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lolita san miguel
111 C Palm Bay Lane
Palm Beach
Gardens
Fl 33418
561-267-3966
lolitapilates@yahoo.com
First Generation Teacher Certified by Joseph H. Pilates
25 March 2011
Dear Renata,
In “Julius Caesar,” Shakespeare wrote that the fate of
many great men is to have “their good oft interred with
their bones.” Although Joseph Pilates never wavered in
his belief that his work had enormous value for mankind
and that he was ahead of his time, being human, he
probably wondered at times if he would meet a similar
fate.
I thank you for helping me make sure that this will not
happen, for through your generosity there will now be a
permanent monument that will honor and give recognition
to the man who created the Pilates Method, a humble man
who died in 1967—just months after I finished my
apprenticeship with him—penniless and mostly unknown.
What I find so exciting is that the Memorial Plaque for
him will be placed on the exact site where he was born
in Monchengladbach, Germany on December 9, 1883.
When I made it my mission in 2009 erect a monument
honoring Joe because I found that he was completely
unknown in the town of his birth, many people thought I
was being quixotic, for not only was I a foreigner, an
American, I also spoke no German, I did not live in
Germany and I would have to maneuver through layers of
governmental bureaucracy from four thousand miles away.
I was really tilting at windmills, some said. But thanks
to several people especially Renata Sabongui and Claudia
Holtmanns, modern communications and the generosity of
persons such as you, on May 7, 2011, the end result, a
Memorial Plaque to Joseph Hubertus Pilates will be
unveiled at his birthplace.
How about
that, Joe!
With great appreciation,
Lolita San Miguel
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MEMORIAL CELEBRATION IN MONCHENGLADBACH, GERMANY
Pilates Day - May 7, 2011
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 In
2009, Lolita San Miguel discovered that Joseph
Pilates was virtually unknown in his hometown and
she made it her mission to establish a memorial in
his honor. This May, after two years of persistence
and hard work from local community members, a
memorial dedicated to Joseph Pilates will mark his
birthplace, Monchengladbach, Germany. Mayor Norbert
Bude gave final approval for the placement of a
memorial plaque on the site where Pilates' former
home and birthplace stood.
Mayor Bude will attend the official unveiling of the
plaque, scheduled to take place on Pilates Day, May
7, 2011 in a special ceremony. Lolita San Miguel's
disciple Renata Sabongui, from the Czech Republic,
is choreographing a dance to be performed by the
Prague Ballet Conservatory. This event coincides
with a Pilates Conference with Lolita San Miguel and
guests on May 5, 6 and 8, 2011 in Monchengladbach,
Germany. Enrollment is open for all those
interested in participating in this historic event.
For more information on the Monchengladbach Pilates
Conference or to attend the Pilates Day ceremonies
on May 7, 2011 please contact Hiram Cintron at
cintron2k@gmail.com, or call (787) 448-2244.
The non-profit foundation Pilates Trust Inc., which
was established at the start of 2011, is accepting
donations for this important project. It was
approved by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501 C
3 organization and all contributions are tax
deductible. Contributions for the Pilates Memorial
Fund may be sent to:
Pilates Trust Inc.
P.O. Box 31207
Palm Beach Gardens FL 33420
Checks should be made out to Pilates Trust Inc.
"Through these two years," Lolita said, "I have had
the steadfast support and encouragement of my
disciples and many others, among them the Pilates
Method Alliance, Body Control U.K. and Balanced
Body. It has not been an easy journey, especially
for a person who does not speak German, but I
learned long ago from Joseph Pilates that everything
worthwhile doing requires patience, perseverance and
persistence to accomplish. I want to give special
thanks to my German disciple Claudia Holtsmann, who
has helped me so much with the bureaucracy in
Monchengladbach, making countless trips to their
government offices and to Renata Sabongui, who has
contributed enormously both of her time and money to
this project. Without the help of these two people,
my dream could not have become a reality." |
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