The funeral, very simple, took place on July 31, 1856. Brahms preceded Joachim and Dietrich. It had in the arms a laurel wreath. Ferdinand Hiller gives an account of the ceremony in Neue Zeïtschrift für Musik.
“Yesterday evening, we led Schumann to his last residence. The modest coffin, decorated of a simple laurel wreath, was carried by the young singers of Concordia. Joachim, Brahms and Dietrich, his close friends, went the first…”
With the cemetery, Clara was held in withdrawal. Brahms posed the crown of the widow on the coffin. Pasteur Wiesemann and Ferdinand Hiller pronounced some words. A circle was formed around the open pit.
Then one heard the choral society directed by Hiller, and the coffin was descended, while the friends threw one after the other shoveled ground, or some flowers.
Brahms was held at the edge of the pit.
“On the place of rest chosen by the Town of Bonn, five young plane trees are planted. The shade that later they will spread on your tomb, are the image of the radiation that one day will know your creations. And now, venerated Master, rests in peace if the rest is granted with the immortal spirits… “
( From Ferdinand Hiller Gazette of Cologne, August 1, 1856 )
The following day, all the friends renewed Clara in Düsseldorf. Then the small Schumannien circle separated.
On August 2, written Joachim with Liszt:
“Frau Schumann returned yesterday; the presence of the children and Brahms, that Schumann liked like a son, supports this noble woman who seems to me, in her deep sorrow to have a superhuman force.”
Brahms, remained still a few days at Clara. The health condition in which Clara was, all the shocks that it had sudden months since, required a rest well deserved.
Brahms took along Clara and the children a few days to Switzerland to Gersau on the edges of the lake of the Four-Cantons. At the end of these holidays, each one resumed its work, and Clara set out again in round.
From now on, it would have the heavy spot to only provide, the need of her six children.
In the biography devoted to her father, Eugenie reveals us the difficult destiny of her mother, all devoted to raise her children.
“Until May 20, 1896, the woman of Schumann lived as she promised it forty earlier, for the memory of Robert and his children. Thus appear to me the life and the death of my father, thus sang them to me the spirits. “