Partner Eugenie Schumann
Queer Places:
Myliusstraße 32, 60323 Frankfurt am Main-Innenstadt II, Germany
Kirche Gsteig, Gsteig 1, 3814 Gsteigwiler, Switzerland
Marie Fillunger (January 27, 1850 – December 23, 1930) was a celebrated Austrian soprano and voice teacher whose life was defined by both her musical gifts and her
enduring 55-year romantic partnership with Eugenie Schumann, the youngest daughter of composers Clara and Robert
Schumann.
Born in Vienna, Fillunger studied voice at the Vienna Conservatory under the renowned vocal pedagogue Mathilde Marchesi. Recognized for her vocal purity and dramatic sensitivity, she came into the orbit of Johannes Brahms, who was deeply impressed by her talent and recommended that she continue her advanced studies at the newly established Berlin University of the Arts (Hochschule für Musik).
Fillunger quickly built an international reputation as a Lieder and concert singer. Her career included:
Performing Lieder by Schubert, Brahms, Wolf, and the Schumanns across Germany, Austria, and Great Britain.
Touring as far as Australia and South Africa with the Hallé chamber ensemble.
Serving as a vocal professor at the Royal Manchester College of Music in England from 1904 to 1912.
In 1873, while studying in Berlin, Marie met Eugenie Schumann, who was studying piano. The two fell deeply in love, beginning a romantic relationship that would endure for over five decades. To avoid confusion with Eugenie’s elder sister (also named Marie), Eugenie affectionately nicknamed her "Fillu".
When Clara Schumann relocated her family to Frankfurt in 1878 to teach at the Hoch Conservatory, Marie Fillunger moved into the Schumann household alongside Eugenie. Fillu lived with the family for eleven years, occupying a room next to Eugenie's and using the home as her base between concert tours.
While Fillu was well-regarded for her humor and musicality, dynamic tension developed within the household. In 1889, escalating jealousy and hostility from Eugenie’s older sister, Marie, led to a rift. Clara sided with her eldest daughter, effectively forcing Fillu out of the household.
Following the split in Frankfurt, Fillunger moved to London, where her career as a concert singer flourished. Eugenie remained behind in Frankfurt, deeply distraught by the separation.
In 1892, Eugenie suffered a severe illness. Fillu immediately returned to Frankfurt to nurse her back to health. Once recovered, Eugenie made the decision to leave her mother's household permanently to build an independent life with Fillu in England. The two established a home together, with Eugenie teaching piano while Fillu continued her concert tours and teaching post in Manchester.
The correspondence between Marie Fillunger and Eugenie Schumann offers rare primary-source evidence of same-sex romantic and erotic love between women in the 19th century. While 19th-century accounts often attempted to frame intense female bonds as "pure, platonic friendships," surviving letters reveal passionate physical and romantic devotion:
"I feel physical pain just thinking about the many miles between us… I have drunk my fill of your kisses and am thirsty, and this thirst now burns deep in my soul. The fire will not go out until your lips touch me." — Marie Fillunger to Eugenie Schumann
When Eugenie published her famous memoirs (Erinnerungen) in the 1920s, societal conventions of the era prevented her from writing openly about the true nature of their relationship. However, in their private lives, their partnership was steadfast and enduring.
With the outbreak of World War I, the couple left England and settled in Interlaken, Switzerland. Marie Fillunger passed away on December 23, 1930, at the age of 80.
When Eugenie Schumann died eight years later in 1938, she was laid to rest in the Wilderswil cemetery near Interlaken. Per Eugenie's wishes, she was buried alongside her sister Marie and her lifelong partner, Marie Fillunger. Her headstone reads: "Here rests, between sister and friend, Eugenie Schumann," accompanied by a companion marker dedicated to Fillu.
References:
Support this project
This website is a passion project researched, developed, and funded entirely by me. If you find the content valuable and would like to help support the ongoing research and hosting costs, any contribution is deeply appreciated.
Thank you for keeping this independent resource alive!
My books on Amazon: Elisa Rolle's books