Legend of The Bodmer Sisters of the Bogotá Cemetery in Colombia

The Bogotá Cemetery holds a large number of legends. However, one of the most famous is undoubtedly that of The Bodmer Sisters. Numerous tales have been woven around them regarding the true cause of their death.

The tomb of the Bodmer girls has become a place of worship. People arrive to leave flowers, toys, and sweets. According to the story, they do this so the girls’ spirits will come out to play.

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Elvira and Victoria Bodmer, aged 6 and 8 respectively, died on July 9 and 10, 1903. These dates are recorded on their tomb. People have always speculated about the cause of their passing. Some theories claim they burned to death. Others suggest they died from an epidemic or as the victims of a horrific crime.

However, Andrés Ospina from Canal Capital interviewed Hilda Bodmer, the girls’ niece. She was able to clarify the real reasons for their deaths. Hilda revealed that the girls were the daughters of Gaspar Bodmer. He was of Swiss origin and settled in Bogotá after marrying Ester Bernal. In Bogotá, he founded a jewelry and watchmaking shop. The business was highly successful thanks to the importation of high-quality jewelry and watches. He also dedicated his life to philanthropy.

Several of Gaspar Bodmer’s daughters passed away. The first was María Benita Bodmer in 1894, due to smallpox. The second was Hilda Matilde Bodmer, who died of meningitis. As for Elvira and Victoria, both died of typhoid fever. Their father learned of the girls’ deaths while he was in Switzerland. He was there receiving treatment for a tooth infection that could not be treated in Bogotá. The news clearly shocked him, and he returned home. This tragedy brought immense suffering to the family and the grieving father.

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One afternoon, while dozing off, Gaspar said he had a vision. He saw one girl pointing to the sky while her sister sat beside her. She told him to be good and that they would see each other again. This moved Don Gaspar so deeply that he commissioned the sculptures that currently rest on the girls’ tomb. These statues have garnered much admiration over the years. The sculptures were cast in bronze by the sculptor Gustav Siber and the founder Josep Malesec.

On the tomb, you can also read a phrase that their father had engraved. It expresses the great love he felt for them. The phrase reads, “They were the delights of the home” (Fueron Delicias del hogar).