ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Elfriede Lohse-Wächtler

Elfriede Lohse-Wächtler was a lady who was very good at painting and drawing things that she saw around her. She lived in a place called Germany a very long time ago when it was not a happy place to live in. People were not nice to each other and some were even hurtful. Elfriede was also not feeling happy because of this and sometimes she felt sad and worried.

She started to paint pictures that showed how she was feeling and how she saw the world around her. She would draw colorful pictures of flowers, people, and animals, but sometimes she would also paint dark pictures that showed how hurtful things could be.

Even though she was very talented, not everyone liked her paintings, and some people did not understand them. This made Elfriede very sad and she became very ill mentally because of the sadness and the unkindness around her. Eventually, she had to go to a special place called a hospital where they could help her feel better again.

Elfriede's paintings are still very famous today, and people enjoy looking at them and talking about how talented she was. We can learn from her that it is important to be kind to others and to express our emotions through healthy avenues like art.