Labe, Katrina

Katrina Labe ( French: Marie-Laure-Catherine Labay ; 1794-1868) - lover of Alexander Dumas (father) and mother of Alexander Dumas (son).

Katrina Labe
Marie-laure-catherine labay
Portrait of Marie-Catherine-Laure Labe by Leon Bonn
Birth name	Marie-laure-catherine labay
Date of Birth	1794 ( 1794 )
Date of death	October 12, 1868 ( 1868-10-12 )
Citizenship	french
Occupation	seamstress
Children	Alexander Dumas (son)

Origin

Marie-Catherine-Laure-Labe was born in 1794 in Belgium . Her parents had a French origin, shortly after the birth of her daughter moved to their historical homeland, settled in Rouen . Some sources believe that Katrina Labe was a native of Rouen and was born after her parents moved to the north of France ^[1] . According to Katrina herself in Rouen, she married, but the marriage was unsuccessful and soon the couple had to leave. She supported this version all her life, however, several years after the birth of her son in 1831, she had to admit that she was never married. She was forced to do this during the official adoption of Alexander Dumas son ^[2] . Otherwise, due to false information, the documents on the adoption of little Alexander could be considered invalid and the official adoption would not have taken place, which would have been a big blow for Katrina.

Katrina Labe, in search of a better life, leaves Rouen and moves to Paris , where she opens a small workshop for sewing and mending clothes, which employed several women who carried out orders from Parisians.

Dumas the father

Dumas father mid-19th century

Having settled on Italian Square, Catherine involuntarily became a roommate of Alexandre Dumas, who had just arrived to conquer the French capital. Despite the noticeable difference in age, a romance broke out between a young attractive woman, slightly inclined to be overweight, and a temperamental young man. Dumas, under the pretext of saving money, moves to Katrina’s apartment and there on July 27, 1824 their son is born, who was christened the same as his father and grandfather , when they were baptized.

Dumas had respect for Katrina Labe, but did not burden himself with family ties, and besides, he had to hide the birth of his son from his mother. Soon, Dumas had money, and he was able to rent for Katrina Labe and little Alexander a small house located in Passy . Dumas father did not refuse to support his child, sometimes he even spent the night in Katrina’s apartment, but gradually his attention turned to a new hobby - Melanie Valdor , and rare meetings with Katrina Labe stopped.

In 1831, Dumas the father decided to recognize the child and wrote a letter to the notary Jean-Baptiste Moreau:

“Sir, I ask you to draw up the necessary documents in order to recognize my child, registered July 27, 1824 in the City Hall on Italian Square under the name Alexander. Mother: Mrs. Labe. Father is unknown ... This is a matter of urgency: I am afraid that a child will be taken away from me, to whom I am very attached. ^[3] "

The adoption act of March 17, 1831 provoked fierce resistance from Katrina Labe, who did not want to give her son up. On April 21, 1831, Katrina tried to officially adopt Alexander, but her decision had no effect, since her father had the right to primacy. For some time she unsuccessfully resisted the decision of the court. However, as a result, the seven-year-old Alexander Dumas-son had to leave his mother and end up in a boarding house ^[1] .

In 1832, Katrina Labe opened the so-called “reading room” on Mischodière Street, a kind of cozy reading room, which was at the height of romanticism in fashion. Funds for the creation of the hall gave Dumas the father. On this, his direct assistance to Katrina Labe ended.

Dumas son

Dumas son mid XIX century

After graduating from a boarding house, Alexander, who had matured, was attached to his mother and had more love for her than for his father. After the success of “ Ladies with Camellias ” and subsequent recognition and material well-being, the young playwright remained a caring son and settled his mother in Neuilly , Orleanskaya Street, N 1. According to Alexander Dumas, her son was “simple, direct, honest, hardworking, devoted and decent in all his motives ” ^[1] . The former seamstress from Italian Square, having retired, adequately met old age.

Already in his mature years, Dumas Jr., sympathetic to both parents, did not give up hope to unite, and maybe even finally marry them. The last attempt occurred on May 26, 1864, when Katrina Lor Labe and Dumas father met at the city hall at his wedding with Nadezhda Naryshkina . Dumas the son sought to reconcile the elderly parents, but did not succeed.

Dumas the father did not object to this proposal. However, this time, Katrina already refused her former lover, citing age and unsuitability to play the role of a servant. “Mr. Dumas will turn my small apartment upside down ... He was forty years late, years did not teach him anything,” she wrote to her friend.

Katrina died on October 22, 1868; she was seventy-four years old. The next day, Dumas the son wrote to George Sand :

“Dear mother! My mother passed away last night without any pain. She did not recognize me, which means she did not know that she was leaving. Anyway, are we leaving each other? .. ^[4] ”

At the City Hall of Neuilly, Alexander drew up an act on the death of Katrina Labe. According to this act, she was listed as unmarried and without specific occupations. In the column of parents it was noted that "their names were not communicated." This suggests that Katrina may have been an illegitimate child of unknown parents.