Johann Heinrich zur Oeveste

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Johann Heinrich zur Oeveste (left) with his wife Regina Louise, b. ghost

Johann Heinrich zur Oeveste (born October 19, 1801 in Rieste / Lower Saxony ; † March 2, 1878 in White Creek ( Indiana )) was a farmer's son from Rieste. He became known through the 31 letters he sent to his parents after his emigration from America and which are considered to be a very important document on the history of the settlement of America.

biography

Family background

The family was as Kolone of 1351 until the secularization in 1810, the Order of St. John belonging; Family members have served as lay judges in the peasantry every six years . They managed a Fronhof of 12 hectares and a share of the general farmers' mark of 6 hectares with four of their own Kotten . This estate was one of the old Saxon aristocratic residences owned by the Schöppenamt .

emigration

Born as an older son without inheritance rights on the farm, he left his area to find happiness somewhere else. In May 1834 he reached Baltimore and a few weeks later Cincinnati , where he helped found the North German Lutheran Church . This was popularly called the "Low German" Church.

Johann Heinrich zur Oeveste married on November 19, 1839 in Cincinnati Regina Louise Geist (1815–1910), the daughter of a hayman from Hasbergen . She had come to Cincinnati with her parents the year before.

Johann Heinrich zur Oeveste was a co-founder of the "United Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed St. John's Congregation on White Creek". From 1849 this community was called the "German Evangelical Lutheran St. Johannes Congregation on White Creek". It is unusual that since 1847 Reformed people from the Tecklenburger Land and Uniate from East Westphalia have no longer been admitted to Holy Communion here.

Letters

The first years after his arrival in America still characterize Johann Heinrich zur Oevestes strongly as a German with a mostly neutral opinion on the historical events in the USA. However, his more recent letters identify him as an American. The letter to his parents about his marriage shows that he counted himself among the respectable and important families of the Kingdom of Hanover , but made no distinction between the children of the farm workers on his parents' farm and himself.

The reason why these 31 letters in particular are of such historical value is that in the communications from the Oeveste in the first few years after his arrival, he expressed a neutral position on subjects such as slavery , the American Civil War and the settlement process. These letters also provide information about the prices, habits and life of an emigrant from the American Civil War. In addition, the Oevestes comes from a farming family. The letters to his family in Rieste document the unusual decision to emigrate to America. Although there are similar documents from this period, these letters in particular are also unique in that they were written by a Lutheran colonist.

swell

  1. ^ Gerhard Geers, 750 years of Rieste : a chronicle in words and pictures, Ankum. Paw Tusk 1995
  2. ↑ Günther Bührmann, Hölting Protocols 1583–1800 : Höltig Protocols 1996. Writing down the market items or wooden dishes from Bramsche of the Rieste, Achmer, Pente and Hespe brands, Bramsche 1996
  3. ↑ W. Hasemann, North German farms in history : The settlements in the parish Bramsche, Bez. Osnabrück, ud economic. Conditions d. Courtyards until the end of the 18th century, Brauer, Bramsche 1933
  4. ↑ a b c Antonius Holtmann: I also do you to know ... The letters of Johann Heinrich zur Oeveste from America 1834–1876, Oldenburg, 1995.

literature

  • Furthermore, I do you to know… The letters of Johann Heinrich zur Oeveste from America 1834–76, 175 pages, 120 illustrations, 8 1/2 × 9 1/2 ″ hardcover, ISBN 3-86108-277-2 © 1995 by Edition Temmen
  • North German farms in history : Hasemann, W. The settlements in the parish Bramsche, Bez. Osnabrück, ud economic. Conditions d. Courtyards until the end of the 18th century. - Bramsche, Brauer, 1933. IX, 147 pages.
  • 750 years of Rieste : a chronicle in words and pictures by Gerhard Geers, Ankum. Paw tusk. 1995. 414 pages, many illustrations.
  • Hölting protocols 1583–1800 : Höltig protocols 1996. Writing down the market items or wooden dishes from Bramsche of the brands Rieste, Achmer, Pente and Hespe, revised. von Bührmann, Günther, Bramsche 1996, 246 Pages.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Oeveste, Johann Heinrich zur
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German farmer's son and emigrant
DATE OF BIRTH October 19, 1801
PLACE OF BIRTH Rieste
DATE OF DEATH March 2, 1878
Place of death White Creek , United States