Gerhard Steinfeld

Gerhard Steinfeld (born November 17, 1769 in Westerstede , † January 17, 1846 in Altenesch ) was a German Protestant pastor and local researcher in his community.

Life

Steinfeld was the son of the doctor Johann Christian Steinfeld and his wife Margarethe Elisabeth born. Haase. After his childhood in Westerstede he studied Protestant theology in Jena from 1787 to 1790 .

After working as a private tutor in Jade , he took up his first position as an early preacher in Oldenburg in 1793 . in addition, he continued to work as a private tutor in Edewecht. In July 1797 he became pastor in Apen and moved to Altenesch in November 1806.

Here Steinfeld was involved in a variety of topics. For example, against considerable resistance from the population, with the support of the bailiff Bulling in Berne, he campaigned for the improvement of the often impassable paths, especially in winter, in order to enable regular visits to schools and church services. He took care of the expansion of existing school buildings and the downsizing of the classes of up to 150 students. Steinfeld was also socially committed, who founded a school teacher widow's and orphan's fund in his community and urged his colleagues in the Delmenhorst Preachers' Association to follow this example. In 1825 he also laid the foundation for a seafarer's widow's fund, after 59 men had stayed at sea in the past five years. In 1832 this project was also realized with the help of a donation from the Grand Duke, who later also contributed to the sailors widow's fund. Steinfeld also set up a fire insurance policy for household effects.

He created the community chronicle of Altenesch, in which he also recorded his various activities. He also dealt with the Battle of Altenesch , the decisive battle of the Stedinger War , which took place on May 27, 1234 between Stedinger farming families and the crusade army of Archbishop Gerhard II of Bremen . In 1834, on the 600th anniversary of the battle, he had the St. Vitus monument erected and consecrated on a hill of the same name presumably close to the battlefield. The inauguration took place with great participation from the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg and in the presence of the Grand Duke August I take.

family

Steinfeld married Charlotte Friederike Ernestine born on July 9, 1797. Lentz (1774–1837), the daughter of the Oldenburg Consistorial Councilor Heinrich Lentz (1737–1823) and Christiane Henriette, born. Keller (1750–1803). The couple had three sons and two daughters.

Fonts

• Annals from the parish of Altenesch 1807–1845. Arranged by Horst Schiphorst and Klaus Grotevent, typescript without date 1988.

literature

• Gerhard Wintermann: Steinfeld, Gerhard. In: Hans Friedl u. a. (Ed.): Biographical manual for the history of the state of Oldenburg . Edited on behalf of the Oldenburg landscape. Isensee, Oldenburg 1992, ISBN 3-89442-135-5 , p. 698 f. ( online ).