My Bavarian zither

At Christmastime in 1961, I was a governess in Schloss (Castle) Neufraunhofen, living with Count Georg von Soden-Frauenhofen and his wife Countess Elisabet and their five children, affectionately nicknamed Buale (Buddy), Alfie, Susie, Hitti, and Puppe (Little Doll). The castle was in Niederbayern, or Lower Bavaria, meaning in the foothills of the Alps. This antique zither was my Christmas gift from the Countess, along with weekly lessons, for which I walked to a nearby village, rain, snow or shine.

I can no longer play it because of arthritis in my fingers, and am giving it to a grandson of mine who’s a musician. Besides extra strings and a simple wooden case, it comes with a tuning key and a copy of Volkstümliche Zitherschule (Folk-style Zither school). It’s decorated with a scene from Lohengrin…just a decal, I’m afraid.

The story of my year there can be found in my book, American Governess, which is on Amazon under the author name Ann Dickinson Sargent, and on my website, anndickinsonsargent.com.