ogsa july 2008 - Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America (OGSA)

Transcription

OSTFRIESEN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
AMERICAN-OSTFRIESEN ZEITUNG
Eala Freya Fresena! Lever Dod Als Slav!
July 2008
Volume 11, Issue 3
REMELS
OSTFRIESEN-AMERICAN ZEITUNG
OSTFRIESEN GENEALOGICAL
SOCIETY OF AMERICA
Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America
Eala Freya Fresena! Lever Dod Als Slav!
July 2008 Volume 11 Issue 3
The newsletter of the Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America is
published four times a year. Please write: Lin Strong, Editor, OGSA
Newsletter, 168 North Lake Street, Forest Lake, MN 55025 or email [email protected] with comments or suggestions.
We are happy to consider any contributions of genealogical information. Whether we can use your material is based on such factors as
general interest to our members, our need to cover certain subjects,
balance through the year and available space. The editor reserves the
right to edit all submitted materials for presentation and grammar. The
editor will correct errors and may need to determine length of copy.
Contributors are responsible for accuracy, omissions and factual errors. Cite documentation for facts or statistical information and give
complete source for all abstracted or transcribed records.
Other than the exceptions given, all or part of this publication may be
copied without fee provided that: copies are not made or distributed
for direct title commercial advantage; the OGSA copyright notice, the
name of the publication and its date appear; and notice is given that
copying is by permission of the Ostfriesen Genealogical Society. You
must contact the editor for permission to publish in any form.
Materials not otherwise attributed, were prepared by the editor.
Copyright @ July 2008
Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America & Lin Cornelius Strong
OGSA MEMBERSHIP
MEMBER PRIVILEGES include four issues of the American Ostfriesen Zeitung (January, April, July, October), four
program meetings each year and one special event, special
member order discounts, and access to the OGSA library.
NEW! OGSA 2008 MEMBERSHIP—Send your check for
$18 (high speed internet, newsletter sent by pdf file) or $28
for paper copies payable to OGSA 1670 South Robert Street,
#333, West St. Paul, MN 55118 NEW!
Foreign membership is $18 if sent by pdf file—$30 if paper
copies. You can deposit your membership at Sparkasse Emden
if you prefer.
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The membership year is from November 1 through October 31. You will receive one reminder post card in December 2008 if you do not renew before the end of the
year.
If you join midway during the year, you will receive the
code to download all back issues for that year or paper
copies if you join at the $28 level. Back issues for the past
years may be available for purchase.
Please include your name, address, email address, phone
number and eight names you are researching in Ostfriesland along with their village names.
If you have any question about your membership, please
do not hesitate to contact the membership coordinator!
Mail Address: 1670 South Robert Street, #333,
West St. Paul, MN 55118
Change of Address: [email protected]
Officers are elected for a two year term and will serve during 2007
and 2008.
OGSA OFFICERS:
President—Sharon Arends, [email protected] (952) 906-9677
Vice President—Gene Janssen, [email protected]
Treasurer—Lübbert Kruizenga, [email protected]
Recording Secretary—Nancy Jensen, [email protected]
Past President—Buck Menssen, [email protected]
BOARD MEMBERS:
Lin Strong: [email protected] / [email protected]
Dr. James Limburg: [email protected]
Ray Kleinow: [email protected]
Jill Morelli: [email protected]
Rick Gersema: [email protected]
Zella Mirick: [email protected]
COMMITTEE COORDINATORS:
Program & Meeting Committee: Open, You can help!
Publicity: Open, do you have time?
Library: Zella Mirick (651) 452-2574
Membership Coordinator: Sharon Arends (952) 906-9677
Mail Coordinator— Zella Mirick, Nancy Jensen
AMERICAN-OSTFRIESEN ZEITUNG STAFF:
Lin Strong, News Editor / Cell 651-269-3580 / [email protected]
Contributing Authors: Jill Morelli, Rudy Wiemann, Gene Janssen,
Zella Mirick, Jeanee Thompson
Columnists: Jeanee Thompson, Ray Kleinow, Rudy Wiemann, Lin
Strong
NOTE: All Board Members and Officers will be up for election January, 2009. If you are interested in serving, please contact the Vice
President who heads the nominating committee. Distance is not an
problem as we can also tele-conference all meetings.
OGSA MISSION STATEMENT
OGSA is headquartered in Minnesota and our official name is Ostfriesen
Genealogical Society of America. Anyone with ancestors from Ostfriesland or who has an interest in Ostfriesland is welcome to join.
The purpose of the group is exclusively educational, and specifically
to:
♦ Foster and increase interest in Ostfriesen genealogy.
♦ Provide an association for those interested in Ostfriesen
genealogy.
♦ Provide an opportunity for exchange of knowledge about
Ostfriesland.
♦ Encourage the establishment of Ostfriesen genealogical
resources.
♦ Hold meetings for instruction and interest of its members.
♦ Collect and, when practical, publish genealogical, biographical and
historical material relating to people of Ostfriesen descent.
♦ Work with other similar societies to preserve and protect
Ostfriesen genealogy and heritage.
Our organization is a 501C3 non-profit organization.
Your donations are tax-deductible.
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July 2008
American Ostfriesen Zeitung
MOIN, ALLE!
Summer in Minnesota is beautiful. Join us here in the land of 10,000 (or more) lakes—and
mosquitoes.
Have you submitted an answer to one of our contests? There is another one in this issue—
it’s a great way for you to get involved and win a gift.
Ostfriesland is absolutely beautiful in April and May and we certainly enjoyed it for you!
If you’ve never been there for May Day celebrations, you don’t know what you’ve been
missing—including the beer, brats and frikadele—and no, I’m not swearing! The Rapps
fields were gorgeous gold, there was even a wedding party parked by one—taking pictures
of the bridal party. We saw a lot of churches, cemeteries, windmills and had a bunch of
surprises and lots of fun, too!
On page 31 read about the favorite new toy I brought along—my TomTom :-). My cousin
Gisela and I named it Redmer for our favorite great-grandfather who was very stubborn.
The TomTom will not listen to anyone either. If you travel a lot and don’t have one, it’s
great.
The OSB for Suurhusen and Marienwehr are now available. If you had family from this
community you need this set of books. If you don’t know what an OSB—Ortssippenbuch–
is, please contact me. We have a brochure on how to use this valuable resource. We also
have brochures on patronymical naming and social status terms for the Ostfriesen. These
are valuable additions to your research portfolio.
Inside this issue:
Lost Villages of the Dollart
4-8
Aida Bella, Member News
Uplengen & Remels
8
9-13
Do you have all the maps you need? There will be an article on map reading in one of the
next issues. OGSA has a great supply of them, too. You can also find them on
mapquest.com and on google earth. Take a minute and visit these websites—or ask your
grandchildren to help you! And read Ray’s column for other information.
Coins
Travels in the North of Germany
14
15
Mennonite Congregation in Leer
Werdum during Mansfield
16
17,18
Do you have an emigrant diary, letters to or from Ostfriesland or just stories that have
come down through the ages? The entire January 2009 newsletter will be on emigration—
the hardship and the heartache, along with the adventures they experienced. You will not
want to miss out on participating in this issue.
Barstede’s Schatthaus
News from Ostfriesland
18
19-21
News from the North
Peat Farming in Ostfriesland
21
22-24
Spring and summer has not been so kind to the Midwest. Tornado’s have ravaged many
areas including Parkersburg, IA. The flooding rivers, such as in Cedar Rapids, IA, have
destroyed so many homes and businesses. We know this has affected many of our OGSA
members in many ways—if not you personally, someone you know or a relative. This is a
good lesson for many of us who have not suffered from a catastrophe—back up the data
that you have in your computer. You can put it in a safety deposit box, leave it with a
family member or put it in your desk at work—just make sure you do it and soon. Make
sure you read the insert in this newsletter on how you can help one of our members who
lost everything—except his life.
Archeological Finds
Technology 101
24
25
Linds to Deep Roots
Ostfriesland, A Prince’s Earldom
25
26
Rheiderland’s Zwillinge
Sharing Emigrant Data
27
28
A Last Will & Testament
New Members
29
30
Upcoming Articles
Travel Tips
31
31
Upcoming Meetings
32
Several OGSA programs are listed on the last page—make sure you check them out. If
you have information or an idea that we could use for a program, make sure you let us
know. There is also a “HELP WANTED” list on that page. Get involved!
Anyone who visited the Upstalsboom-Gesellschaft Bibliothek in Aurich in years past
knows the name Haiko Swart. Herr Swart volunteered thousands of hours of his time to
help researchers. He died in Norden on May 6, 2008 at the age of 87.
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Do you have a family reunion or another family event planned this summer?
Bring your notebooks, camera and pictures that you’d like to share.
Bring also a list of questions you want to ask—so you don’t forget them.
Bring along a notebook for address changes, new email addresses, etc.
Someone will eventually appreciate what you are doing!
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WE’RE ON THE WEB!
www.ogsa.us
THE LOST VILLAGES OF THE DOLLART
SOURCE: Rev. J. F. Bertrams, “Geographic Description of the
Principality Ostfriesland”, 1735. Submitted by Rudy Wiemann.
which was due to a blanket bog thriving here since the Ice Age
and covered up by deposits of the rising and retreating sea.
When the fierce floods came, large patches of the ground rose
to the surface and drifted away.)
Where the Dollart’s waves now ripple and rise, they do so over a
land that was home to many thousands of industrious Friesians. It
was washed away in a North Sea surge that claimed much borderland between Ostfriesland and Groningen. The name Dollart derives from its sometimes furiously agitated waters. (Germ. “toll”
= raging).
The sea first tore into Rheiderland in a destructive flood on
January 13, 1277. As no measures were taken to prevent a recurrence, several floods of equal severity followed in subsequent years, falling upon the land again and again until it became wholly a part of the sea. (Note: Houtrouw states that the
first permanent ingress of the sea probably took place in 1377,
others claim 1362.)
(Note: another interpretation refers the soft and yielding
ground prevailing over much of the area before the floods came
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THE LOST VILLAGES
Note: the entries set in parentheses below are taken from
Houtrouw’s Ostfriesland, 1889, and reflect the research current
at that time.
DOLLART
1) Berum, on Rheiderland’s Nesse peninsula, across the former
Ems river bed from Larrelt. (Was probably not washed away before the Cosmas and Damian Flood of Sept. 26, 1509)
2) Nesse, was spared and is now an island. (Note: With the old
Ems river bed silting up, Nesserland eventually merged with the
mainland to the north.) (A “villa Nesse” was mentioned in a
document of 1361. A fortified residence here was destroyed by
Edzard and Ulrich Cirksena in alliance with Hamburg 1437,
along with the “Burg” in Wilgum, because, as Beninga writes, it
was too close to Emden, which was then in the hands of Hamburg.
3) Fletum (Located in the new Ems river bed, i.e., washed away
in 1509. Called Sacred River (Fleth > Ger. “Fluss” = River) by
early missionaries who around 1000 AD baptized its people in a
stream running through the village. It felt secure enough in its
location to have a bell cast in 1464 which was removed ahead of
the encroaching flood waters and remained in Nesse until given
to West Rhauderfehn’s new Lutheran church in 1829.)
4) Wilgum (Located in the new Ems river bed, i.e., washed away
in 1509. According to a document of 1372, it had a parish church
and priest. Also located here was a fortified residence which was
destroyed in 1437 by the Cirksena’s and Hamburg. Wreckage of
the village could still be seen in 1717.)
5) Jansum, located in the new Ems river bed. Here (in 1377) the
flood waters are said to have first broken through. (Little is
known of its fate.)
6) Ludgerskerk
(Dedicated to St. Liudger
who was installed as the
first bishop of Münster in
805 AD.)
7) Liede (Probably went
down together with Jansum and Ludgerskerk. A
pre-Christian sacred site
on a hill in a grove is said
to have been located here
which attracted early missionaries to these parts.)
8) Oster-Reide, a village
with a convent. (A large,
handsome village featuring a bridge across the Ee
to Groningen’s Omlanden. It was home to a Beguine community, the
beneficiary of a cow donated by Wiard of Oldersum in 1461.
A fortified residence belonging to Menno, Chieftain in Reyd, was documented in 1463. The village probably was not
touched by the flood of
Historian Ubbo Emmius thought that it was the location which
caused it to become victim of the flood; however, this does not
differ much from many other areas located by the sea. One approaches the cause more appropriately when considering these
floods were a judgment of God and the unfortunate outcome of
discord and disobedience to the authorities which had their roots
in envy, jealousy, pride, and selfishness.
Emmius and other writers from Emden tell of a wealthy inhabitant of the now inundated land who, upon learning that there had
been a break in the levee, refused to contribute to its repair because his neighbors, with whom he was quarreling, would benefit by it. He said that he would sooner see his land covered by “a
spear’s length of water” than do anything to help anybody he
considered an enemy.*
Emmius, the historian from Greetsiel, and Outhoff, a Reformed
preacher (in his Verhaal van alle hooge Vatervloeten [Account
of all High Floods] which he based on an existing chronicle)
relate that the people of Rheiderland were at odds with their
chieftain, Keno tom Broek, and had risen up against him. Keno
had forced them back into obedience with his troops, had damaged their canals and dike gates and even cut the dikes in places.
Here the floods first invaded, as they could easily pass through
the line of defense but could not readily ebb away through the
obstructions in the gates.
The Dollart became a cemetery for thousands of people with all
their possessions, and may, therefore, have served as a lesson in
the possible effects of pride, wantonness, discord, and disobedience to the authorities.
The land gone under, of which a hand-drawn chart still hangs in
Emden’s city hall, had two small rivers, the Tjam (or Tjamme)
and the Ee (or Aa). The former ran into the Ee which in turn ran
into the Ems across from Logum. Nowadays, the Dollart is undergoing considerable shrinkage on the east side near Bunde
which deposits a lot of new land.
Harkenroth in his Ostfriessen Oorspronglykheeden (Original
East Friesian Peculiarities) counted 44 larger and smaller villages swallowed by the sea, but Outhoff in his aforementioned
book named 50. The villages listed here were documented in the
last edition.
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his contribution. The
levee was
probably already
breached in
1377, and
Tidde died as
a poor man in
the monastery
Palmar.)
30) Ockeweer (Probably destroyed in 1377.)
31) Saxum (see Okkeweer.)
32) Hermenswolde (see Okkeweer.)
33) Saxumerwolde (see Okkeweer.)
34) Golthorn (Its church was also a monastery, namely a Hospitaler commandery founded by Beerte.)
35) Assock (Its former site is now in Oude Nieuwland Polder,
Netherlands)
36) Beerte (also Beerda, where a monastery with 40 monks was
located.)
37) Olt-Exterhus (Only its name survives. Its former site now in
Westerwoldsche Aa, Netherlands.)
38) Reiderwolde, a sizable and prosperous village. It had two
churches, one with its own Collegium Canonicorum. (It is mentioned in the 10th century and ranks after Torum as the most important and prosperous village in all of submerged Rheiderland.
During a court case in Groningen in 1535 the following testimony was given, “Reyderwolde ... was so large and so rich that
there were ninety women who wore golden clasps over their
breasts.” It was still standing in 1450 but was already listed in the
register of congregations unable to pay their remittance.
The nearby Premonstratensian (Norbertine) Convent Palmar
was probably founded in the late 12th Century. In 1288, it had a
population of 190. When the floods extended ever farther inland,
Fokko Ukena with his allies and the assistance of Groningen
sought to protect it by building a levee from Wester-Reide toward
Finserwolde which, even if it was completed, did not serve its
intended purpose. In 1447, the abbots of Werum and Dokkum
met and divided Palmar’s property. In 1452, Groningen built a
levee from Palmar to Finserwolde which extended the life of he
empty building until the flood of 1509, after which it was seen no
more.)
39) Cappeldebeerde (or Capel de Beerte. It is said to have been
a handsome village, likely the site of a chapel from nearby
Beerte.)
40) Palmar, had a large monastery with nearly 200 monks. (see
Reiderwolde)
41) Vindelham.
42) Meerhusen (No longer mentioned in Münster’s register of
congregations after 1450.)
43) Wynham (a village important enough to have been the seat
of a clan of chieftains who still lived here in 1460. It survived the
15th century, although, according to records of the bishopric
Münster, in an impoverished state. It is remembered today by the
refurbished wind powered pumping station Wynhamster Kolk (=
Pond) in Ditzumer Hammrich which, at 8.23 feet below median
tidal, holds a near-record for low-lying areas in Germany.)
44) Toperen (see Meerhusen)
1377, nor by Keno tom Broek’s dike gate destruction in
1414.)
9) Peterswolde (comp. Engl. “wold”. No longer mentioned in
Münster’s register of congregations of 1450-96.)
10) Beda (No longer mentioned after the flood of 1377.)
11) Torum was a populous and prosperous village. It is supposed to have had a mint and, among other trades, eight goldsmith shops. (In 1507 it still was the seat of one of the three
judges of the Friesian Emsigerland district. It was probably
washed away by the flood of 1509. Emmius relates that in his
days, around 1600, one could still see the remnants of buildings
at low tide during a prevailing east wind, and that occasionally
fishermen would bring up coins from the bottom, including one
time a whole keg filled with them.)
12) Uiter-Pawing (Outer Pogum, meaning “beyond the pasture
land”, as opposed to “Infrapawingum”, i.e., toady's Pogum.
The fact that the bishopric Münster still collected its full perquisites here in the 15th century says that it didn’t go under
before 1509.)
13) Duveler (no information available)
14) Uiterbeerde (Listed in Münster’s register of 1450-96
among congregations unable to pay, so at least it still existed in
the 15th century.)
15) Osterbeerde (no information available)
16) Homingeham.
17) Bleyham (Near the confluence of the Ee and the Tjam. By
1418 the Dollart had extended this far, mostly due to the inexcusable dike gate destruction by the warring Vetkoper and
Schieringer parties*, which proves, however, that it was still
around. It probably fell victim to the successive storm surges of
1423-28.)
18) Winmeer (or Wynemeer. No information available.)
19) Megenham (no information available)
20) Harkeborg (Probably went under together with Bleyham.)
21) Medum (see Harkeborg)
22) Exterhuis (Its former site now in Bunder Neuland.)
23) Wester-Reide, a large village with the castle. (Like OsterReide on the opposite side of the Ee, a prosperous community
with two churches. Along with Otterdum it is remembered as
the place where Keno tom Broek, a Vetkoper, exacted his revenge by burning dike gates, thereby delivering entire areas to
the south to the waves. Nearby stood Homburg, a castle or
fortified residence, very likely the seat of the chieftains of
Wester-Reide.)
24) Tysweer (It may have disappeared at the beginning of the
15th century.)
25) Stockdörp (Already mentioned as Stagasthorp in 1000
AD. Listed in Münster’s register of 1450-96 as impoverished.
It probably kept going until 1509.)
26) Hockelsum (Probably shared the fate of Stockdörp)
27) Ewelsweer (Listed in Münster as Sivetsweere. Probably
shared Stockdörp’s fate)
28) Santdörp (Still existed after 1450)
29) Wineham, or Wyndeham, where many families of nobility
are supposed to have lived. (The village was probably churched
in Santdörp, but was the site of the fortified residence of Tidde
Wynegha, the one who would not help with the levee repair
because he could not bear seeing his neighbors profiting from
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45) Markhusen (see Meerhusen)
46) Haickeweer (see Meerhusen)
47) Donella (see Meerhusen)
48) Howinga-Gast (see Meerhusen)
49) Ost-Finserwolde (see Meerhusen. Its site now in Achter
Hamrick, Netherlands.)
50) Stoetsterhuis (or Stoksterhuis. See Meerhusen. Its site now
in Kroon-Polder, Netherlands.)
From: Landeskunde (Regional [Natural] History) Ostfriesland, E. Rack, 1974. The former Bay of Sielmönken
(Krummhörn) already existed before dike construction began.
The island of Bant, which had protected the mainland around
the Ems estuary, gradually broke up. Thus the Oster (East) Ems
arm was formed which created the Ley Bay.
The (original) West Ems arm, which had created the former
Bay of Sielmönken, changed course and, combined with the
East Ems, created the Dollart Bay. The second Marcellus
Flood, of 1362, made the first ingress there; the Cosmas and
Damian Flood, of 1509, brought about its widest expanse; i.e.,
while one location along the coast got a new bay, another had
an old bay silt up.
From: Sturmflut (Storm Surge), J. Newig, 2000. By around
1000 AD a continuous levee system along the coast had been
created, although initially made of low earthen walls steeply
sloped toward the sea. (Levee engineering didn’t start until the
18th century.) It was labor intensive work, done with baskets
and stretchers, later with wheelbarrows and horse-drawn sleds.
Often the laborers needed for the job were not available; they
had already become victims of a flood, died of the plague, were
killed in local feuds or larger wars, were lost at sea, etc. A devastating storm was usually followed by economic crises, population shifts and years of poverty and hardship which brought
about dejection and the belief, encouraged by church and state,
that storm surges were God’s judgment passed on them for
their sinful ways, and this fear and the prevailing disunity
slowed down more effective defensive measures.
* In Friesland, the rival blocks of “Vetkopers” and the
“Schieringers” reflected the prevailing social and political instability. The conservative Vetkopers fought Hapsburg’s and
Burgundy’s claims for hegemony, the Schieringers sought the
Emperor’s protection. In the economic downturn in the mid
14th century bloody conflicts ensued and resulted in the alignment of regions along the opposing parties. The resulting civil
war spilled over into Ostfriesland and spelled the end to the
cherished ‘Friesian Freedom’ everywhere.
Quote from a 1808 Travelogue - During a pleasure walk around this little town (Aurich) my attention was attracted by a gallows which has a prominent place on the road
to Leer where it leaves a less than positive impression on the
traveler. I realize very well the necessity for punishments of
this sort, especially in this land, but why make a public spectacle of it?
AIDA BELLA
The Aida Bella docked in Emden’s Harbor on April 19, 2008
Emden - The luxury cruiser “Aida Bella” is the second of four
identical types to be built at Papenburg’s Meyer Werft shipyard
for the German company AIDA Cruises of Rostock. It is now
berthed at the shipyard’s pier for interior outfitting and will be
moved to Emden on March 29 for more of the same before sea
trials are to begin. Thereafter she will enter Hamburg’s harbor for
christening and delivery to her owner. The 75,000-ton ship incorporates more than 1025 cabins and can achieve a speed of 22
knots.
From www.Meyerwerft.de: The US cruise operator Celebrity
Cruises (Miami), a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, has
ordered a fifth 122,000-gt cruise liner from Meyer Werft for delivery in 2012. The first ship of this class, the Celebrity Solstice, will
be delivered in the fall of this year. The others will follow at oneyear intervals. They will accommodate 2,850 passengers in 1,425
cabins. All standard cabins will offer more space than is usual for
this type. More than 90% of all cabins are outside cabins, 90% of
which have their own balconies. Other architectural highlights of
the new ship will be the Lawn Club, featuring a natural lawn, and
the Corning Glass Museum where the art of glassblowing will be
presented. "We really appreciate the opportunity to build one
more of these innovative cruise ships for Celebrity Cruises" says
Bernard Meyer. "This type of ship features extremely energyefficient and ecofriendly systems." Meyer Werft already built five
cruise ships for Celebrity Cruises in the early to mid-1990s. Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 2/14/08
Photograph—Lin Strong
MEMBER NEWS...
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Lynn Reemstma became a grandfather last November! His
new grandson lives in Tennessee.
Ardith Ortgies belongs to a walking club and they are now in
England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.
Karolyn and Duane Ortgies are on a trip to Denmark.
Gesine Janssen, the cousin Norman Hensley met for the first
time on April 27 in Ostfriesland died of a heart attack on May
11th. He’s very grateful he had that opportunity.
OGSA Board Member Rick Gersema is getting married in
July. Congratulations! (See insert)
Fred & Dee Johnson are attending a von Loh family reunion
in July—in Ostfriesland.
THE DISTRICT OF UPLENGEN
Submitted by Gene Janssen
(Ed. Note: Thousands of early Uplengen residents left Ostfriesland. Many of our members have at least one line traced to
that area. This is an important article which may help you better
understand these emigrants).
The consolidated district of Uplengen was formed from nineteen
independent, smaller communities in 1972/1973. It is the largest
land area of the Landkreis (county) of Leer. In 2002, it had a
population of 11,100. The size of the area is 149 square kilometers though sparsely populated. The moor areas north of Neudorf
and east of Meinersfehn are almost totally unpopulated.
As of 2002, the majority of the people (84.29%) belonged to the
Evangelical-Lutheran Church, with the remainder being some few
Reformed and a large group of Baptists, as well as 2.71% Catholic.
Uplengen, a Definition
In the Middle Ages, Ostfriesland was spread over a number of socalled lands or land areas, such as Brookmerland or the Moormerland. Uplengen was one of the smallest of these regions. A scarcity of historical references to it explain why Uplengen was not
known outside of its own district like the others. Yet, its presence
cannot be denied even though the details may be sketchy.
To begin with, one must recognize the fact that the entire Lengener Land made up only one church parish until 1898. In addition the Uplengen residents have always considered themselves an
entity, both privately and communally. The cooperative rule, "all
for one and one for all" has always been a part of their life.
Also, even into contemporary times, Uplengen has played a unique
role in the political spectrum of Ostfriesland. They strongly felt
themselves to be a part of the duchy of Ostfriesland under the rule
of the Cirksenas. In the 19th century, they remained faithful to the
Guelphs, whereas the rest of Ostfriesland was more attached to the
Prussians. Nowadays, Uplengen tends to side with the CDU
(political party long associated with the CSU of Bavaria) in contrast to the majority of Ostfriesland which goes SPD.
Nor should the vigorous religious affiliation of many Uplengers be
ignored, which is shown in their strong participation in church
activities but also in their own, personal viewpoints which enable
them to take responsibility for the good of the general public.
For outsiders it is not easy to grasp the concept of Uplengen because the term is used to describe various areas. After 1973, the
designation-Uplengen-encompasses the consolidated communities
of Bühren, Großoldendorf, Großsander, Hollen, Jübberde,
Kleinoldendorf, Kleinsander, Meinersfehn, Neudorf, Neufirrel,
Nordgeorgsfehn, Oltmannsfehn, Poghausen, Remels, Selverde,
Spols, Stapel and Südgeorgsfehn.
8
This region is not exactly that of the Middle Ages' land of
Uplengen. Until the consolidation (in 1973) the Uplengen
name meant the church parishes of Remels and its daughter
congregations, Ockenhausen and Neufirrel, which was attached
to Firrel. The parish of Hollen which was included in the consolidation originally belonged for ages to Moormerland.
Thus, in the Middle Ages, Uplengen was made up of the following ten communities: Bühren, Groß-Oldendorf, KleinOldendorf, Groß-Sander, Klein-Sander, Jübberde,
Poghausen, Remels, Selverde and Spols. There was no precise or definitive border. The unending tracts of moorland
which practically surrounded Uplengen on all sides served as
settlement boundaries and governmental units. Hence, all
those settlements in the eastern portion of Uplengen were
counted as part of Uplengen: Neudorf, Ockenhausen,
Oltmannsfehn, Meinersfehn, Stapel and Stapelermoor.
Bentstreek, founded in 1935 and actually in the province of
Wittmund, was incorporated into the Uplengen church parish
of Ockenhausen.
To the north the little stream, Bietze, serves as the border between the church parishes of Strackholt and Uplengen. Strackholt belongs to Auricher Land. To the west the boundaries
were not defined. The residents of Groß-Oldendorf and KleinOldendorf grazed their cattle so far to the west that they came
into contact with the sphere of influence of the Barthe Cloister,
which was somewhere in the eastern portion of Firrel's territory. Firrel territory lay westerly from Kleinoldendorf in the
direction of Barthe without an exact boundary—it must have
been somewhere near Schwerinsdorf. The border dispute between Selverde and Filsum is well known. In reality, the bor-
der for Selverde should have been the Holtlander Ehe, but Selverde
claimed the meadows west of this tiny stream up to the territories
belonging to the cloisters at Hasselt and Barthe.
To the south the border runs about half way between the old settlements of Jübberde and Hollen. Jübberde is located on the north
bank of the Hollener Ehe and Hollen a bit to the south on the south
bank. That may be the reason why Hollen was not served by pastors from Remels, but had its own small congregation.
Since Firrel and Schwerinsdorf had overlapping territories they
were included in the consolidation, even though, strictly speaking,
they were not a part of Uplengen. However, it is not possible to get
a complete picture of the population without including the data
from Hesel, Strackholt, Bagband and Remels.
The actual name of this area is Lengen. "Up" is a prefix syllable
meaning "on" or "upon." The residents are called Lengener. Those
who left the area often took Lengen as a designation of where they
originated. Anyone with the name Lengener or van Lengen would
have ancestors from this area.
Until modern times the church parish was called Uplengen, not
Remels. In the past, the pastors signed themselves in documents
and records as "pastor lenganus." Even the castle at Groß-Sander
was called the Lengen Castle. The last known owner of the castle
was an Amke van Lengen who married the father of Fokko Ukena
in 1370. After the church at Remels could no longer be used as a
defense/fort church, the castle took on the duty of defending the
area from attacks from the east.
Occasionally, Middle Ages’ documents also use the name
"Lanzene" or similar versions. Lengen is most certainly a name
older than a thousand years.
A Brief Topography of Uplengen
To underestimate a small region like Uplengen would be a mistake.
We will trace the natural features which are found in the area. The
most prominent are the two waterways which enter Uplengen on
the northeast and exit it in the southwest. Both of them have the
unimaginative name Ehe which means nothing more than "water."
To distinguish them, the western stream is called the Holtlander
Ehe and the eastern stream the Hollener Ehe. When we attempt to
explain the name, Jübberde, you see that streams change their
course over time.
That, however, does not change the important role waterways have
played in the agricultural sphere. They arose during the last great
ice age and are remains of melting streams from glaciers which
covered the area. Between them there is a higher, sandy spit of land
upon which people later settled. Hence, Uplengen has three centers
of settlement: Groß-Oldendorf and Klein-Oldendorf on the northern geest ridge; Poghausen, Spols, Bühren, Remels, Selverde and
Jübberde on the Geest ridge between the two Ehe streams; and
Groß-Sander and Klein-Sander to the east of the Hollener Ehe.
9
This natural order predestined Remels to be a centrum, for
the other settlements were not substantial enough to be independent. It seems like Groß-Oldendorf and Klein-Oldendorf
ought to have had their own parish, but they were not capable of sustaining one. Thus, from early on, the "one for all
and all for one" maxim became operative.
Because of the two stream beds or valleys, Uplengen developed three different landscapes which can be experienced
within a short amount of time and distance by a hiker: the
meadowlands along the two Ehe streams, the Geest area near
the villages with farmland, hedges and woods, and the moor
land with its vast expanse and stark beauty along the Lengener Meer (lake).
The Belt of Colonies
North of Uplengen, stretching in a west-east direction, is the
largest collection of moor colonies in Ostfriesland. They
border highway B75, which branches off from the western
edge of the Hesel Forest going to the north leading to Marx
and Friedeburg. The designation "moor colony" is somewhat
misleading here because most of these settlements are not on
the moor, but on the uninhabited Geest areas partially bordering on the high moorlands.
Until now, local literature has dealt with each colony individually but the larger view has not been presented. The
beginnings are to be found in the west just north of the Hesel
Forest where the Firrel colony was founded in 1764. The
property of the Barthe cloister was made available then, even
before Frederick the Great had issued his Urbarmachungsedikt
(Land Reclamation Edict). Close by on the west, the colonies
of Südermoor, Bartherfeld and Neuemoor were established. To
the south of Firrel but separated by a high moor land, Schwerinsdorf was founded. Firrel kept expanding to the east until it
became so large that it had to be divided. The new colony to
the east of Firrel was named Neufirrel (New Firrel).
To the north of that, Fiebing, Zwischenbergen and Voßbarg
arose. And still the development stretched to the east adding
Neudorf, Ockenhausen and Oltmannsfehn, and Bentstreek
closed the gap all the way to Marx. The next gap, between
Neufirrel and Neudorf, was then filled in according to local
dialect by Blitzenfehn. To the south of Ockenhausen we find
Stapel, Meinersfehn and Stapelmoor. Then, the large gap between Voßbarg and Bentstreek was filled by today's Wiesmoor
which developed from the colonies of Auricher-Wiesmoor,
Friedeburger-Wiesmoor, Mullberg, Rammsfehn and
Hinrrichsfehn. One can wander around this entire region without once coming in contact with an old, traditional, Ostfriesian
town.
Special house types, traditions and customs were developed in
this area as well as variations to the Ostfriesian low German
(Plattdeutsch). The families of this area are also closely related
and bound together in these communities.
Until modern developments rendered them obsolete, the usual
modes of making a living in this area were small agricultural
family operations. The success of Wiesmoor allowed many to
earn a living by harvesting peat for the power company, or the
nurseries and the farms. These people developed their own
outlook on life which is different from the so-called fen residents. The fen people based their form of settlement on the
canals which were the gateway to the outside world and which
gave them a more expansive world view and
well-being.
Discoveries
Numerous archaeological discoveries have been made in the region. Among them are a small bronze wagon, skeletons in the
moor, log roads (corduroy roads) through the moor, Middle Ages'
settlements, and small treasures.
A Small Country With an Eventful Past
Two Thousand-Year Old Communities:
In a Cadastral register from the 9th/10th centuries from the Werden Cloister near Essen which was founded by the missionary to
the Friesians, Liudger, during the time of Charlemagne, an entry is
found listing settlements which exist to this day:
Mundingasi (Mundingast—most likely Holtland):
Hasla = Hesel
Timberlae = Timmel
Seluuida = Selverde
Holanlae = Hollen
Ambrik = Hammrich
Fillisni =Filsum
These seven towns were obligated to support the Werden Cloister.
The amount would have equaled some thousand plus Euro in today's money. There must have been some procedure or system
for collecting the money and delivering it to far-off Werden—most
likely some authority responsible for getting the funds to the cloister.
Take notice here that the seven towns make up a coherent region
bordered by waterways on the north and the south with Hesel as a
center point. The record does not indicate the amounts to be raised
from each town--only the total sum for the seven. It is possible
that some local leader (like an early bailiff or count) was responsible for transferring the payments to the cloister.
After the dissolution of these "noble" families, their entire property
was bequeathed to the church. There is no other way to explain
Along this line, a dialectical curiosity must be
explained. When these people speak about a
place where they were born, or where they live,
or where they intend to visit, they often will not
use the preposition "in," but will differentiate—
something which is based on low German but
can be found in high German in the church records. The word "in" is used for the old towns
which dated to the Middle Ages. But the word
auf (on or upon) is used for the moor colonies
and the fens. So one might live "in" Remels, but
his parents live auf (on) Neudorf. Or someone
has visited an aunt in Kleinoldendorf but visited
an uncle auf Neufirrel (up Neufirrel). Thus, one
is in Selverde, in Bühren, in Spols, etc., but auf
Ockenhausen, auf Klein-Remels, auf
Nordgeorgfehn, auf Stapel, etc.
10
the fact that three cloisters were founded in the vicinity of Hesel. There is a precedent for this, as found in 983AD documents for the cloister at Reepsholt.
Until the 13th century, Ostfriesland was subject to various outside counts or rulers, though it is difficult to understand how
these rights of rule were handled and carried out. There must
have originally been a connection between the counts and the
native families.
Uplengen seems to have been on the edge of this situation and
there were other political powers here. Most likely there was a
central power which was also responsible for the organization
of the church, specifically a centrally located church or cloisters for the Uplengen area as well as the lack of any cloisters
found in the area.
Historical Records Begin with the Name of a Woman
History becomes a bit clearer towards the end of the Middle
Ages. True, Uplengen was a part of the Emsgau (district of the
Ems River) since the Middle Ages, but the bond between
Uplengen and western Ostfriesland was forged by a marriage.
In 1370, the Häuptling Uko von Oldersum married Amke van
Lengen. It is assumed that she was the owner of the castle of
Großsander, though it cannot be proved. It is possible that she
came from some influential family from another town in
Uplengen. The name, Amke, is a particularly common female
name in Uplengen. Apparently, there were important families
throughout Uplengen with a Häuptling status for which there is
no record.
The son of Uko and Amke, Focko Ukena, voluntarily served
the Häuptling tom Brok. As the Häuptling of Neermoor Focko
was the bailiff (or constable) for Keno and Ocko II tom Brok of
Oldeborg and Aurich, and independently held sway and ruled
over his region from his seat in Leer.
In a document of September 11, 1398, Widzelt tom Brook and
Folkmar Allena transfer their holdings, including Lengederlant
to Duke Albrecht of Bavaria, who was also the Duke of Holland at that time and they then managed their properties in feudal tenure for him. So, Uplengen was formed into a "realm."
Similar to Overledingen and Mormerland, around 1400 the
power was centered in the hands of 16 Redjeven (council men)
selected on a rotation basis who represented the people and
handed out justice. This arrangement had been dissolved in
other lands of Ostfriesland by the Häuptlinge. Even in the 18th
century we still hear of a Vollmachten (full power or rights),
perhaps a remnant of this council type of government. Another
remnant of this democratic structure was the so-called Burricht
umsetten which survived there until the 20th century.
After the fall of Focko Ukena in 1430, his properties and holdings were taken over by the Cirksena family of Greetsiel who
had been elevated to the rank of "Count" of Ostfriesland. In a
1434 document, the Uplengener land is called Lantzerland.
A seal from 1435 displays St. Martin beneath a Gothic Baldachin
with the right hand raised in blessing and the left holding a crosier. The inscription reads "S. universit[ti]s in Lanzene." The
name Lanzene is Lengen, and thus we know that this seal has to
do with the country of Lengen, and the accompanying description
tells us that the seal has to do with the bishop's office. A poem
printed in Cologne in 1519 also says: "Master martin Egberts
from Jemgum, priest at the church of St. Martin in Lengen."
Probably one of the siblings or children of Focko had taken possession of the maternal inheritance in Uplengen.
After the victory of the Bundes der Freiheit (Freedom Confederation) in 1430, Edzard Cirksena, Ulrichs older brother, fortified
the Lengen castle in 1432 at Großsander as a devense against
Oldenburg.
It is interesting that in 1440 Haye Harlda, the Häuptling of
Rüstringen lists among his various titles also that of Häuptling of
Lengen. He was the half brother of Sibet from Rüstringen who
himself was a son-in-law of Focko Ukena. In the declaration of a
truce in 1436 between various residents of Mormerland, Overledingerland, and Uplengen with the city of Hamburg, Scheltke
Tyen's son praises the official of Hamburg in the Emden truce.
This may be a grandson of Focko Ukena who was representing
him thre.
Ubbo Emmius writes about the castle and the fortifications at
Großsander a follows: "The Lengener were once ever-ready to
use their weapons, and often they stood alone against the attacks
from Oldenburgers who were their enemy and who would return
every year. As a fortification, there was a castle at Großsander
located in a very good spot next to the entrance to the village and
approached by a very narrow path through the moor. Where the
path neared the castle there were deep moats in a semi-circle
protecting the place so that no one could approach the castle
without permission without encountering great danger. And
then, in addition to that barrier there was a similar unbroken
trench constructed from the castle as far as Kleinsander, a distance of a half mile." Houtrouw says that on his travels at the end
of the 19th century, he was able to pick out traces of the trench by
Spols and Pogenhausen.
Lengen is included in the feudal agreement for Count Ulrich.
Under the reign of the Cirksenas, Uplengen remained an independent district until 1538.
In 1472, Countess Theda (widow of Ulrich, the first Count from
the house of Cirksena), herself a granddaughter of Focko Ukena
and great-granddaughter of Amke van Lengen, had the Uplengen
castle rebuilt with a bulwark and a deep moat for a defense
against Count Gerd of Oldenburg.
11
Observing the lax hold of the counts of Ostfriesland on the
land, the counts of Oldenburg attempted to claim the territory
for themselves with repeated attacks and occupations of various villages and parishes. Count Gerd of Oldenburg was
especially persistent in this. He was a supporter of Karl the
Wise, Duke of Burgundy and Count of Holland. He deemed
the time to be right for extending his power in 1473 and 1475
to move against the Ostfriesian Häuptlinge and western
counts allied with the city of Groningen by moving into the
districts of Friedeburg, Aurich and Stickhausen.
Blessed by a lasting drought he crossed into the neighboring
villages at the end of September with his mercenaries from
Westerstede. Uplengen was the first to be overrun. Those
people who did not flee took refuge in the Groß-Sander castle and in the church fortress in Remels. The commandant of
the castle at the time was Drost (bailiff) Sieveke von Heisfelde. Contemporary reports say that he tied up his long
blond hair in a hair band. Hence, the Oldenburgers ridiculed
him and called out that. . ."if he were a man, now was the
time to prove his bravery, but he prefers to hide in a corner
and act like a woman." They are said to have made fun of
him by calling out.. ."Where is this Siweke with the long yellow hair?"
Sieveke, however, allowed the cocky Oldenburgers to pass
by and sent messages to langen Haye (tall Haye), the bailiff
of Stickhausen asking him to help draw up a plan for fighting
the Oldenburgers. So, Count Gerd did not remain here long
and moved on further in the direction of Strackholt, Bagband, Hesel and Holtland. He stole livestock and all portable
goods, anything he could transport, and caused great damage
in the embattled villages. He returned via Detern, but he had
miscalculated. Sieveke and Haye had prepared a trap for
him. Near Detern the Oldenburg troops had to cross (almost
single file) through the marshy, swampy land on a narrow
dike. Suddenly, from all directions, Ostfriesian men popped
up from ditches and from among the reeds attacking the
strung out soldiers with immense shouting and fighting.
Because of their huge booty which they were transporting
and being exhausted from their long campaign, they were
less agile than the Ostfriesians, and they suffered heavily.
Anyone not killed got lost in the moor and made it home
after a long time. If the historians of the time can be believed, more than 1,000 Oldenburgers lost their lives in this
battle. Most of their booty was also taken from them.
Eight years later the brave commandant and bailiff, Sieweke,
even took Alef (or also Adolf), the son of Count Gerd of
Oldenburg, captive, and brought him to the Berum castle.
Sieweke fell in 1486 near the Bokel Woods (near Apen) during a plundering expedition with Haye against Adolf. Haye
was taken prisoner. Alef from Oldenburg obtained the return
of his freedom after swearing to a truce and paying a ransom.
In 1496, Count Edzard I stayed at the Lengen castle. It was
at this time that the will of Theda (wife of the bailiff, Victor
Frese, Häuptling of Loquard and Uttum) was signed/sealed
by the counts, Edzard and Uko.
Uplengen during the Saxon Feud
During the so-called Saxon Feud, Uplengen fell into enemy hands.
In 1513 Count Edzard I was put under an imperial ban. In January
of 1514 the Vollstrecker came on. This was a coalition of 24 imperial princes and others who, in May of 1514, came under the command of "Heinrich des Quaden" of Brunswick and Count Johann, the
Elder, of Oldenburg, with 20,000 Guelph-Oldenburger soldiers invaded Ostfriesland and conquered Stickhausen and Uplengen. Supposedly 60 tons of powder were fired during the siege of the GroßSander castle. They occupied the castle, but could only hold it for a
year. The plague spread among the occupation troops, claiming
many victims. When Count Edzard I came around the following
summer, the Lüneburg bailiff, Melchior von Campe, handed the castle over to him without a shot being fired.
After his victory at Leerort, Edzard I was once again the ruler of
Ostfriesland. In 1517 the imperial ban was lifted, and Edzard I
bought back the Stickhausen castle.
The End of the District of Uplengen
In 1535, Counts Enno II and Johann had the castle at Uplengen
razed. This "house" as told above, where Sieweke had caused great
damage to the Oldenburgers. It had been a fortress for the surrounding residents.
Enno II was married to Countess Anna from Oldenburg and Delmenhorst, which caused the border disputes between Oldenburg and Ostfriesland to vanish. The castle at Großsander was razed in 1538 and
the stones were used to expand the castle at Stickhausen.
The district of Uplengen was consolidated with that of Stickhausen
in 1538. This consolidation made Uplengen a division of the county
of Leer. However, the Uplengeners retained a special privilege. In a
special contract concluded in 1611 by Count Enno III with the district of Stickhausen, the revenues from Uplengen were to be calculated in a different manner than for the other areas of the district.
There were also differences in inheritance laws in that sons and
daughters inherited in equal shares, except for the Hoferben (the
farm inheritance). H. Wiemann determined that in 1743 the property
belonging to the Großsander castle amounted to 14.75 hectare of
mostly sandy soil.
Even after the razing of the castle itself in Großsander the place itself
remained as a customs and postal stations witnessed by the surviving
coach house, which has been renovated as a memorial for the fallen
in both World Wars. There is also a surviving remnant of the fortification wall. In the land of Großsander one can still find traces of the
trenches which were laid out for defenses on the eastern border of
Ostfriesland by Edzard.
The Situation of the Church in Uplengen
Until the present day, Uplengen has remained a large parish with the
St. Martin’s Church as a central figure. In addition to Remels, the
towns of Bühren, Großsander, Kleinsander, Großoldendorf, Kleinoldendorf, Spols, Poghausen, Jübberde and Selverde, are part of this
parish. Later the colonies of Klein-Remels, Neufirrel (reassigned to
the parish of Firrel in 1899), Neudorf, Ockenhausen, Oltmannsfehn,
Meinersfehn and Stapel were included. (These last colonies made up
the parish of Ockenhausen in 1898).
12
REMELS…
Landkreis Leer; Lutheran. Lengenerland
Once St. Martinus/St. Martin, Diocese of Münster
The church dates from the first half of the 13th
century, with building alterations about 1300.
Located near the federal highway; constructed of
granite, Tuffstein, and brick. A rectangular
church with four Gothic windows and triple window grouping in the east wall. Romanesque
portals of granite in the long sidewalls. Vestiges
of the main frieze, a Deutsches Band frieze can
be seen under the eaves.
Interior: Dominated by the four remaining vaults
with ribbing supported by large buttresses extending from the walls. The west part of the east
vault is an older portion of the structure whose
apse foundation was discovered during excavations.
The west wall, like the east
wall, once constituted the
watch tower of the church.
The present west tower dates
from the end of the 19th century.
Baroque organ from
1782. Late Gothic gate in the
east of the cemetery features a
vaulted arch on the ground
level.
13
About Money: Gulden, Taler, Ort, Schaf and Witten...
OSTFRIESEN COINS
Heyken, Heyko and Eva, Die Einwohner des alten Amtes Wittmund von 1565 bis 1752 (The Residents in the old district of
Wittmund from 1565 to 1752), pp. 606-609; Translated by Gene
Janssen
There is disagreement about whether the Harlingerland had its
own coins. Tergast thought that the 1379 term marcis moneta
Herlyngye, used by the judges in a ruling concerning Bremen,
indicated that it was so. But who would have minted them? A
Kankena? a Wibet? After Keno Hilmersna tom Brok had invaded
Jeverland in 1381 and had conquered the Wittmund castle, the
tom Broks took over the minting of coins for Jever and operated
mints both in Jever and im Broke—the Brokmerland. Ulrich
Cirksena (died in 1466) married Foelke, the daughter of Wibets
from Esens and had coins minted which bore the Cirksena coat-of
-arms.
In the tax or levy lists for 1565 one finds Gulden, Daler/Taler,
Ort, Reichstaler, Schaf and Witten as currency denominations.
These were the basis for figuring all taxes for several centuries.
Witten represented the smallest coin denominations for ages even
though the last had been minted in 1621.
The standard for currency was the Silbermark (silver mark). By
imperial decree in 1566 in Augsburg, the value of one Silbermark
was pegged at eight Reichstaler. Previously, silver had been
more valuable, but because of the influx of silver from the new
world it had been devalued, and a new standard needed to be
fixed. In 1690 one Mark was deemed equal to 12 Reichstaler;
and after 1740 it became 14 Reichstaler to a Mark. The term
Taler came about because a lot of silver had been discovered in
the Joachimstal (Joachims/valley—Tal means valley) of the
Erzgebirge (a mountain range). The counts, named Schlick,
minted coins from the silver and called them Joachimstaler,
whence came the term Taler. [and incidentally our dollar as
found in American terminology]
A Viertal-Taler (quarter Taler/dollar) was then named Orth or
Ort. Originally this was a term for a gold piece, i.e. an Ort of
Gold. The Gulden was also a gold piece. In 1462 an enkelden
Rinsgulden was valued at 46 Krumstert; an Arensgulden (that is a
Gulden from Arnheim in Gelders) was worth 16 Krumstert. The
Krumstert was a Flemish coin from the year 1419. Its name was
derived from the figure engraved on it of a lion with a very
crooked tail (Krum= crooked, Stert=tail).
The Cirksenas replaced the lion figure with that of the harpy, but
the value set at 4 Witten remained. These Witten (actually
Weißpfennig--white pennies) were so called because of their high
silver content which made them very shiny when they were new.
They had been minted in Lübeck since 1365 and were worth four
Lübeck Pfennig. They were distributed throughout the trade
routes of the Hanseatic League and were later copied in Ost14
friesland to serve as the smallest
coin. In addition, there was the
Schaf. This term had been used since 1496 in Burgundy and
was derived from the figure of a silver fleece/sheep's wool engraved on it. Later, other figures are found on the coin, but the
name remained. A Schaf was worth 20 Witten.
Gradually, the old reckoning denominations of four, six, eight
and 12 were replaced by the decimal system. In 1255, one Mark
equaled 12 Schilling or 12 Pfennig. A Schilling was divided
into six Stüber, a Flindrich equaled three Stüber; a quarter
Stüber equaled one Oortje. Later one Stüber = 10 Witten = 1/2
Schaf; two Heller = one Witten; one Krumstert = four Witten =
one Grostchen; one Florint/Florentiner = 12 Schaf = 240 Pfennig.
For many years the mint in Emden was owned and operated by
the city of Hamburg. The official office for the mint was called
the Wardein. From 1439 onwards, after the Cirksena family
rule, the Cirksena’s took over the Emden mint.
Six Stüber
Ostfriesen
Coin
1614/1617
Emden
Groschen (10 Pfennige)
The Groschen was an official currency unit in Prussia until
1871. The Prussian currency was the Taler (see below.) One
Taler = 30 Groschen = 300 Pfennig (originally, 360 Pfennig, but
this changed in the 1850s). The Taler currency was also in use
in smaller states in northern Germany.
Taler (3 Mark)
remained a common term for three Mark coins until they were
discontinued a few years before WW I. It has the same origin,
by the way, as the US Dollar, the Danish Rigsdaler and the
Swedish Riksdaler. (If you pronounce it correctly you'll still
hear it. Namely, they stem from the name of the currency used
in the area of Joachimsthal in the 16th century: the JoachimsThaler.
Sechser (5 Pfennige)
The term dates back to the mid-19th century. Until the 1850s, a
Groschen had 12 Pfennige, and a Sechser was, therefore half a
Groschen. When the Groschen later lost two Pfennige and was
only 10, the new five Pfennig coins were still, colloquially,
called Sechser, which persists until today.
Travels in the north of gerMany
Source: Hodgskin, Thomas, Travels in the North of Germany,
describing the Present State of the Social and Political Institutions 1820, Archibald Constable & Co., Edinburgh 1820.
Part two, continued from Issue 2, 2008. Actual spelling and
punctuation is used.
Aurich, though not so large as Embden, has always been the
seat of government of East Friezland, and was formerly the
residence of the counts. Their palace is now a barrack, though
Aurich still remains the chief place, and is now the seat of the
provincial government, and of the chief tribunal of this province.
I saw nothing so curious here as an establishment for the poor.
It was a house, to which a spot of ground belonged, on which
three cows were fed. A sum of money was given the people to
buy bread, but the younger ones, and those who were able to
work, provided for the rest, and did all the work, such as milking the cows and cooking, which was necessary to nourish the
rest, and keep the place clean. Forty-two old men, women and
children were all huddled together, but the place, though small,
was clean.
A canal (not the one before mentioned) connects Aurich with
Embden. It has also been made by subscription; but, in consequence of its not having been carried so far as was intended, it
is said not to pay the stockholders. The changes which took
place in the political situation of Friezland had hindered the
original plan from being fully executed. The canal was to have
extended to Witmund, and perhaps, ultimately, to the Weser,
though this part of the execution would have depended on the
sovereign of Oldenburg. Had the plan been fully executed,
there is little doubt it would have improved the country, and
that the subscribers would have been paid a proper interest for
their money.
I went in a track-boat, by this canal, to Embden. It was evening when we reached Embden. The town-house is a fine old
building. The inhabitants appeared mostly very good looking,
and were all very cleanly dressed. Short white or coloured
jacket, with black petticoats and black silk aprons, a white
clean cap, pinned close to the head, and ruffs about the neck,
was in general the dress of the females, though many of the
better sort were clad after the fashions of France or England.
The older women wore a more ancient costume, of which the
principal part was a hat that was as large as an umbrella.
Sunday in Embden was observed as Sunday is observed in
England. No business was done. The people all went to
church, and partook of no amusement but a walk.
The walls of the town inclose a much larger space than the
houses at present occupy; formerly, also the people were not so
conveniently and spaciously lodged as at present, and it is, therefore, probable, as is asserted, that Embden once contained many
more inhabitants than at present. In 1649, they were estimated at
20,000, and at present 12,000. Embden was once a powerful
member of the Hanseatic league, and was then an independent
city. Keeping sometimes the prince prisoner, and always bidding
him defiance. It retained the greater part of its power and privileges till 1749, and it only fully lost every shadow of freedom and
independence when the government of Hannover gave it, in 1818,
an entire new constitution.
Its trade was formerly much greater than at present; from the beginning of the seventeenth century it appears to have declined;
under the prohibitive system of Bonaparte, it made a rapid progress, and its merchants rapidly made fortunes; the general peace
had again very much diminished their trade, and made them at
the moment full of discontent. The harbor of Embden is said to
be growing shallower, and projects have been formed by the present government to remedy this. It has proceeded so far as to
appoint an engineer, and to take into its own hands the tolls
which formerly belonged to the town. Magnificent schemes have
been talked of, but there is a want of funds to execute them. The
trade of Embden will hardly recover under the fostering care of
the Hannoverian government, but while its port remains large
enough for a single vessel to enter, Embden has so favourable a
situation, that it will always have a considerable trade.
The same extraordinary manner of building farmhouses, which I
have mentioned, when speaking of Hadeln, also prevails in
Friezland, and, from the wealth of the farmers, is very conspicuous in the vicinity of Embden. That a common German bauer,
whose corn is thrashed so soon as it is housed, who has perhaps
only a pair of horses and cows, should find it convenient to cover
all his worldly goods under one roof, is not surprising; nor did I
observe that their houses were enormously large. But, when I
saw the same mode practiced in Friezland by the largest farmers,
I was astonished at the strangeness and the magnitude of the
buildings. The rich farmers of Friezland, who have some of them
fifty cows and sixteen horses, and whose dwellings are spacious,
cover the whole with one roof. I have counted 50 windows in the
dwelling part of the house, and attached to this, and under the
same roof, were the stalls for 50 cows and 12 horses. The dwelling is at one end, at the other end is the stable; on the sides between the two ends are the stalls for cows, the middle is the
thrashing floor, the barn, and the place where the carts and the
farming instruments are kept. At the outside of the end farthest
from the dwelling is the dunghill. The inhabitants say this a
cheaper and better way of building than any other, that all their
conveniences are at hand, and that, when built of brick, and covered with tiles, when the stalls are nicely paved, as they are in
Friezland, it is a better mode than our of having separate buildings for stables, barns and cow-houses.
To be continued—Issue 4, 2008
15
The Mennonite Congregation at Leer
Imke Störmer, translated by Gene Janssen
An alert pedestrian strolling through the old part of Leer notices it:
a clean, gray building, somewhat like a villa with arched eyebrow
windows and a columned entry. Only recently has there been a
plaque on the door revealing that here is where one of the oldest
"free" churches in Germany worships: the Mennonites.
They got their name from Menno Simons, a priest from the Netherlands who, like Luther, wanted to make radical changes in the
church in the 16th century.
Menno was born about 1496 in the little village of Witmarsum,
Dutch province of Friesland. Little is known about his youth and
parental home. His parents, who lived in Witmarsum, were very
probably dairy farmers. His father's first name was Simon, hence
the son's name Menno Simons (son). Since Menno did not enter the
priesthood until the age of 28, it can be assumed that he made the
decision for this career not so early in life. He may have received
his training in a monastery of Friesland or in a neighboring province. Menno knew Latin, and Greek was not entirely foreign to him.
During his study he acquainted himself with some of the Latin
Church Fathers. He did not read the Bible as such before his second
year as a priest.
Menno's inspiration came from the Swiss reformers, not from the
professor from Wittenberg, and the primary difference was that he
abolished infant baptism. He required a public statement of faith as
a prelude to baptism. To this day the Mennonites allow baptism
only after age fourteen.
On his missionary travels throughout northern Germany, Menno
Simons instilled a love of the Bible and a congregational spirit
among his followers. His model was the early Christian church.
Lay people were permitted to preach and to administer communion.
"They were equal to the theologians" says Katharina Genßler, the
pastor of the Mennonite congregation in Leer.
The former Reformed theologian values highly the independence of
the Anabaptist congregations. Each of the 116 congregations in
Germany supports itself financially. Genßler is only the second
woman in a pastoral position of a Mennonite church. "The congregation chose me," she says, " there was no need of certification
from a superior official."
Menno Simons also admonished his followers to maintain a strict
separation of the congregation from worldly matters. Too close a
contact seemed to him as unbiblical. The Leer Mennonites followed this teaching and lived almost an isolated existence in the
city. Their church, built in 1825, was barely recognizable as a sacred structure. There are no bells. They would have proclaimed the
16
presence of the congregation
too loudly. Their inconspicuous mode of living
soon brought upon the Mennonites a sobriquet. People
called them "the quiet ones
in the land." Their places of
worship were called "hidden
churches."
But, many rulers considered
the little faithful band to be
dangerous rebels. Based on the Sermon on the Mount, this
self-proclaimed church of conscientious objectors refused to
take any oaths of allegiance or do any military service up
into the 20th century—a custom inherited from the pacifist,
Menno Simons. But then, why are the names of war veterans found on memorial plaques in the church at Leer?
Genßler says “they are viewed as a caution. Many Mennonites opt for a civil service, but the congregation no longer
makes any requirement about it."
On the white communion table beneath the pulpit lies an old,
artfully decorated Bible. However, few visitors can decipher
the text because it is Dutch. That is an indication of the roots
of the Leer congregation. Its founders were wealthy Mennonite linen dealers who had fled to the safety of Ostfriesland from the persecution of the Dutch princes around
1540. For the privilege of safe haven in this city on the Leda
River, the capable merchants had to pay large sums of
money.
According to Genßler, Dutch was the language of the sermons and the hymns up to a hundred years ago. Contact is
still maintained with the Dutch Mennonites (called
Doopsgezinde). However, in addition to the brothers and
sisters across the Dollart, the Leer Mennonites also are in
close contact with the World Conference of Mennonites from
sixty countries which meets regularly. They are particularly
numerous in North America and Africa.
Dialogue with other Christian churches developed slowly.
Partners in the Ecumenical Council of Churches, Mennonites
and Lutherans first celebrated communion with each other in
1993. Talks with the Roman Catholic Church continue. In
1970 the Mennonites of Leer merged with those of Oldenburg making an organization of 107 members. Their numbers have remained static. Mission activity is unthinkable
for these "quiet ones in the land." The era of hidden
churches, however, is past. Genßler, says, "Our churches
are open to any who wish to know who the Mennonites are."
Werdum during the Mansfeld
Source: “The History of the House of Werdum” by Ulrich
von Werdum, 1632-81, Translated by Rudy Wiemann
In November of 1622, Mansfeld with what was left of his army,
fell upon Ostfriesland and ravaged it to an extent which it had
not experienced since the trouble with Gelderland and Bremen.
Mansfeld’s backer was the (Dutch) States-General, with Duke
Maurice of Orange in the lead, who initiated this move perhaps
to get even for an intercepted letter by Count Enno to the Spaniards in Brussels, Holland’s mortal enemy, assuring them of his
sympathy with their cause, or because they considered the reduction of their neighboring lands as furthering their ends. In
any event, a Mansfeld detachment, commanded by an officer
named Bubena, a Bohemian, soon arrived in Werdum.
He took up quarters in a farmhouse in North Werdum and, in
accordance with the laws of war, delegated a noncommissioned
officer, by the name of Joswalt, to back Hero von Werdum
(pron. Hayroh, 1586 - 1662, nobleman, owner of Werdum’s
Castle, father of the author) in securing the Castle and adjoining property by organizing a guard.
In the beginning this arrangement seemed sufficient, but soon
the mercenaries, contemptible of the authority of their commander and not restrained by any kind of discipline, demanded,
acted, and pilfered as they pleased with the greatest impertinence and used Hero’s house for daily reveling. In their
drunken stupor they would fling butter platters against the ceiling where in a few places on the beams the spots may still be
seen.
If Hero or Joswalt dared to reprimand them for these excesses
they would only start a quarrel and motivate the perpetrators to
undertake even greater outrages. These went as far as laughingly piercing a chained dog at the Castle’s gate with their
swords and openly threatening to do the same to his master.
Soon there was talk of a detachment of 4,000 French mercenaries, recently enrolled to reinforce Mansfeld’s army, approaching Ostfriesland by forced march, their unrestrained rapacity
exceeding even that of the Mansfelders.
Hero now sized up the situation, took account of his inability to
protect his property, and thought it better to evade the fury of
the approaching horde. He sent his sister by sea to Holland and
with his wife and other families of Harlingerland’s nobility left
for Jever, which under Count Anton Günther of Oldenburg was
safe from Mansfeld’s encroachment. There he stayed near the
west moat of the castle, not far from the wall, and witnessed the
chaos brought about by the masses of refugees streaming in
from all over Ostfriesland to be squeezed together in the confined space of a relatively small village which was quite unprepared for such an onslaught.
Worst of all was a deadly epidemic which soon broke out. Hero
saw how it began in streets a few blocks away, then spread to
neighboring houses where the lifeless bodies of those who had
succumbed to the plague were carried out one after another.
Unsettling also were daily reports about the occupiers’ activities
in Werdum which reached Jever through locals still fleeing that
ransacked village. Most of the better situated inhabitants of Harlingerland had fled before the arrival of the French troops, but the
poorer folk, less exposed to the threat of the enemy’s cupidity,
yet still wanting to evade the first onrush of the determined mercenaries, sought to hide with their beds and other pitiful belongings in the upper rooms of the so-called Stone House of Werdum’s Castle.
Count von Ortenburg, commander of the French detachment,
took quarters in that same house and chose the fireplace room on
the north side for his bedroom. The other rooms he divided
among his friends and servants. Most of the troops occupied other
deserted homes and often found them not quite bare of all provisions. In the time-honored heedlessness of soldiers, those were
soon consumed in debauchery and waste. Wine, beer, bread, also
grain, meat, and fish, and whatever was left to eat and drink was
quickly devoured so that within a few months the greatest scarcity of foodstuffs and other necessities of life oppressed this
whole region.
When the bread supply was as good as gone, the mercenaries
were forced to eat the beef of milking cows without salt, the cabbage cooked without grease, and at times even less proper fare
which they were obliged to stuff down their insatiable craw in a
disgruntled mood, or else go hungry. At times the cold caused as
much suffering as the gnawing hunger.
The winter of 1622/23 and the next brought a very hard frost
which lasted for weeks. The farmers and workers, whether they
had fled or chosen to stay behind, had not been able to supply
their hearth with the usual stack of peat, and most of the mercenaries were without winter clothes. The Frenchmen found it especially hard to endure the cold and consigned anything that would
burn, such as furniture, boards, fences, trees, among the latter
most fruit trees, to the fire in order to keep from freezing.
Count Enno had left Aurich for Esens as soon as the occupiers
reached Ostfriesland, and shortly thereafter Mansfeld, too, took
temporary quarters on the south side of that village’s market
place. Although Enno invited him several times to his castle,
Mansfeld declined to see him there. In the end the Count of Ostfriesland, anxious to protest the behavior of his mercenaries and
the sufferings Ostfriesland and its people were enduring, was
obliged to pay him a visit in his quarters.
Mansfeld reaction was that the invasion had not been his choice,
but should rightfully be laid at the feet of those whose orders he
17
was obeying. They—clearly pointing in the direction of the
States-General—had given him orders for still harsher treatment of Ostfriesland than his soldiers could be accused of.
Within a year and a half everything needed to sustain life had
been completely used up, and a terrible hunger and the resulting epidemic spread throughout Ostfriesland and Harlingerland. At the same time, Tilly led the Army of the Catholic
League to the border of Oldenburg, prepared to dislodge
Mansfeld from Ostfriesland. The latter then drew his remaining troops, decimated by hunger and sickness as they were,
into a fortified position around Greetsiel, from where the
French contingent was withdrawn by ship to Delfzijl, Netherlands.
Mansfeld offered his services to King Christian IV of Denmark and to the States-General. Dutch emissaries who came
and witnessed his little flock so utterly without discipline,
suffering from a severe epidemic, and sparsely supplied with
cannon and other war material, realized that there would be no
benefit in sustaining it any longer and closed their borders and
harbors to prevent its retreat through Holland. Many of Mansfeld’s troops began to trickle away through Groningerland,
Emsland, and Oldenburg. In the spring of 1624, the rest of
them finally left through Oldenburg looking like the forlorn
hope they truly were, but not before forcing the people to buy
them off with a large sum of money on the threat of burning
down their houses.
Most of the cannon taken by Mansfeld from Ostfriesland’s
fortifications were moved to Holland, among them a cannon
from Esens’s Castle which was of a caliber big enough to utterly demolish anything within its firing range. It was popularly called “Scoldnot” and is still remembered in Harlingerland by the verse cast into it at the foundry, ”Schimpenicht
heet ick, Scharpe schöte scheet ick, hadd’ ick myn beyde broders by der handt, ick wulde Verdedigen gantz Harlingerlandt”
or “Scoldnot is my name, sharp rounds I fire, if I had my two
brothers on hand, I would defend all of Harlingerland.”
(When those ”two brothers” were removed is not known for
certain.)
Meanwhile, by the grace of God, one blessing was granted to
this otherwise devastated region, namely during both years
which brought such misfortune the entire coast remained
amazingly free from the storms which are usual for this latitude, and the dikes all around Harlingerland and the rest of
Ostfriesland were not assailed by the floods in the least and
remained for all of those two years undamaged and solid.
If the angry sea had damaged or breached them, the remaining
inhabitants would have been unable to do the repair work.
When around Epiphany of 1624 the abominable guests had
finally departed, Harlingerland’s refugees began to come
back, among them Hero of Werdum, who brought order back
to his Castle and his other possessions to the extent that this
was possible.
Barstede’s "Schatthaus"
By Bernd Buttjer; translated by Gene Janssen
The striking Barstede farm house "Schatthaus" has a long history.
In 1448, a certain Udde Riekena built a Steinhaus (fortified home)
which looked more like a church than a castle. Later, the property
came into the possession of the Ostfriesian counts and princes who
leased it out to high-ranking officials. In 1712 the property became
a normal, large farmstead—the "Schatthaus." The fortified Steinhaus was razed in 1790; the present-day house dates to 1911.
The Ostfriesian princes are not remembered fondly in the village.
The Barstede farmers belonged to a vast Herrendienst-Aufgebote
(obligatory service force) which was found throughout Ostfriesland.
On the "aristocratic meadow," a broad expanse of grassland between Aurich and Emden, these farmers, as well as other villagers,
were required for centuries to mow the hay and deliver it to the
rulers. Every summer hundreds of people were to be found on
these "noble" meadows. Of course, they needed bread, butter,
cheese, bacon and beer, but working themselves to death for the
nobility was not to their liking. Hence, this obligatory labor was
discontinued in 1788—of course for a fee!
Nowadays, there are still eight large farmsteads in this village of
about 1,000 hectare (about 2,470 acres); however, agriculture no
longer plays as large a role as in earlier times.
In addition to the present-day Barstede population of 400 there is
also Neu-Barstede (new Barstede). This settlement was laid out on
the peat bogs of the older village and was first included in the parish in 1822. Conditions were not especially good in the beginning,
and there was a constant battle against flooding in the 19th century.
Barstede
and NeuBarstede
are a part
of the
Ihlow
parish.
18
NEWS FROM OSTFRIESLAND
Anzeiger für Harlingerland, 3/7/08
Leer/Wittmund - The “Regional Cooperative Center of Operations” for police, fire departments, and rescue units for Ostfriesland’s counties Leer, Aurich, and Wittmund will be located in Wittmund. This center will have 40 employees and be
ready to coordinate responses to emergency situations around
the clock.
Wittmund/Harlingerland - A Harlingerland Fair is being
planned for 16 Thursdays from June to September at three different locations - Carolinensiel, Esens, and Werdum - from 5 to
9 pm, when tourists are likely to be out for an evening stroll.
Participating stand operators are encouraged to offer local
products - craft, agricultural, industrial - that might appeal to
visitors as expressions of the lifestyle along the coast. Of
course, an important part of these happenings will be a culinary
kilometer—tasting of the wares as they walk.
Wiesmoor - Camping at Wiesmoor’s Ottermeer (Otter Lake)
began in 2001 with 10,580 overnight guests. By 2007, despite a
rained out summer, that number rose to 50,000, even though a
trend from 3 week stays to two weeks is noticeable. Currently
available are 205 camping spaces with an additional 34 being
prepared. More Dutch is heard in Wiesmoor these days, so an
effort will be made to stir the drums for camping on Ottermeer
in Holland too. To keep the younger set active, a meadow has
been made ready for soccer practice. The injury prone will not
get hurt here - it is located on top of a raised moor and guarantees a cushiony fall. This year’s Easter weekend is already
booked by people expecting to enjoy Wiesmoor’s traditional
Easter bonfire held at Otter Lake.
Ostfriesische Nachrichten, 3/7/08
Aurich - An “East Friesian Musikfest (for age) 50 Plus” is
planned here for April 15 by the East Friesian Society for Seniors with great participation by members of the Dutch
“Seniorendag Oldambt” of the neighboring communities Winschoten, Bellingwolde, Pekela, Reiderland, and Scheemda who
will be coming 700 strong by chartered buses. The Dutch
started their annual Senior Day in Winschoten seven years ago
with 1,000 participants. It has since grown six fold. Aurich will
feature concerts by both groups and participation by local businesses, e.g., a fashion show for seniors by an apparel business,
and a featured senior plate for 5 Euros at all restaurants.
Ostfriesen-Zeitung, 3/13/08
Breinermoor - This rural town holds one of Leer County’s 100
ft. garbage piles which has about 50 pipes resembling oversize
faucets sticking out of it. They are designed to draw out gases
generated by the decomposition of organic matter, mostly
methane, which is injected into a “compact co-generation plant
of heat and power”, also known as
“Blockheizkraftwerk”. The 900 kwh thus generated are fed into the commercial power net, and
the heat produced warms the station’s buildings and the treatment
facility for the escaping ooze.
Norden - The Ems will be backed up twice this year, in August
and September, each time for 52 hours, to find out if lengthy river
blockages have a detrimental effect on the river’s clarity and oxygen content. Motivation for these tests is Meyer Werft’s plan to
float its new ships down river in the summer as well, when the
oxygen content is lower. According to regulations, the river can
only be backed up when its oxygen content exceeds 5 to 6 milligrams per liter, which normally occurs only in the winter. Positive
test results would yield increased flexibility for the shipyard and
lessen the expense of dredging. The planned raising of the Ems
river levees will not start until next year.
Wittmund/Carolinensiel - “Nordsee Inc.”, the umbrella marketing
organization for all accredited coastal health resorts between Ems
and Elbe rivers, which includes the seven East Friesian islands,
has for years stirred the drums for the tourism region “Lower
Saxony’s North Sea”. Now the resort district CarolinensielWittmund has decided to go its own way, believing it could spend
the annual 30,000 Euro membership dues itself by offering concrete benefits, such as all-inclusive weekends, and achieve better
results. The statistics will take time to come in, and Wittmund
leaves the door open for rejoining some time in the future.
Wittmund - Reports stating that the German military is losing pilots to civilian airlines does not old true for the fighter squadron
stationed near Wittmund, which is responsible for the security of
northern Germany’s air space. To the contrary, it receives Phantom F-4F pilots from other air bases which are changing over to
the Euro fighter which Wittmund isn’t scheduled to receive until
2012. In addition, it has sufficient flying hours at its disposal to
keep its air crews well trained: 7,652 hours for its 145 crew members. Pilots are mostly professional soldiers and have the right to
leave the service, but it’s usually pilots of transport planes who
may get lured away with attractive salaries by civilian airlines.
Emden - The local Cassens-Werft shipyard has begun to cut steel
plates for the first of six 6,000 ton multipurpose freighters for Harren & Partner of Bremen. The plates will be shipped to Poland for
welded assembly and the hulls floated back to Emden for final
outfitting. The ships will have a placement capacity of 217 containers.
Jeversches Wochenblatt, 3/20/08
19
Hooksiel/Friesland - The local mussel fishers harvested a record 4,800 metric tons in 2007, more than 1,000 tons over the
result of the year before and worth an average of 1.28 Euros
per kilogram. The fishers are satisfied with the yield but do not
view the future of the mussel mass as secure. For one thing,
they are worried about the spreading of oysters which they find
in ever greater numbers in their nets. These mollusks need to
be raised in cages where their growth is monitored to yield a
consistently marketable size. Offshore construction activities in
connection with the new Jade-Weser container port and the
dredging of the shipping lanes are additional worries as these
stir up sea bed deposits which can suffocate the mussels. That
said, the members of the coastal fishers association Weser-Ems
brought in 11,053 metric tons of crabs, fish, and mussels worth
25.2 million Euros.
Borkumer Zeitung, 3/20/08
Borkum - This island’s Burkana Publishing House issued a
book which puts the spotlight on 22 local societies. It was officially presented to mayor Kristin Mahlitz in the city hall. The
mayor expressed her satisfaction and pride in the many-faceted
interests of her islanders as reflected in the book’s pages, and
their cheerful willingness to become involved in activities other
than those centered around self and family.
Emden - Emden’s harbor is a busy place and, using the results
of the first two months of this year as a gauge, expects to surpass last year’s (trans)shipment volume of 6.5 million metric
tons by a considerable amount. So far ocean going freight volume has increased by 18%, and inland waterways hauling by
14%. Project cargo has again been a substantial contributor:
176,017 cars have been loaded or unloaded and 28,064 metric
tons of wind power assemblies (+32%) have been shipped.
Bulk commodities saw a 50% rise during these first two
months as compared to last year.
Leer - The Leer County Administration is concerned about the
increased conversion of raised moor pasture land into tilled
acreage for the growing of biomass for energy extraction. The
peat bog protection program of the state of Lower Saxony prohibits such conversion, and the county has now criminalized
further attempts to do so which includes deep plowing, hole
digging, overlaying with hauled-in soil, trench digging, and the
placing of drainage tiles. Violators of the laws concerning
raised moor re-naturalization programs will be fined and required to put the land back into its original condition.
Ostfriesland - The local chapter of the Nature Protection Society in caring for re-bred European buffalo (Auerochs) and wild
horses, keeping 60 of the former and 15 of the latter in 3 wetland pastures near Hinte and Leer. It received a lot of bad publicity lately when nine buffalo died after getting stuck in
swampy ground. It claims that this has never happened before
and that the animals must have been panicked, as they normally
know enough not to venture onto swampy ground. Nevertheless,
to prevent a recurrence, the buffalo, not the horses, will be taken
off the wetland pasture.
General Anzeiger, 3/31/08
Rhauderfehn - Overledingerland folks responded with a large
turnout to the challenge of the Day of the Environment by volunteering for a planned outdoors spring cleaning endeavor. In Potshausen 50 volunteers, big and small, fanned out to collect bottles, tires, toys, paint cans, and whatever else people were ready
to consign to the dump. Strücklingen and Ostrhauderfehn mustered 100 volunteers each for this effort, and neither were other
communities to be outdone. Of course, it wasn’t the collecting
alone which brought so many community-minded folks out of
their houses, the brats and companionship afterwards did their
part to contribute to the day’s success.
Holtgast - This community is growing and its local economy is in
need of a boost which a willing investor is going to provide by
funding the construction of a centrally located complex of buildings to house shops, service centers, and duplex residences in a
park-like environment near the Community Haus and Tourism
Center.
Leer - In order to get more people interested in “Alt Leer”, i.e.,
Leer’s Old Town, a “Haus Messe Tag” was tried which sets aside
the blue law concerning Sunday business activity by allowing
retail stores along certain streets in “Alt Leer” to be open from 1
to 6 pm. It turned out to be a great idea, as visitors crowded the
streets, filled the stores, and enjoyed the (mostly) musical entertainment offered inside and out in the open. Judging by its success, an effort to turn this day into an annual event is sure to be
made, although, perhaps, under a different name. (Messe = major
industrial fair.)
Borkum - Crew members of the motor lifeboat “Alfried Krupp”
received life preservers outfitted with a radio beacon ready to
emit signals which can be picked up for several nautical miles
around someone who may have been swept overboard. Motor
lifeboat crews from the lifesaving stations Norddeich, Baltrum,
and Langeoog will also receive these devices.
Leer - This town’s harbor has two wings, named industrial and
commercial. The commercial wing passes by the core of town
and once had a large factory site on its opposite shore, the Nesse.
This site has been cleared and a brand-new section of multiple
dwellings has risen in its stead. The paving of the street nearest
the river with handsome granite-like artificial stone has now been
completed and accepted by the city engineer. This completes a
20
footpath around the commercial wing and constitutes a major
attraction for Leer. The paving of the next street away from the
harbor will now begin.
Borkum - The mayors of the seven East Friesian Islands Borkum, Juist, Norderney, Baltrum, Langeoog, Spiekeroog,
Wangerooge - submitted a joint resolution to the state of Lower
Saxony which makes known their opposition to new coal-fired
power plants to be built in Emden, Eemshaven (Netherlands),
and Wilhelmshaven. The Emden and Eemshaven locations, in
view of the prevailing south-southwesterly winds, are seen as
particularly detrimental to the islands’ air quality, the essential
property on which their prosperity as resorts approved by the
health insurance industry depends. The resolution furthermore
argues that the reputation of all of Ostfriesland as a model region for renewable energy will be at risk should these plans be
carried out.
Friesland/Wilhelmshaven - In 2008 physicians accredited by
the federal state of Lower Saxony must prescribe three percent
fewer therapeutic treatments than last year, this per agreement
reached between a coalition of health insurance companies and
the association of insurance-approved physicians. The district
agency in Wilhelmshaven has already appealed to patients to
accept a degree of reluctance by their physicians who are
weighing the efficacy of treatments such as massages, therapeutic gymnastics, or ergotherapy against personal initiatives in
the pursuit of health promoting exercises, designed, for example, to counteract work related repeated stress effects, feeling
that patients sometimes are too quick to ask for remedies such
Fangopacks. The doctors are caught between the savings oriented insurance providers and patients with ever increasing
demands. This not only goes for adults. Much medical expense
can be prevented if the parents see to it that their children are
mobile and often out in the open. Children encouraged to play
do not need ergotherapy.
NOTES FROM THE NORTH…
As I write this, summer is valiantly trying to make its way to Minnesota. (Those of you who know Minnesotans realize one of our
main topics of conversation is the weather!) Severe storms have
already hit the Midwest and many of our Ostfriesen families have
been affected.
Those of you who have been members for
a few years or have worked on your family
genealogies have probably at one time or
another had a conversation or received help
from Rick Gersema who lost his home and
copies of all the Ostfrisische Nachrichten
in the Parkersburg tornado (See insert for
more information.). Rick is slowly putting
his life together. We know others in the
area (Ostfriesens or not) were also adversely affected by this storm and we wish them well. Many
members have been in contact with us reporting there has been an
overwhelming
response from
volunteers, etc.
and they have
received numerous monetary
donations to assist the local
families. Once
again, the human
kindness prevails.
Parkersburg / KCCI 8 Des Moines Photo
We know others
in the area (Ostfriesens or not) were also adversely affected by this
storm and we wish them well. Many members have been in contact with us reporting there has been an overwhelming response
from volunteers, etc. and they have received numerous monetary
donations to assist the local families. Once again, the human kindness prevails.
Jeversches Wochenblatt, 5/3/08
As a board, we use summer to ‘gear up’ for the upcoming year’s
Wangerooge – The state of Lower Saxony has issued a paper
activities. A wonderful program has been planned for the Septemon the evolution of beaches and dunes on the East Friesian Isber meeting and our November tea is always a wonderful event. If
lands. These islands consist mostly of grains of sand and are
subject to steady shifting under the influence of the sea and the you are in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, don’t forget to come to
our new library. The resources available are numerous and we
wind. The dunes in particular, as they protect the islands from
continue to add to our OGSA collection. If you need assistance
breaking apart when hit by storm surges, must be constantly
while visiting, feel free to contact us at 651-451-6472 and we will
assessed. Not only the severe surges, like those of November
do our best to help you.
2006 and 2007, but the many lesser ones, of which there were
15 during the past winter alone, along with a steady west-toOn behalf of the Board, I wish you and yours a wonderful sumeast current of the sea, effect the very positioning of these ismer. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or conlands. On parts of Juist, Langeoog, Spiekeroog, and Wangerooge dune erosion happened on a scale which cannot be reme- cerns.
died quickly. But there are positive developments also, like on
Tschüss!
Borkum where a dune ridge along the north beach has stabiSharon Arends, OGSA President
lized. On balance, the complex morphology of these guardians
of the East Friesian coast make protective measures a permanent task.
21
Peat Mining in Ostfriesland
“Über die Vehne oder Torfgräbereien” (About Fehns and Peat
Digs) by J. Freese, Aurich 1789. Reprinted 1980 by Schuster,
Leer, and “Ostfriesland, eine geographische Heimatkunde” by
H. Thomas, Leer 1952. Excerpted and translated by R.udy Wiemann
Not too many years ago
peat bogs covered much
of the middle of Ostfriesland and parts of
Overledingerland (land
over the Leda river) and
Rheiderland. They were
separated by
“Geest” (sandy) ridges
on which most of the
population lived and
from where the assault
on the moors began.
A “Hochmoor” (raised moor) is easily recognized by its convex surface and the height it attained, 16 to 20 feet, since its start
at the end of the last Ice Age, about 15,00 years ago.
Today most of the remaining raised moors are moisture deprived
and overgrown with heather. Only in permanently wet places, as
along ditch banks, one can still see the gray-green cushion of
peat moss, or sphagnum, the true builder of the raised moor.
Ostfriesland’s scarcity in timber stands from which fire wood
could be cut caused these bogs to be systematically mined.
Freed from its overburden, the ground could then be reclaimed
for agricultural use and settlement by an expanding population.
Traditionally, work on the moors meant hard manual labor
which many an East Friesian immigrant to America knew from
first hand experience. The age of industrialization, however,
introduced efficiencies to this operation, as huge dredges outfitted with presses were deployed which reduced the bogs at a
greatly accelerated rate. In 1909, a peat-fired power plant was
built in Ostfriesland’s Wiesmoor the feeding of which with
pressed peat stripped 3,700 acres of bog in 40 years. The plant
was torn down in 1966. But what sprang up from the denuded
land was a prosperous region widely known for its large tree
farms, garden centers and flower shows.
Peat bogs take millennia to grow and once they are gone they
are lost forever. At the height of their exploitation not much
thought was given to the moor’s unique ecology as home to
many rare and specialized organisms that are found nowhere
else, but greater awareness of environmental issues today has
caused most or parts of the few living bogs still left in Germany
to be protected.
Ostfriesland’s raised moors generally consist of two main layers
separated by a third, thin layer. The younger, upper layer is rather
light in color, brownish or, when dry, sometimes almost white,
for which reason it is often called “white peat”. It consists mostly
of sphagnum with heather growing on its surface.
The older, lower layer, is of dark coloration, acidic, workable
(unless dried), dense, and gradually turning into coal. While the
fluffier brown peat holds little energy, the black peat’s high carbon content makes it a desirable fuel. (The EU classifies it as
fossil fuel.) The thin dividing layer consists mostly of wool grass
and heather. Sphagnum needs few nutrients from the soil but a lot
of rain water which it absorbs and retains like a sponge. Raised
bogs are able to support lakes, like Ostfriesland’s “Ewiges
(eternal) Meer” north of Aurich which was created by several
bogs growing together. Its bottom is sandy, and its lack of nutrients and the presence of “Moorsäure” (bog acid) leaves it bare of
life.
The “Niederungsmoor” (blanket mire, lit. lowland moor) or
“Wiesenmoor” (lit. meadow moor) in Ostfriesland grew in the
surface water left by the retreating glaciers. Large areas of it are
located belt-like around the higher “Geest” regions. Before the
dikes were built these areas were regularly flooded and received a
clay, alluvial overlay. Such stretches of soft meadow land, or
fens, are known locally as “Hammrich”. Nearer the coast the
alluvial overlay grew to substantial thicknesses, and its density
makes one forget that in most places it hides a “Darg” substrate
whose exact boundary is not known. These fertile areas are called
“Marsch”, although they haven’t been marshy since the construction of levees, just muddy when wet. Ostfriesland’s lowland moor
is made up of alkaline tolerant bog plants rather than mosses. Its
peat breaks apart easily, contains mineral admixtures, and has a
disagreeable smell, wherefore it is often called “Stinktorf”.
The entrepreneur who, with princely, later with royal permission,
intended to create a Fehn in a raised bog for systematic peat extraction and settlement first had to lay out a canal which would be
navigable, then dig down through the peat overburden to solid
ground and do the excavating. As his concession consisted of
nothing more than a water-logged bog, draining would be his first
step. He would cut ditches (which were called “Grüppen”) along
the centerline of the planned canal and 10 “Ruten” (Prussian rods,
about 12 feet per rod) over on each side to catch the seepage
when the canal itself was being dug. The side ditches would then
be deepened in the following year.
Progress permitting, the area between the side ditches could be
made more solid by burning and turning it into buckwheat fields.
In the first year of excavation two “Pütten” (layer-deep trenches,
seven to ten feet wide) of brown and one of black peat were dug
along the center line. In the following year four “Pütten” of each
were dug and the same number again in the year thereafter. After
the peat had been removed, the digging of the “Wieke” (canal)
22
could begin. Depending on the ground elevation it might
have to be dug to a depth of ten to 14 feet and could cost ten
“Reichstaler” and more per rod. A main “Wieke” would
measure from 24 to 34 feet across the top and 12 to 24 feet
across the bottom, depending on the preference of the entrepreneur. No more than 30 or 40 rods per year could be excavated this way. If one pushed forward and postponed the
widening until the second and third year, one could move
90 rods, but in that case the peat last dug would be quite far
from the navigable section and had to fetch a higher price to
make the operation worthwhile.
Rather than removing the peat from the canal’s right-of-way
himself, the entrepreneur had the option of leasing tracts to
peat farmers who were obligated to dig out and sell or otherwise
dispose of the peat in four to five years with family and hired
helpers. After the bog had been opened up in this fashion, it was
ready for exploitation which was done by laying out tracts, called
“Gedeelte“ (literally—dealt out), on both sides of the canal which
were then “untervererbpachtet” (i.e., leased in secondary hereditary tenancy, the first hereditary tenant being the entrepreneur,
the owner being the government) to willing peat farmers, called
“Kolonists”.
These paid the entrepreneur, or the corporation he may have
founded, an annual rent which gave them the right to the peat and
the ground underneath which he was expected to reclaim, and
which obligated the entrepreneur to bear the cost of the Fehn canal’s lengthening and maintenance. Generally, a “Kolonat” (land
assigned to a “Kolonist”) measured 300 ft. along the canal and
600 ft. deep, or about four acres, but could be larger depending
on the situation. Annually two to three full-depth trenches, approximately nine feet wide, were dug by a Kolonist family in the
600 ft. direction with the aim of stripping the tract of peat in 16
years. To fully exploit his concession, the entrepreneur later
drove so-called “Inwieken” (side canals) laterally into the bog
along which the peat extraction and settlement proceeded in similar fashion.
Until relatively recently, peat extraction was done exclusively
with manual labor and, especially when done under contract, required team work.
A team, called
“Ploog” (Platt,
pronounced
ploag), consisted
of four to five men
who first removed
the brown top
layer. This process
was called offbunken” (literally
deboning). A man
armed with
a “Sticker”, i.e., a
spade the blade of
23
which equaled the length of a standard piece of “Tôrf” (Platt for
peat, pronounced ‘turf’), then made vertical cuts into the exposed black peat at intervals equal to the turves’ width. A horizontal cut with a another spade was then made underneath and
two turves lifted up and placed on the edge of the excavated
trench. Here a third man, using a fork with bent tines, placed
them on a wheelbarrow with a flat loading platform which was
pushed by a fourth man to the drying place where it was tipped
sideways so that the turves would come to rest standing on edge.
Depending on the weather, the moist peat had to stand there for
two to three weeks. It was then “stuukt” (stacked), i.e., placed in
separated pairs, each pair at right angles to the pair below, six
layers high. Piled up in this way drying progressed rapidly. After being “umstuukt” (restacked) at least once, but perhaps several times depending on the weather, the turves were piled in
large heaps (Bülten) which were removed in late summer or fall.
The “stuuken” was usually done by women. Problems would
arise in a wet fall which made transportation from the moor
problematic. Well stacked “Bülten” of well dried peat would get
through the winter without suffering damage, but if the peat had
not been well dried and had to remain in the moor over winter, a
hard frost would cause it to fall apart. Depending on demand,
the brown peat was often hauled away as well and pressed into
bales for use as animal litter, soil enrichment, mulch, or insulation material.
An example of this kind of Fehn development may be seen in
Großefehn. There, from the nearest navigable waterway, the
Fentjer Tief, a roughly 100 ft. strip was dug into the bog down
to its sandy base to serve as the canal system’s right-of-way.
The canal itself was designed to be about 36 ft. wide and 5 ft.
deep and would serve as the moor’s drainage and transportation
artery. It’s excavated sand would be used for road construction
on both sides of the canal and for building site improvement for
future “Kolonist” dwellings.
To maintain a water level in the canal sufficient to facilitate waterborne transportation, differences in ground elevation needed
to be overcome through locks, of which there are six in the
Großefehn canal accommodating an elevation difference of
about 20 ft. In the summertime the water level in the higher ca-
nal sections frequently sinks, and wind powered pumping stations
were installed by the locks to raise it. (These pumps are electrically operated now). In Ostfriesland almost all Fehns are connected with the Ems; exceptions are the Norden and Berum
Fehns which drain into the Ley Bay of the North Sea.
Emden brought back from delivery trips in the fall. In this way
the bog progressively disappeared, the sandy soil turned into
productive farmland, and settlements became handsome farming villages. Some of them, like West- and Ostrhauderfehn,
have long taken on the appearance of a town.
The foremost need of the new Kolonist was for a shelter which
often consisted of a temporary house of sod or clay, covered with
a roof of heather or straw. Once they had earned some money
from selling peat, they build a brick house and thereafter a brick
barn, often in a “Gulfhaus” design (see January 2007 newsletter)
on a scale befitting his small holding. Transporting his product to
the market was done by ship. To eliminate the middleman, they
could acquire a punt, or peat boat on an installation plan, a move
which the Fehn Corporation supported. As soon as ground had
been cleared of peat, it was reclaimed and put to agricultural use.
The enterprising, ship-owning “Fehntjer”, or Fehn dweller,
would not only haul their own peat to market and bring back
fertilizer, but would take advantage of other opportunities offered in the transportation business—hauling peat and supplies
for other farmers. If this business kept a farmer away from
home for much of the summer, it was up to his wife and children to keep the homestead running. Canal shipping led many
young men into the life of a sailor, and many of them became
navigators and captains, which not only brought prosperity into
many a Kolonist house, but a lively and engaged atmosphere
into the settlement.
The sand was mixed with brown peat, for its moisture retaining
property, barn manure, river bottom deposits, and street dirt from
WELL IS DAT?
WADDEN SEA NATIONAL PARK
In the Wadden Sea, the water ebbs and flows twice a day, in a six
hour cycle. Giving rise, between Den Helder in the Netherlands
and Esbjerg in Denmark, to a 10,000 square kilometre large wetland, the like of which is found nowhere else in the world. In
order to protect this natural landscape on Niedersachsen's North
Sea coast, the area was made a conservation area in 1986.
The 288,000 hectare Niedersachsen Wadden Sea National Park
covers the tidal flats between the rivers Ems and Elbe, including
the East Friesian islands lying just off the coast. The visitor can
experience impressive natural displays and landscapes, such as
the characteristic salt marshes, the steep bank at Dangast or the
"floating moorland" at Sehestedt - the only surviving piece of the
ancient moorland regularly invaded by the sea in Germany.
(Translation and expansion of a paragraph about Karl
Emmanuel Immer, Hoogstraat's "Krummhörn Führer")
Translated by Gene Janssen
One of the most active theologians of the church struggles in
the 1930s came from the parsonage at Manslagt, Osfriesland,
the son of Pastor Eduard Immer. Born in 1888, he studied at
the Evangelische Seminary in Basel, Halle, Tübingen and Marburg.
He was the pastor at Rysum from 1914-1927, he attained great
prominence as pastor of the congregation of Barmen- Gemarke. There he founded the "Conference of Reformed Preachers of Germany" after an Emden model, an organization of
pastors in the confessional church.
On January 3/4, 1934, at Barmen, he organized the first
free, reformed synod. From May 29 to 31, 1934, the so-called
"Barmen Synod" met and developed the
"Reichsbekenntnissynode der Deutschen Evangelischen
Kirche”, the first instance since the Reformation of a united
stand by Lutheran Reformed and Union theologians and laity
giving birth to the "Barmer heologische Erklärung." Initial
meetings were held also in Tergast, the parish where our Ostfriesen friend, Pastor Guenther Faßbender, serves.
This Barmen Confession was the very public stance of the
protestant churches in Germany opposing the forces of National Socialism and the German Christian Church which had
been sanctioned by the Nazis.
Pastor Karl Immer would answer a "heil Hitler!" by barking back, "Immer!" The word means "always" so it was ostensibly OK. But it also reproduced the bourgeois custom of responding to an introduction with one's last name. Which may
explain why Karl Immer died June 6, 1944 in Bad Meinberg
after being arrested by the Nazis.
Numerous animal and plant species live in the Wadden Sea national park. These include seals, which are easily observed on
their sand banks, but also smaller creatures, such as the famous
lugworm, which you might come across on a tidal flats walk at
low tide. There are many opportunities to come into contact with
this unique
natural world,
the three National Park Centers, with
guided tours,
games and exhibitions serve up
"nature so close
you can almost
touch it".
SOURCE:
http://www.niedersachsen-tourism.de/en/regionen-staedte/
regionen/ostfriesland/index.php
24
TECHNOLOGY 101
Interested in the newest technology? Or just can’t keep
up with the newest—and sometimes the most expensive
of what is coming up? Here are a few things that don’t
cost an arm and a leg—plus they just might help you
out.
Submitted by Ray Kleinow
This page of the OGSA newsletter is intended for tips and tricks,
new info, and anything else we think will help you use your computer more efficiently to do your Ostfriesland research. Is this information you can use and would like to see in this column? Remember, this is YOUR newsletter column! What do you want it to be?
Send your comments to Ray Kleinow at; [email protected]
Are you short of RAM? Are you running Vista? Check out the
“ReadyBoost” option. If you have a fast USB flash drive, (not all
flash drives will work), you can virtually add RAM space via your
USB flash drive. Go to Start, then Help and Support on Vista,
type in “ReadyBoost” (without the quotes), and Vista will tell you
how to do this.
What is that key for? Ever notice the key on your keyboard with a
Windows Flag on it? Microsoft calls it the Logo key. Tap it alone
and it is the same as clicking on Start. Also, use it like an Alt or
Ctrl key in combination with other keys. Logo+e starts the Windows Explorer (File Manager). Logo+m minimizes all open windows, etc. See Windows Help for more combinations
Taking a Trip Soon?
We all like pictures and videos of our trips, especially Ostfriesland,
but carrying a video camcorder AND a camera can be a pain. And
we want high definition pictures. Also, we always run out of capacity. Why not have both in one unit? The new digital camcorders
with a good sized hard drive can take videos and still pictures!
How good are they? Well, “you gets what you pays for”, as the
saying goes. I am trying out a Sony HDR-SR11. The video and
stills are looking very good, even stills of handwriting on old documents where you need to magnify and touch-up. Capacity is about
seven hours of HD videos or 10,000 pictures at 10.2 megapixels!
Social Networking Growing Fast!
We all know the value of connecting with friends and relatives in
our genealogy work. Why not use the computer and internet to expand that network? Many times a friend of a friend has a clue we
need. Take a look a one of the fastest growing such networks at
http://www.familybuilder.com.
Familybuilder™ is a NYC software company that builds genealogy
and family-oriented applications for online social networks. Also
check out Facebook at http://apps.facebook.com/familytree; Bebo
at http://apps.bebo.com/familytree; and MySpace at http://
myspace.family builder.com. Obviously when using the internet
with these networks, mailing lists, or bulletin boards, be aware of
privacy concerns for you and others.
25
LINKS
TO
DEEP
ROOTS
•
By Ray Kleinow
Great Lakes Passenger Lists (correction – we did not include the URL for the Great Lakes Passenger Lists in the last
“Links” issueit is - http://www.mifamilyhistory.org/
glpassengers/ )
NARA Posts More Free Passenger List Indexes Online
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
has added passenger lists of Germans (and others) to the Irish
lists that were already available on its free Access to Archival
Databases (AAD) service. Each collection consists mostly of
immigrants who identified their nationality as German (or
others) when they arrived at the ports of Baltimore, Boston,
New Orleans, New York, or Philadelphia during the 1800s.
Remember, this list is from Indexes and the “Germans” may
be from there or an area considered “German”. Also, this is
not a complete list. Each collection has a “Manifest Header
Data File” and a “Passenger Data File”. The search engine is
not the easiest to use. I would strongly recommend you read
the FAQ document. Each database has its own FAQ with a
link at the top of the search page. It will definitely help your
searches in the databases and better understand your ancestor’s record. This is only an aid in finding the original ship’s
manifest for your ancestor, not a replacement for it. Once you
find an entry, you would go to the usual places to obtain microfilms of the originals such as a subscription to Ancestry.com; the Family History Center near you; etc.
More on Maps
You may not think Mapquest would help you in Ostfriesland,
but it did better than I thought. Go to www.mapquest.com and
see if it helps you. Click on “Maps outside the US and Canada”, then “Germany”. Other countries are there as well. I
liked the “hybrid” map display at the bigger picture level.
Canadian Connections?
Did any of your Ostfriesland lines go to Canada? Take a look
at "That's My Family," or "Voici Ma Famille". It is in English
or French. It is a new tool that searches genealogy and family
history databases hosted by Canadian federal, provincial or
territorial archives centers and libraries, along with several
commercial partners. "That's My Family" has no data of its
own, and is similar to Google, indexing data found on other
sites, but only Canadian sites containing genealogy information. Therefore, it should save you time. Indexed databases
include both free and subscription sites. The searches are free,
but some sites may have a charge to display details. Check it
out at http://www.voicimafamille.info.
Another great Canadian Connection is at http://www.collect
ionscanada.gc.ca/ the Library and Archives Canada. Also in
English or French. Again, look for search tips. See the link to
the “Canadian Genealogy Centre” on the middle right.
Ostfriesland, a Prince’s Earldom
In 1454, Emperor Ferdinand III elevated Count Enno IV of Ostfriesland to Prince of the Realm (Reichs-Fürst), and upon his death
his brother and successor Georg Christian was granted the same
honor, now made hereditary. Ostfriesland itself, however, officially
remained an earldom, although having a Prince at its helm qualified
it to be (not quite officially) called a Principality (Fürstentum).
With the death of Fürst Karl Edzard in 1744, the House of Cirksena
died out, whereupon the King of Prussia, Frederick II, the Great, on
the strength of an “heir-in-waiting” agreement granted his House of
Brandenburg by Emperor Leopold in 1694, took possession of Ostfriesland, calling himself “Fürst in (not ‘of’) Ostfriesland, Lord in
Esens, Stedesdorf, and Wittmund”.
The House of Brunswick-Lüneburg, relying on a mutual agreement
of 1691 between its ruling Duke and Prince Christian Eberhard,
which stated that each House should inherit the land of the other in
case one should die out, protested the Prussian action but did so in
vain as its agreement had never been submitted to Vienna for imperial approval.
.
Ostfriesland is divided into the following political districts:
1) Three cities (Städte), Aurich, Emden, Norden;
2) Nine counties (Ämter, sing. Amt), namely Aurich,
Berum, Norden, Greetsiel, Pewsum, Emden, Leer, Stickhausen, and
Friedeburg. They were formerly Herrlichkeiten but are now, like
the cities, personal and hereditary estates of the reigning Prince;
.
3) Ten fiefs (Herrlichkeiten, from Herr = master,
etc.; also Mr. ) consisting of Loga, cut out of Amt Leer by Count
Ulrich II and invested en lieu of repayment of a loan; six fiefs
owned by established families of nobility, descendants of chieftains
of old, as a reward for their cooperation with Edzard the Great in
modernizing Ostfriesland’s administration through the creation of
Ämter, namely Dornum, Lütetsburg, Jendelt, Risum, Petkum, and
Gödens; and the three Emden fiefs, namely Uphusen and
Wolthusen, Borßum and Jarßum, and Oldersum, which were acquired by Emden after their ruling houses died out, giving Emden
their votes in the first Estate of the Landtag.
.
The cities have their magistrates, but the Ämter are administered by
Amt Administrators called Amtsmänner - on which the King in
1786 bestowed the title Oberamtmann (First Amtmann) - and Rentmeister (administrator of finances). In the fiefs (Herrlichkeiten) the
nobility has its privileges administered by Judicial Administrators
(Gerichtsverwalter). Every Amt is subdivided into Vogteien.
Vogts are subordinates of the Prince’s civil servants through whom
they announce their mandates and have their orders carried out.
Every Vogt has charge of certain villages which together are called
26
a Vogtei.
Many Vogteien have Kirchspiele in which several nearby villages or communities and small places consisting of few
dwellings, or single places, or even estates having names are
churched together. The Ämter were formerly administered by
certain Amt Hauptleute (Captains) or Drosts whose functions
have been discontinued but whose title and position have been
maintained.
All Drosts are paid an annual salary of 500 Reichs-Talers for
which they do not perform the least bit of work but enjoy this
money as a benevolent salary, as the King fills their position
with men who have earned the merit of the fatherland.
Of the Drost’s salary, 282 talers are budgeted. The remaining
218 talers come from outside the budget and are derived from
court receipts which rise and fall with the court’s docket, but
are nevertheless fixed at that level for the Drost in every
Drostei, even though, based on the 1751 arrangement within
the judicial system, he should receive only a third, the Judicial
Amtmann two thirds of the court’s income.
This arrangement also states that these civil servants actually
have to perform the prescribed work, as according to the old
constitution the Drosts formerly took part in legal proceedings. But as his Royal Majesty confers these Drost positions
on military officers and other persons who cannot be present,
this is being changed under the reorganization of the judicial
system in Ostfriesland in a way that the lower courts will
benefit from an improved court receipt arrangement of Nov.
18, 1751.
Of these court earnings 1) the Amtsleute receive two thirds, 2)
the Drosts one third, the reason being that the former not only
do the most work in the administration of justice on which the
receipts depend, but even have to hire a clerk at their own
expense.
Hereby, as well as through the arrangement introduced in
1747 in all Prussian provinces which reset small claims cases
from 10 to 50 talers, the Drosts have suffered a severe disadvantage in benefits as in many an Amt it is difficult to divert
200 talers for the benefit of the Drost who was placed in that
position.
Source: Rev. J. F. Bertrams “Geographic Description of
the Principality Ostfriesland”, 1735, revised by C. H. Normann in 1785, and Walter Deeters “A Short History of Ostfriesland”, 1985. Submitted by Rudy Wiemann
Rheiderland "Zwillinge"
“Twins”, Article in the German magazine No.17, August 1991,
Almuth Petersen-Roil
An uncle and aunt of my mother had two sets of twins who died
as infants. About other possible twin births in our lineage I had
no idea until 1980.
At this time I started more intensive genealogical research of my
family: I was very interested in finding out more about my roots,
from where my family came from and how they have lived in
former times.
Have there been some extraordinary events? Have there been
famous or also infamous ancestors? I did not know how much
time the genealogical research would take up, how often night
would be turned into day and how my savings would melt. But
I have learned a lot about the history of the villages in my homeland—the Rheiderland.
Every seven years there appears to be “double luck". An additional result of my research is that I found that in my line in 260
years there were 35 births of twins and one birth of triplets. This
does not sound like a lot, but that means there is the birth of a
set of twins every seven years.
My family tree begins with the couple Menne Cornelis and
Wopke Janssen, who got married around 1691 or 92 (Grotegaste
or Mitling Mark?). Their daughters named Eite and Tybe most
likely had twins, too, and a sister of Eite and Tybe gave birth to
twin girls on September 23rd, 1731, named Grietje and Wopke.
The father Menne Cornelis died in 1703, and his wife Wopke
Janssen married Luitjen Peters from Völlen in 1705 . The descendants of the second marriage also had twin births and, therefore, Wopke Janssen’s family may have been the originating
family of the multiple births.
.
All descendants lived in the same places for a hundred years—in
the small area of the banks of the river Ems. That made it easier
to research the data of the descendants. Often sex of the twins
was not mentioned and so I cannot say how many of them were
male or female or mixed. But most of the researched births
where girl-twins.
Many of the female twins also had twins, with one exception:
my g.g.grandfather Aamse Jans Kromminga, who was a grandson of Menne Cornelis and Wopke Janssen.
.
Aamse was married twice and descendants of both of his marriages had twins, especially those of his 2nd marriage. In the
period 1915 - 1985 there were eleven births of twins and one of
triplets, almost every six to seven years there was a twin-birth.
The latest twins are Tami and Tyann Meyer from Lakota/Iowa,
whose grandmother was Erna Kromminga from Ditzumerhammrich. She emigrated in the late twenties or early thirties.
EDITOR NOTE: The amount of multiple births seems higher in
the Rheiderland area than other areas we’ve researched. My
great-great grandfather, Nanne Jans Fokken, had a twin brother
Geerd Jans – born in Bunde in April 1837. There have been
many multiple births in the descendents of this line, too.
OSTFRIESLAND’S TOURIST BUREAU
Email: [email protected]
Mail Address:
OSTFRIESLAND TOURISMUS GmbH
Ledastraße 10
D-26789 Leer
+49 (0)491/91969660
+49 (0)491/91969665
SURPRISE WEBSITES—Ostfriesland in Video!
You may need to turn the volume down on a couple of these.
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1166538/ostfriesland/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1ezHJ4Tiyw
http://www.ostfriesentv.de/on-tv_player.php5?id=1033
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7ifO38NcsY
http://en.sevenload.com/videos/0TgTTKE-Reiten-in-Ostfriesland
http://www.musik-videos.dk/Ostfriesland/
27
SHARING EMIGRANT DATA
Kurt von Loh saved data on emigrants who left Ostfriesland for
years. When he gave me the suitcase full of small pieces of
paper with emigration data in 2005, he told me he’d just retired
and wanted to get rid of the cartons of data that were in his basement. Since then, he’s produced more data each time I visit.
Gene Janssen spent almost two years putting this data into a
database that is now available from OGSA. When I showed
Kurt the disk at tea on April 16, I showed him the copy on my
laptop—and he was totally incredulous and enamored by it.
Over and over he said “I just cannot believe this—over 17,000
names!, I never believed that all those papers in my basement
had so much information.” and “Gene did such a great job!” He
spent more time going through the database than drinking tea.
He was also glad that the names were sorted by village indicating the number of emigrants and the time frame in which they
left.
FamFoGruppe Esens—Officers
On April 15, I presented a gift copy to the FamFo-Gruppe Esens
(genealogical society). When the building closed at 10:30 p.m.,
we couldn’t believe it was that late—the database was on my
laptop and everyone spent the evening poring over it looking for
family names. And I still had a 45 minute drive to Emden.
On April 22, Kurt von Loh and I met with Klaas-Dieter Voß,
Vorsitzer for the Upstalsboom-Gesellshaft, at the Johannes
a`Lasco Bibliothek, the Reformed Church Archive. We presented him with a copy of the Emigrant Database for the JAL
Bibliothek and for the Upstalsboom-Gesellschaft Bibliothek in
Aurich. All of the organizations expressed their gratitude to
OGSA for their donation and to Gene Janssen for this amazing
database.
So what’s in your basement?
Klaas-Dieter Voß, Lin Strong, Kurt von Loh
This is the CD ROM you’ve all been waiting
for! 17,665 Ostfriesen emigrant names are in
this database. Much of the data found in this CD was collected for over 40 years by Kurt von Loh from Borßum, Ostfrielsand. Gene Janssen spent more than one year transcribing
the data into this database. OGSA members have also contributed thousands of names. The database is Excel format—you
will need that program to use it.
Instructions are in a Word pdf file. $26 includes postage.
• Order your copy today: OGSA, 1670 South Robert Street,
#333, West St. Paul, MN 55118
28
A Last Will & Testament
Ever wondered what a will from one of your ancestors in Ostfriesland would have contained? This will came from an OGSA
member and includes valuable genealogical data.
I assume that this excerpt from the inheritance certificate will be
of interest to you as an item of family history alone.
The favor of a prompt reply would be appreciated in the interest
of this matter.
Emden, July 24, 1952
Walther
Attorney-at-Law and Notary Public
Yours truly, Walther, Notary Public
Dear Sir:
In the inheritance affair Reint Willms I thankfully acknowledge
receipt of your kind letter of July 15, 1952.
From the letter I took note of the fact that your mother, Mrs. Tetje
Harms, nee Willms, already passed on in the year 1931. Consequently, she did not become heir to her brother, Reint Willms,
deceased July 20, 1934, in Hamswehrum, but rather her children
in her stead.
So as to render them eligible for inclusion in the inheritance certificate, I am asking you to, please, inform me as to the exact
names and addresses of all the children and, if any of these children are deceased, of their children.
Moreover, I must be in possession of the death certificate of your
mother, the birth certificates of all persons eligible as heirs in
accordance with the aforesaid, and if any of them are deceased,
their death certificates as well as the birth certificates of the children of these deceased. As soon as I have clarity about the eligibility of heirs in this matter, I will send you power of attorney
which must be signed by all heirs.
All this, unfortunately, cannot be avoided, as in matters of real
estate, as is most likely the case in your country too, the government offices demand very formal proof of way an inheritance is
passed down. It would be very helpful too if you or another eligible heir later were to submit a sworn statement to cover the
proofs enumerated above. I would send you such a declaration for
your signature.
As I wrote you already, in view of the low value of the property
in question, the large number of heirs, and the high cost of regulating this inheritance, hardly anything will left over for the individual heirs. As you wrote, you and your siblings intend to waive
any and all claims to your share of the inheritance. Unfortunately,
the intent expressed in your letter does not suffice, and I still need
the above mentioned certificates to satisfy this matter.
I am enclosing an excerpt of an inheritance certificate, already
submitted to me for notarization on March 15, 1950, in which the
name of your mother, listed as 2) Frau Tetje Harms, nee Willms,
will have to be exchanged for the names of her children.
Abschrift = Copy
I. On July 20, 1934, died in Hamswehrum, his last residence, the
farm worker Reint Willms.
The following became the legal heirs:
1.) his widow Kuntje Willms, nee van Hoorn, Hamswehrum,
one half,
2.) as his marriage with her remained childless and his parents
had died before him, his siblings, or their children, respectively:
a) Eenke Harms, nee Willms, Hamswehrum,
b) Mrs. Tetje Harms, nee Willms, unknown residence, USA,
c) farm worker Willm Willms, Wybelsum,
d.) the children of his brother Ede Willms, Upleward:
1.) farm worker Willm Willms, Cirkwehrum,
2.) farm worker Hinderk Willms, Eilsum,
3.) unmarried Geske Willms, Upleward,
4.) Mrs. Anna Klüver, nee Willms, Upleward,
5.) Mrs. Siebertje Veen, nee Willms, Upleward,
6.) farm worker Ede Willms, Upleward,
e) Mrs. Hinderika van Hove, nee Willms, Groothusen,
f) farm worker Marten Willms, Pewsum,
g) the children of his deceased brother Ulfert Willms, Pewsum,
1.) Mrs. Anna Hollander, nee Willms, Groningen, Holland,
2.) Widow Siebine Riemann, nee Willms, Hinte,
3.) painter Hinrich Willms, Pewsum.
For a), b), c), e), f) one fourteeenth each.
For d), 1) to 6) one eighty-fourth each.
For g) one forty-second each.
II. In April 1944 died likewise in Hamswehrum, her last residence, the widow Kuntje Willms, nee van Hoorn. Her legal heirs
are her siblings, or her siblings’ children, respectively:
1.) farm worker Meindert van Hoorn, Rysum,
2.) farm worker Siemen van Hoorn, Rysum,
3.) Mrs. Feke Haan, nee van Hoorn, Wilhelmshaven,
4.) in place of the deceased Mrs. Janna Mammen, nee van
Hoorn, Emden, the children of her only daughter Frauke
Schröder, nee Mammen:
a) office worker Johann Schröder, Osterhusen,
b) Jenny Schröder, nee Schröder, Oldenburg,
c) Herta Mennenga, nee Schröder, Emden-Harsweg,
d) Hilda Sanders, nee Schröder, Borkum,
e) Elisabeth Sanders, nee Schröder, Borkum.
For 1.) to 3.) one quarter each
For 4.): a) to e) one twentieth each
29
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
OSTFRIESEN RECIPES
Welcome to OGSA!
Would you like a membership list? We can now email it to you
as an attachment!
These are typical Ostfriesen recipes. Some of these we enjoyed this year in Ostfriesland.
Snirtjebraa
Do you know someone who might like a sample copy of our
newsletter? There is a sample on our website. This is one way
we find new members! Contact us!
Membership Information
June 2008
1000 grams ( or 21/4 lbs. U.S. ) fresh pork tenderloin (pork
roast will do it too), (freshly butchered pork is best)
750 gr. or 1 ¾ lbs. onions, some shortening, flour, some cream,
salt and pepper.
Preparation :
Cut the meat in large chunks and strongly brown it in the shortening on all sides.
Add the medium chopped onions and brown them until light
golden, sprinkle a teaspoon flour on top of it and add some
water. Then spice the whole dish with pepper and salt, and let
it lightly cook for about 11/2 hours. After the meat is done,
taste the food, make adjustments with some more spices, and
stir the cream into it.
New Memberships:
Ann A. Allen, 400 Catskill, Richland, WA 99354
Anna May Claussen, 203 East 26th Street, Sioux Falls, SD
57105
Kenneth Garrelts, 1613 18th Avenue West, Spencer, IA 513012726 [email protected] 712-262-6884
Leslie & Shirley Harms, 1835 West 11th Street, Hasting , NE
68901 [email protected] 402-462-5994
Researching: Harms (Westersander), Jurgens (Ihlowerfehn)
You can serve the dish with red cabbage, red beets, pickles and
potatoes and of course, beer! Even some wine, like a Beaujolais or a Cotes du Rhone would not disturb the harmony.
Robert Jibben, 1821 West 49th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55419
[email protected]
Rheiderland Potato Soup
Ingredients:
500 grams (1.1lbs.) Potatoes, 1-2 Onions, 1 clove Garlic
¼ liter (9 fl oz.) Cream, ¼ liter Vegetable Broth,
Butter, Thyme.
Sherry Power, 1188 Oakland Way, Corona, CA 92882
[email protected] 951-316-4662
Researching: Sterrenberg, Sternberg, Sternborg, Folkerts, Linder
(B unde, Wymeer)
Preparation :
Peel the potatoes and the onions, and sauté with garlic in butter. Add broth to it, and let it cook for about 20 minutes on
medium-low heat. Next, add the cream and the thyme, bring it
to a short boil, and then serve the soup.
Laurie Tweten, 1916 Liberty Street, LaCrosse, WI 54603
[email protected] 608-781-2798
William Weimer, 34 Windward Drive, Asheville, NC 28803
[email protected]
Researching: Poppen (Hage, Barstede), Jibben (Barstede)
Rote Grütze
3 – 4 cups+ mixed fruit One cup each of any the following:
Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Rhubarb, Cherries
(pitted and cut in small pieces), Plums or Currants (any red/
blue fruit)
Change of Address
Mickey (Marlys) Peterson, 1140 Highway 12, Knapp, WI
54749 [email protected]
Email Address Change
Bruce Lindell [email protected]
Judy Gallogly [email protected]
Rick Campen [email protected]
Pat Mower
[email protected]
Cook in about 1-2 cups water in saucepan – approximately 30
to 45 minutes until fruit is in small pieces. Add 1/2 cup sugar.
Address Correction
Koene Veleman, De Mutsaet 21, 8252 KS Dronten The Netherlands
Bring mixture to a rolling boil. Chill for three to four hours.
Serve over ice cream or shortcake; or serve in a bowl topped
with vanilla tapioca pudding. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm!
Source:
http://www.kwagga.de/ostfriesland/recipes.htm
and Lin Strong
Combine: 1 cup water, 4 Tbsp. minute tapioca, 1 Tbsp. corn
starch and add to cooked fruit. (These can be adjusted)
30
ARCHEOLOGICAL FINDS
From the Harlinger Heimatkalender 1972, by Reinhard Maier, translated by Rudy
Wiemann
After 1963 the Ostfriesische Landschaft in cooperation with the State Research Institute
for Old Coastal Floodlands and Mound Settlements has conducted a survey of archeological sites in Aurich County. A team headed by an expert in prehistory and a terrain technician, specifically hired for this purpose, has already covered 84 communities, accounting
for about a quarter of the total area of Ostfriesland.
The entire project is financed through annual contributions by the counties and is considered a matter of urgency, as more and more promising sites are lost through agricultural
and construction operations. According to the Landschaft's plan, this team will continue
its meticulous survey throughout Ostfriesland and generate a register of all monuments
and artifacts found.
Antiquities kept in museums, collections, and private hands will be included in this register. Moreover, older scientific publications, newspaper articles, maps, and other archival
sources will be mined for information possibly leading to additional discoveries.
Ancient and early historic monuments already known, such as megalithic stone graves and
"Warfen" (artificial mounds in flood prone regions) will also undergo a closer examination, as is happening now in Tannenhausen where systematically arranged megaliths,
granite boulders shifted to northern Germany from Sweden and Finland during the last Ice
Age, revealed by a grave site of the late Stone Age.
Quite often unintentional discoveries play a role in extending our knowledge not only of
the life of Ostfriesland's prehistoric settlers, but also of activities during early historic
times of which records have been lost, as happened at construction sites and in gravel pits
in Ardorf, Brill, and Dunum where traces of medieval settlements were revealed.
But the actual walking of the land by experts ready to turn over many stones in a methodical search for remains of the past constitutes the most rewarding task toward the establishment of a comprehensive record of Ostfriesland’s archeological treasures.
UPCOMING ISSUES WILL
INCLUDE:
The January Issue will be
Emigration—and Our Emigrant
Ancestors
(send in your story today!)
•
Using the Quellen &
Forshungen
• Officials & Their
Responsibilities
• A Trip from Dunum
• Map Reading
• An 1863 Auction
• Finding Obituaries
• Campen’s Two Churches
• Adoption Records
• Climbing Brick Walls
• Strackholt
• Wiesmoor’s Blumenhalle
• Marten Luther & Ostfriesen
Churches
• Medical Genealogy—Why is it
so Important?
• Gandersum’s History
OVERSEAS TRAVEL TIPS
2008 PHOTO
CONTEST
What is this?
What was it used for?
The first correct
answer submitted to
OGSA or
[email protected]
will receive a gift.
No one answered the
last one either!
There is still time!
•
•
•
OGSA membership is due by November 1.
Don’t wait! You can renew anytime.
You will want the January issue on Emigration!
31
Traveling to Europe anytime soon? The very best thing you
can take along is a GPS with European maps. The TomTom
900 series works great—and it’s so very easy to use. It not only
found very obscure villages, it took us directly around Amsterdam directly to our hotel door. The notification “dong” for
each church along the way was my own variation! Sorry, it
won’t notify you on the location of the charming old windmills,
you have to look for them.
The other item you will want to bring along is a quad band
cell phone. Each year there are less and less pay phones available over there and the quad band phone works great. The only
down side is that the cost per minute is a bit steep. Don’t forget
to notify your phone provider that you will be out of the country so they don’t think your phone has been stolen. You may
need to experiment on what codes are needed there to dial a call
in the country in which you are staying. Dialing from the US to
Europe is easy—just dial it like you would dial the number in
the US. Make sure you turn it off at night or you will get phone
calls from friends and family in the US who have forgotten to
Lin Strong
check the time differences.
2008—UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Join us at the Minnesota
Genealogical Society for:
Ostfriesen
Genealogy Tips
This program will touch on the
basics:
• Reading Gothic script
• Patronymics
• Using primary sources.
• Q & A, too!
• 10 a.m. to Noon
Make sure to bring a copy of
your genealogy data!
Bring your lunch and stay for the
afternoon and enjoy the research
facilities. Free parking.
Minnesota Genealogical
Society Board Room
NOVEMBER 2, 2008
JOIN US AT OUR
ANNUAL TEA PARTY!
FEB. 7, 2009
The Organs
of
Ostfriesland
Presented by Gene
Janssen
Minnesota
Genealogical
Society Board
Room
GermanGerman-American
Institute
301 Summit Avenue, St.
Paul, MN 55102
Phone (651) 222222-7027
10 a.m. to noon—
noon—come early
for a tour of this historic
dwelling!
Bring your tea cup and saucer
or use one of ours!
Ostfriesen tea, great food, fun,
door prizes and surprises, too!
Bring friends & family, too!
http://www.gaihttp://www.gai-mn.org/
gaimn/aboutus.html
(Parking lot is in the rear)
10 a.m.—Noon
HELP!
•
Library
Volunteers
•
•
([email protected])
Newsletter
Articles /
Asst. Editor
(Contact Editor)
Nominees
for Board of
Directors
(2009-2010)
(Gene Janssen
952– 939-0617)
PLEASE NOTE:
New Mail Address:
OGSA
1670 South Robert
Street, #333,
West St. Paul, MN
55118
News Editor Address :
Lin Strong
([email protected])
168 N. Lake St., Forest
Lake, MN 55025
651-269-3580
New Library Address:
MN Genealogical
Society
1185 Concord St. No.,
South St. Paul, MN
OGSA Phone No.
(651) 451-6472
MGS Hours:
Tues., 6:30—9:30 p.m.
Wed., 10 a.m.—4 p.m.
Thurs.10 a.m.—4 p.m.
6:30—9:30 p.m.
Sat., 10 a.m.—4 p.m.
All meetings are open to the public. Please join us and bring a relative or friend!
OSTFRIESEN GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
1670 South Robert Street, #333
Address Service Requested
32
U.S.POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. #21
RICK GERSEMA FUND RAISER
Rick Gersema, a member of the OGSA Board and genealogist, lost his home and his possessions in the F5 tornado which struck Parkersburg, IA on May 25, 2008. He also lost his extensive Ostfriesche Nachrichten collection.
Rick was not at his home during the catastrophic event - neighbors living next door and across the street lost their lives during the
storm. He has found a place to live temporarily while he rebuilds his life.
The OGSA Board of Directors is sponsoring a fund drive on Rick’s behalf.
• Funds collected will be used to assist Rick with the purchase of a new computer, other hardware necessary along with supporting software.
• Rick will use any additional funds to assist with the duplication and restoration of his Ostfriesche Nachrichten collection.
Many of you have benefited from Rick’s expertise and have used his Nachrichten and other collections to further your genealogy
records.
• Thank you for considering a donation on his behalf.
• You will receive a response indicating that you made a donation.
• No donation is too small.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————
(Please detach and return with your donation)
Please complete the following request for information:
Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
City, State & Zip: ___________________________________________________________________________________________
I would like to make a donation in the amount of $____________________________ on behalf of Rick Gersema and wish to pay
by:
_____ Check
Check # ________________
_____ Credit Card
____VISA ____ MasterCard
Credit Card # ___________________________________________________________
Card Expiration ________________________________________________________
Please detach this information portion of the page and return it to:
OGSA
1670 Robert Street South, #333
The OGSA Board of Directors thanks you for your donation!
LOST and HOPEFULLY FOUND
Rick has been involved in genealogy for over 30 years and is the genealogist for the Ostfriesen of Grundy and Butler Co, IA.
Rick's enjoyment came from helping and meeting his fellow Ostfriesen searching for family roots. He sent out many family tree
files and Ostfriesische Nachrichten obituaries.
• Now after helping all of us, we can help Rick as he puts the essentials of his life back together. Please send a copy of the family
tree files and Ostfriesische Nachrichten obituaries Rick has sent you. Or do you have older copies of the Ostfriesische
Nachrichten that Rick returned to you?
• I will collect these for him until he settles into new surrounding and has chosen his new computer system. We know there is no
way to have all of them returned, but let's give it a great try. We will accept CD,s, files or hard copies. If you have any pictures
or anything that may be of interest to his collection please make a copy and send it. Your generosity will be appreciated.
Jean Sietsema, 1956 Pinehurst Lane, Waterloo, IA 50701 [email protected]
33
1670 South Robert Street, #333
June 30, 2008
To All Members of OGSA,
Gifts from you can help OGSA’s effectiveness. Each gift, regardless of the amount, makes a difference in helping
all of you. Membership dues cover the operating expenses, however, to reach out into new programs requires additional gifts.
These new programs fall into several categories.
1. Library: Now that we have a library that is convenient with lots of room for expansion, information in
the form of electronic media and more books are needed. There is a great amount of genealogical information that
needs to be put on electronic media before it is lost or accidentally destroyed. You may wish to donate to the library in general or to a specific project.
2. Publishing: There is a large amount of material that needs to be translated or put into published form.
These projects require a large amount of upfront funds. You may wish to donate to a specific cause or to publishing in general.
3. Conferences: Although we have space in the new library to hold these conferences, funds are needed
for speakers, materials, etc. Small conferences can now be held for a specific purpose. For example: A group of
persons from around Esens meeting every month to try and find information about their ancestors that came from
that area. It would be great if a conference could be held featuring a couple of speakers with expertise in this area
or other specific areas. Much could be accomplished in building bridges between here and there.
4. Recognition of donors is an important part of this funding program. Your name, if you wish, will be
recognized in the annual report. Even if you cannot donate more than a few dollars, all donations are gratefully
accepted.
We have set up the following designations for larger donations:
Kolonist:
$100 to $500
Land Reclaimers:
$500 to $1,000
Dike Builders:
$1,000 and more
You will receive a farmable acknowledgement for any of these donations.
If you would like more information on this or any other subject, please do not hesitate to contact us by mail at the
above listed address or by email at [email protected]. We appreciate your consideration of these projects. If you have
other fund-raising ideas that we could use, please contact us.
The Funding Committee
Buck Menssen
34

ogsa july 2008 - Ostfriesen Genealogical Society of America (OGSA)

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