Is this bust a window into the soul of a Palatinate poet? This is the Lina Sommer Bust. It stands as a tribute to Karolina “Lina” Sommer. She was a Palatinate author of children’s books and dialect poetry. During her lifetime, she was a well-known author in Germany and abroad.
Lina Sommer was born Karolina Rosina Müller in Speyer on July 8, 1862. She grew up with four younger siblings. Her early years were spent in Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Würzburg. At 25, she married Adolf Sommer. He was a widower over 20 years older than her. He brought four children into the marriage. Six more children were born. Only three sons reached adulthood.
Around the turn of the century, while living in Cologne, Lina Sommer began writing. She wrote poems and stories. They were “a powerful, vibrant dialect poetry, full of humor”. Her work was sometimes subtly amusing. Sometimes comically ironic to laugh out loud.
After her husband’s death in 1904, she was penniless with three young children. She offered her works to newspapers and magazines for a fee. She was successful. In 1905, a first collection of dialect poems, Schtillvergniegt, appeared. Many more followed. Lina Sommer became a well-known author throughout Germany.
After many changes of residence, Lina Sommer lived in Jockgrim. From 1919 to 1923, her eldest son Walter managed a brick factory there. She loved the Palatinate. She dedicated many poems to it. She spent her last years in the Deaconess Institute in Karlsruhe. She died on July 27, 1932. It was a few weeks after her 70th birthday. Her grave in Jockgrim has been preserved.
In 1929, the tourist association of the wine village St. Martin dedicated a monument to Lina Sommer. It was placed in the poet’s grove. In Karlsruhe, the Lina-Sommer-Anlage was built in her memory. In Jockgrim today, there is the Lina-Sommer-Grundschule. There is also a Lina-Sommer-Platz. Also you find a Lina-Sommer-Stube and a Lina-Sommer-Weg. The path runs through the village and is lined with small poetry panels. Since March 2007, a senior citizens’ home has also been named after Lina Sommer.
Lina Sommer’s writings reflect both her Palatinate roots and her broader German identity. She captured the essence of her time. Sommer’s work provides insight into the cultural landscape of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her legacy lives on through her poems, stories, and the various memorials dedicated to her. They ensure that the “Sommerfrau” is not forgotten. This bust serves as a reminder of her contributions to literature and culture. It invites us to explore her life and works further.