Our city’s history is rich in philanthropists. The names of those who donated their own funds to help the poor and built shelters, schools, and hospitals are inscribed in gold letters in the history of Kharkiv.
It would seem that these people should be remembered and honored. Unfortunately, the phrase “in the mid-19th to early 20th centuries, N was a philanthropist in Kharkiv,” as found in the text, reveals very little about the specific individual or the scope of his activities.
Quite a lot is known about the life of the industrialist Maximilian Christianovich Helfferich. In fact, his life story alone could make for a compelling movie script—one that, I’m sure, would be a box-office hit.
A 22-year-old ordinary German youth who arrived in Kharkiv in 1850 eventually became one of the wealthiest men in our city, the owner of the agricultural machinery factory of the “M. Helfferich-Sade” partnership, which at the beginning of the last century was considered Kharkiv’s largest enterprise. This extraordinary man donated and helped the city so much that simply listing his deeds would take more than one page; we will limit ourselves to just a few.
As early as 1868, a proposal to establish a commercial school in Kharkiv was made at a meeting of the City Merchants’ Society. The final decision to open the school was not made until 1888, when the necessary funds for its establishment had been raised. These funds included taxes collected from Kharkiv merchants for the benefit of the school, as well as contributions from local societies, banks, and private individuals. Maximilian Khristianovich also contributed to this effort by donating 12,000 rubles.
In 1895, following the death of V. A. Frankovsky, whom we know well, the idea arose to establish a “shelter for the terminally ill, regardless of rank, religion, or social status” in his name. The residents of our city responded very sympathetically to this initiative. By the end of 1896, 13,259 rubles had been raised, and the City Duma allocated 700 square sazhens of land for the shelter. The total amount raised included 5,000 rubles from M. H. Helfferich. In addition, the philanthropist donated an estate with 1,200 square sazhens of land to the shelter.
Of course, as a German by birth and a Lutheran by faith, Maximilian Khristianovich provided financial support to the “German Charitable Society” and the Lutheran Church. For example, in 1896, he donated over 1,500 rubles toward the expansion of the Ascension Girls’ Gymnasium of the Evangelical Lutheran congregation.
In 1899, the “Society for the Care of Sick Children” was founded in Kharkiv on the initiative of Dr. N. N. Filippov, and Helfferich contributed 6,000 rubles to the society’s fund.
Shortly before his death, one of our city’s most active and generous philanthropists wrote his will. Its text—a summary of the German patron’s entire life—is of the utmost importance to us.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
On the twelfth day of June in the year one thousand nine hundred and one, I, Maximilian Christianovich Helfferich, a subject of Württemberg, being of sound mind and sound memory, hereby make the following disposition…
I bequeath:
1. The Kharkiv Evangelical Lutheran Church:
a) twenty thousand rubles as endowment capital, the interest from which shall be used exclusively to support the church, all buildings attached to it, and the buildings of charitable institutions belonging to the Lutheran parish. This capital shall be called the “M. Helfferich Fund for the Maintenance of Buildings Belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.”
b) for the expansion of the premises of the Women’s Voznesenskaya Gymnasium affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kharkiv and for the ongoing payment of tuition fees for four impoverished female students, as determined by the Gymnasium Council—a total of eighteen thousand rubles
In 1885, the German Charitable Society was founded in Kharkiv, and Maximilian Khristianovich played an active role in its life and activities. It goes without saying that Helfferich also mentioned him in his will.
2. To the Kharkiv German Charitable Society, of which I served as chairman for many years—five thousand rubles for the purchase of real estate; however, until the government approves such a purchase, the interest on this capital is to be used for the society’s needs
3. To the Society for the Care of the Needy at the Kharkiv Music School, as an endowment fund—five thousand rubles, the interest from which is to be used for the society’s needs.
4. To the Kharkiv Literacy Society, for the opening and establishment of a school near Konnaya Square—twenty thousand rubles, on the condition that the school be named “the school built in memory of Josephine Fedorovna Helfferich”
Paragraphs 5–9 of the will refer to donations to educational institutions in Kharkiv.
5. To the Imperial University of Kharkiv, as endowment capital—twenty thousand rubles, the interest from which is to be used for two scholarships in the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, one for the Department of Mathematics and the other for the Department of Natural Sciences, with the provision, provided, however, that should an agricultural faculty be established at the University in the future, the scholarship currently allocated to the natural sciences department shall be transferred for the benefit of a scholarship recipient in the agricultural or agronomic faculty. These university scholarships are to be named after M. and J. Helfferich.
6. To the Kharkiv Technological Institute: twelve thousand rubles to be held as an endowment, the interest from which will be used to fund two scholarships to be named after M. Helfferich.
7. To the Kharkiv Veterinary Institute:
8. To the Kharkiv Real School, as an endowment fund—ten thousand rubles, the interest from which shall be used to pay for the education of poor children, whose parents serve as estate managers in the Kharkiv Governorate; priority for receiving this assistance shall be given to children of German descent, and in the absence of such children among those in need—to children of other poor Christians who demonstrate good academic progress. This fund is to be named after M. Helfferich.
9. To the Kharkiv Vocational School (on Petinskaya Street), as endowment capital—ten thousand rubles, the interest from which is to be used to prepare and serve hot breakfasts during the winter to poor children living far from the school. Priority in receiving these breakfasts shall be given to the children of artisans and workers employed by the Helfferich-Sade Partnership. This endowment shall be named after M. Helfferich.
In his will, Maximilian Helfferich—who had no children—did not forget his loved ones. The will mentions a total of 17 blood and non-blood relatives, to whom he bequeathed a total of 255,000 rubles.
We also find paragraphs 20 and 25 of the document particularly interesting.
20. With regard to all debt obligations issued in my name—whether personal or secured by collateral—that may arise after my death, I authorize my executors to defer payments at their discretion, provided that however, allowing the statute of limitations to expire. As for debts not exceeding three hundred rubles, I forgive them and ask my executors not to seek such amounts in court
25. If, upon the final settlement of my estate pursuant to this will, there remains a balance, I bequeath it to the following seven institutions in the following percentages:
a) The Church Council of the Kharkiv Evangelical Lutheran Parish, to support the shelter for elderly women: 20%;
b) The Kharkiv Charitable Society: 20%;
c) The hospital affiliated with the Red Cross Sisters of Mercy community for the free treatment of the poor, in memory of Josephine Fedorovna Helfferich: 20%;
d) The Kharkiv Society for the Care of Sick Children: 10%;
e) The women’s hospital known as “Women’s Aid”: 10%;
e) The Kharkiv Society for the Mutual Aid of Female Teachers—10%;
f) The Evangelical Lutheran Church, to establish a fund for the construction of a stone fence at the Lutheran-Catholic Cemetery: 10%
At the end of his will, the Kharkiv philanthropist writes these important words:
Having provided for my closest relatives—partly during my lifetime and partly through the wills I have drawn up on this date, as well as through other wills I have drawn up previously concerning other property not included in this will—more than sufficiently, and having distributed from the wealth I acquired through my own labor to my workers and employees, each according to their merits, I—in unanimous agreement and harmony with my wife, who passed away far too soon, who repeatedly reminded me not to forget the poor and the disadvantaged, have come to the conviction that childless people of means should use their resources to promote the good of society and come to the aid, in particular, of those who find life difficult in this world; and, as I prepare to depart for a better world, I thank the Almighty that I am in the fortunate position to bequeath the greater part of my fortune to the suffering and those in need of education in the country where I have worked tirelessly and spent the greater and better part of my life, a country which I am leaving with a sense of love and gratitude. May the Lord help me. Amen
Maximilian Christianovich Helfferich died in Kharkiv on August 23, 1901, and was buried at the Lutheran Cemetery.
In the very heart of the Sloboda Ukraine city of Sumy stands a monument to the renowned industrialist and public figure Ivan Gerasimovich Kharitonenko.
In the city of Trostyanets’, you can see a beautiful monument to Leopold König, a Sloboda Ukraine entrepreneur and patron of the arts of German descent.
In the city of Kharkiv, on the facade of Maternity Hospital No. 2, located on Heroes of Kharkiv Avenue, 145/2 (at the intersection with L. Ukrainka Street), only a memorial plaque modestly serves as a reminder of someone who not only contributed to the economic development of our city and region but also loved its residents. Who knows—perhaps that is exactly what a man like Maximilian Christianovich Gelferich would have wanted…
Well, I suppose that’s all for today on the topics of human memory, charity, and love for one’s neighbor. There will certainly be more to come.
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- And once again, about the Cavalry Guards… - 21.01.2020