Ilse Countess of Bredow grows up, in Berliner parlance, "way out there" – meaning so far out in rural Brandenburg that one might forget Berlin even existed. But even far from the metropolis and surrounded by nature, there was plenty of variety. The change of the seasons dictated the rhythm of life, from the smell of the blooming lilacs to harvest time and autumnal storms to the crack of the ice in winter. Children learned their way around horses and cows, how to sow, how to fish. School consisted of a lone teacher rowing across the lake for class, but the motto was always: housework and farmwork come first!
The household of the count and countess included the indomitable housekeeper who kept a strict eye on everything that went on in the kitchen, and animals such as the clumsy St. Bernard dog "Möpschen" ('Puggles') and a cat with no tail. The Bredows' manor was a welcoming home to everyone – and a home to which everyone enjoyed returning.
