“Provisions for my funeral” of count Wilhelm Bolko Hochberg from 1925. A few words about the funeral of an aristocrat in the interwar period

Abstract

The text is the source material, preceded by a short description. “Provisions for my funeral,” were written in 1925 by the Count Wilhelm Bolko Hochberg, the owner of Goraj, the castle and property of primogeniture, located in the northern region of Wielkopolska. The document contains a number of suggestions concerning the course of the funeral; order of funeral procession; or mourners costumes. The text prepared in typescript in the office of Count is in German and is attached as Annex 1 to the article. It’s translation into Polish is as Annex No. 2. A brief discussion preceding the source text contains the outline of a biography of the author of the text; the characteristics of the document; discussion of most important issues contained in the document and a brief analysis of the symbolism of the funeral of Count Hochberg of Goraj.