Conrad Weiser

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Conrad Weiser (born November 2, 1696 in Affstätt ; † July 13, 1760 in the Conrad Weiser Homestead near Womelsdorf , Province of Pennsylvania ) from Württemberg was active in Pennsylvania as a settler, interpreter and diplomat in matters between the colonists and the Iroquois , in particular in the French and Indian War (1754–1763) during the Seven Years' War (1756–1763). He was also a farmer, soldier, monk, tanner and judge.

Conrad Weiser (signature) .jpg

Life

Weiser was born at his father's place of work, Johann Konrad Weiser Senior (1662–1746), who served with the Württemberg Blue Dragoons near Herrenberg , whereupon the father quit military service and returned to his place of birth Großaspach with his family . After the country and its people had been devastated by French invasions like in the Palatinate War of Succession , and illnesses and severe winters were also to be lamented, the mother Anna Magdalena, née. Übele on May 1, 1709 during her 15th pregnancy of gout . As a result, the Protestant Großaspacher left home with eight of his children on June 24th and took part in the mass emigration of the Palatinate people (1709) . Once in North America, the immigrants were initially supposed to work off the cost of their ship passage as agreed, but this turned out to be unprofitable. In September 1712, the government stopped paying the settlers and left them to their fate. Father Weiser brought his family to Schoharie County . At the suggestion of a Mohawk chief , the sixteen-year-old Conrad stayed with the indigenous people until July 1713 in order to get to know their language and customs.

On November 22, 1720, the 24-year-old married the young German Anna Eva Feck. In 1723 the couple moved south down the Susquehanna River and settled on a farm in Tulpehocken, near what is now Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania . They had 14 children, seven of whom reached adulthood. The daughter Anna Maria married Henry Melchior Mühlenberg .

In the course of his life, Weiser played an important role in the Indian policy of the Pennsylvania colony. As an interpreter, he was involved in the negotiations on several contracts.

memory

The state honored him by designating his last home as the "Conrad Weiser Homestead state historic site". The Weiser State Forest , which has a total area of ​​72 km² and consists of several parts, was named after him. In May 2010 it was decided to name the previously unnamed primary and secondary school in Großaspach as the “Conrad-Weiser School” because it “demonstrated the ability to deal with conflicts, which is what is especially important in schools today”. In Großaspach there is already a Konrad-Weiser-Straße, which was named after the father. On July 23, 2010, the elementary and secondary school with Werkrealschule was named after him as part of a school festival.

literature

  • Walton, Joseph S. Conrad Weiser, & the Indian Policy of Colonial Pennsylvania . Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co., 1900. Reprinted New York: Arno Press, 1971, ISBN 0-405-02895-4 .
  • Weiser, J. Conrad Early Western Journals, 1748-1765 . 1904. Reprinted Wendawoods, 1998, ISBN 1-889037-12-5 .
  • Daniel Heinz :  Weiser, Johann Conrad ,. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 13, Bautz, Herzberg 1998, ISBN 3-88309-072-7 , Sp. 636-638.
  • Weiser, CZ The Life of (John) Conrad Weiser, the German Pioneer, Patriot, and Patron of Two Races . Reading: D. Miller, 1899. Reprinted Whitefish: Kessinger Publishing, 2004, ISBN 1-4179-6774-9

Web links

Commons : Conrad Weiser  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Backnanger Kreiszeitung from May 19, 2010: Late honor for Conrad Weiser
  2. ↑ maps.google.de
personal data
SURNAME Wise, Conrad
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American settler, interpreter and diplomat in the French and Indian War
DATE OF BIRTH November 2, 1696
PLACE OF BIRTH Affstätt
DATE OF DEATH July 13, 1760
Place of death Conrad Weiser Homestead near Womelsdorf (Pennsylvania)