I would have written to her sooner too.

Dear uncle, if you would be so kind, you can write to your sister. And when you write to me, please include her address.

Dear uncle, I will now close, hoping that you are all healthy and well, as we are too.

I am the second son. I am thirty-one years old and have three children.

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My address is:

Carl Hilpert
Beesenlaublingen
near Alsleben
on the Saale [expansion of the address abbreviation]

My family sends you greetings, and my mother sends her warm greetings too.

I remain yours,

Carl Hilpert