BURIED TOGETHER

Partner Dora Ohlfsen-Bagge, buried together

Queer Places:
Via di S. Nicola da Tolentino, 00187 Roma RM, Italia
Campo Cestio, Via Caio Cestio, 6, 00153 Roma RM, Italia

Baroness Hélène de Kuegelgen (January 1, 1879 - February 8, 1948), from a well-connected Russian family, probably committed suicide with her partner of more than 50 years, Dora Ohlfsen-Bagge.

Hélène (or Elena) de Kuegelgen was the daughter of Pavel Kuegelgen and Alexandra Zhudlovsky. She was from a well-connected family of Balten Germans, with one uncle a physician to the Tsar and another editor of the Petersburger German newspaper. Her family also had several prominent artists, two of them court painters.

Together with Dora Ohlfsen-Bagge, she moved to Italy in 1902 from St. Petersburg to avoid the Russian revolution. Ohlfsen-Bagge was an Australian sculptor.

On February 9, 1948, she and Ohlfsen were found dead in the gas filled studio of Ohlfsen in Rome. The studio was next door to the Beda College, in the Via S. Nicola da Tolentino,[1] and they were living there for almost 50 years. Police said the deaths were accidental.[2]

The two women are buried together at the Non-Catholic Cemetery in Rome, Campo Cestio, Zone 1.15.28, under the relief bust of the god Dionysius, one hand raised in a gesture of blessing.[3]

Their tombstone reads: "Dora Ohlfsen Bagge / Australiana per nascita / Italiana di cuore / E per benemeranze nella guerra 1915-1918 / Musicista pittrice scultrice insigne / Baronessa Helene De Kuegelgen / Ricca di filantropiche virtu / Anime elette - Amiche inseparabili / Trovarono assieme l'eterno riposo / Il 7 Febbraio 1948 / Nell'ultima espressione di un'amicizia / Più forte della morte / Signore, dona loro la pace dei buoni!" Translate: "Dora Ohlfsen Bagge / Australian by birth / Italian by heart / And for benevolence in the 1915-1918 war / Famous sculptor painter musician / Baroness Helene De Kuegelgen / Rich of philanthropic virtuosity / Elected souls - Inseparable friends / They found together the eternal rest / On February 7, 1948 / In the last expression of a friendship / Stronger than death / Lord, give them the peace of good!"[4]

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  1. ^ cite journal|title=News of Dora Ohlfsen - sab 15 lug 1933|journal=The Australian Women's Weekly|date=1933|page=24|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/48075152|accessdate=10 October 2017
  2. ^ cite journal|title=TRAGIC DEATH OF SCULPTRESS - mar 10 feb 1948|journal=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=1948|page=1|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18060371|accessdate=10 October 2017
  3. ^ cite web|title=Artists in the Cemetery: two sculptors, four painters and the art dealer who loved Raphael|url=http://www.cemeteryrome.it/press/webnewsletter-eng/no25-2013-web.pdf|accessdate=10 October 2017
  4. ^ cite web|title=Protestant Cemetery, Rome: Stone 552|url=https://databank.ora.ox.ac.uk/sandbox/datasets/Rahtz_test_2/ProtestantCemetery/S552.html|accessdate=10 October 2017