Remembering the Poesiealbum – A Book of Friendship and Verse

On one of my childhood trips to Germany, my cousin showed me her Poesiealblum. I remember it had a horse on the cover, and short verses and pictures covered the pages inside. Some were hand-drawn, but Glanzbilder, shiny pictures, decorated most of the pages. All of the girls in her school owned one. Only your closest friends would be allowed to write the perfect verse that captured your friendship in it.

I was deeply envious.

We rode our bikes down to the stationary store so that I could buy one for myself. Mine had an orange and red plaid cover and a lock. And naturally, we picked up a few sheets of Glanzbilder while there. With her perfect penmanship, she wrote a verse for me. I, with my crabbed writing, wrote something in hers.

And then.

I took it home and tried to get the girls at my American school to understand the concept of a friendship album. It didn’t take off the way I hoped it would. Poetry in my middle school was limited to the “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue” variety, and Yearbook inscriptions leaned toward, “Have a cool summer.”  They just didn’t get it. It was just one more difference between Germany and America. The Poesiealbum lived in my desk drawer until one day after a few moves, I saw it was just gone.

Ein Pferdchen im Stall,
und noch eins dazu.
Die lernten sich kennen,
wie ich und du.

A little horse in the stable,
and another one.
They got to know each other,
like you and me.

The Poesiealbum – A Book of Friendship and Verse

What IS a Poesiealbum? Quite simply, it’s a Poetry Album or Friendship Album. Generally, they are hardbound journal-type books with blank pages. The owner of the Poesie album will allow her friends or people they are close to to write and even decorate a page. The owner might add rules about HOW to treat the book on the first page. The inscription usually comes in the form of a rhyming verse. Often, it describes the friendship or imparts wisdom. Sometimes it’s funny, sometimes it’s sweet. An artistic friend might draw something on the page or glue in a pretty picture.

A Poesiealbum is a beautiful memory of friendships.

Ich schreibe dir aufs letzte Blatt,
weil ich dich am liebsten hab.
Und wer dich lieber hat als ich,
der setze sich halt hinter mich.

“I’m writing you on the last page,
because I love you best.
And whoever likes you better than me,
just sit behind me.”

When asked to write in a Poesiealbum, you want to consider the relationship and what it means to you. This isn’t like middle school yearbooks where everyone just wrote, “Have a cool summer!” Don’t just dash off a line and signature. Choose your verse, or even a quote, carefully.

“Immer wenn du meinst, es geht nicht mehr,
kommt von irgendwo ein Lichtlein her.
Dass du es noch einmal wieder zwingst
und von Sonnenschein und Freude singst,
leichter trägst des Tages harte Last
und wieder Mut und Kraft und Glauben hast.”

“Whenever you think you can’t go on,
a little light comes from somewhere.
That you force it once again
and sing of sunshine and joy,
to carry the hard burden of the day more easily
and have courage and strength and faith again.”

 

Of course, not all verses were so.. um… literary

“Ich bin klein, mein Herz ist rein.
Mein Po ist schmutzig. Ist das nicht putzig?”

I am small, my heart is pure.
My bottom is dirty. Isn’t that cute?”

Where did the Poesiealbum Come From?

Believe it or not, a version of the Poesiealbum has been a part of German culture since the 16th century! In certain classes, when visiting friends, it was customary to fill in a page in a family registry, like a guest book. Some added a special verse or illustration to mark the importance of the occasion. A version of this became popular among university students, who collected autographs from teachers and reformers. Often, they would write a verse on the page. (Martin Luther signed LOADS of these books, so check your attic). Until the 18th century, these books were mainly for men, but around the 18th century, women started using them.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Poesiealbum exploded in popularity. Everyone had one. Because it emphasized good penmanship and poetry, it was encouraged, even at school. Friends wrote special verses and added drawings, pressed flowers, stickers, and collectible pictures called Glanzbilder.

By the 21st century, these old-fashioned books had fallen out of favor. Like so many other pieces of our past, they were relegated to the attic.

A quick word about Glanzbilder

The Glanzbilder, also known as Oblaten and Poesiebilder, were first produced in the mid-1800s.  Each paper sheet contained a set of colorful images connected by tabs that could be cut apart (or separated) and glued into a Poesiealbum or used in a decoupage project: flowers, holiday themes, nature images, and more. Don’t confuse them with stickers! These pictures don’t have a sticky back. Companies still produce Glanzbilder for collectors and those who enjoy arts and crafts today. Click to learn more about them here-> Glanzbilder

A Collector’s Item

In these days of Social Media, where we dash off a quick Happy Birthday message in a text, those old Posie albums might seem quaint or old-fashioned. Most are stuck away in a drawer or in the attic. But the albums are collector’s items and are even sought after by museums. These books of verse capture a snapshot of society from a time when things moved a bit slower and seemed more permanent.

Did You Have a Poesie Album?

Do you still have it today?

Vintage Poesiealbums can be found for sale…

These books, with their old German Script, are lovely bits of history for ephemera collectors… or people who want to remember a sweet piece of the past.

from 1940 POESIALBUM family book linen

1950 POESIE album by Maria Gruber Vintage

Modern Poesie Albums

Maybe it’s time to bring this custom back? Written memories of friendship and family give more of an emotional punch than digital.

Personalized Wildflowers Handmade Notebook, Vintage Hand Embroidered Notebook, Fabric Cover NotebookHand Embroidered Notebook with Flower Embroidery, Unlined Linen Dairy, Floral Embroidered Journal, Hardcover Notebook,Wildflower Hardcover Personalized Journal, Customized Notebook for Women

 

 

Looking for the Right Verse?

This little book is loaded with German verses.

Verse und Sprichwörter für Poesiealbum und Gästebuch.

The Friendship Book

All is not lost! A new trend in Germany adds a modern twist to the old Poesiealbum. These Friendship Books allow children to get to know their friends and classmates a little better. Instead of verse, they fill in favorites…foods, sports etc. There is also a page for drawings… or maybe stickers. Recently, a few publishers sent me copies of these sweet friendship books. They really are a lovely way for kids to get to know each other better. These would be a great bonding activity for Scout groups and Clubs.

My Book of Friends: MermaidsMy Book of Friends: DinosaurMy Book of Friends: An interactive FILL-IN-THE-BLANKS keepsake for you and your friends! (Friends Books – A Fill-In-The-Blanks Keepsake)My Friends and I: An Interactive Childhood Memory Book for Kids Ages 5-12 with Prompts – Learn More About Your Friends, Family, Classmates, Teachers, … – Remember Your Childhood and Friends Forever

References

Vergissmeinnicht! – Vom “Stammbuch” zum Poesiealbum 

Mein Poesiealbum – remembering my friendship book 

78 Sprüche für das Poesiealbum in 10 Kategorien

Poesie-Sprüche aus Großmutters Album