Meta Johanna Carolina Brandenburger was born in Estonia in 1870.

She grew up on farming property called Pasick. Her father, Johann Ross, came from a family of farmers and was the caretaker of a farming property owned by a noble family.

Little is known about Meta’s mother Pauline Johannson. Johann and Pauline had eight children. Three died in infancy. Meta had four brothers (Alexander, Elmar, Richard and Arthur) - she was the middle child.

When Meta was about 12 years old the family moved to Tallinn. The owners had cancelled the lease on the property and Johann had to find other employment. He eventually got a job as managing the construction and maintenance of roads, highways and roads for the town. Sadly, Johanna died Meta of pneumonia, after five days of illness – Meta was only 15 years. Her father sought out a new wife to help care for the children and found Jenny Christiansen, an aging spinster who was a teacher. It was a difficult relationship, but one that improved with time.

Education was clearly important in the family, and Meta eventually found work in St Petersburg as a Governess in a wealthy family. There she met the German Richard Brandenburger and they married in 1898. They had three children – Leo, Edith and Paul.

In her many letters you can see how she valued and loved her family. She did not appear to understand the conflict in the world around her, but showed empathy to all who suffered through it.

Meta died 1955 in Bremen.

Key dates

Born: 30 August 1870, Tallinn, Estonia

Married: 24 February 1898, Kronstadt, Russia, to Richard Brandenburger

Died: 14 February 1955, Bremen, Germany