Soterius of Sachsenheim

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The family coat of arms of Soterius von Sachsenheim

The Soterius von Sachsenheim family is a Transylvanian-Saxon noble family from the village of Stein in what was then the administrative unit called Repser Stuhl . Among her family members were politicians and bureaucrats from the Transylvanian state administration as well as army officers, scholars, pastors and artists.

Earlier ancestors

The family's ancestors, a group of German Transylvanian Saxons , emigrated in the High Middle Ages from the west of today's Germany to southeastern Transylvania near the eastern border of Hungary. Many of these colonists came from Moselle Franconian and in the local dialect Schöchtert , the original name of the family, meant "wooden milking bucket" or the other tradition Schöchter meant the cooper who made milking buckets .

The earliest known ancestor, Valentinus Schöchtert (born around 1554), lived in the village of Stein (also known under the Hungarian name Garat) and was a farmer. His son Peter Schöchtert (born around 1584) also lived in Stein and married Martha Goldwein. On the pedigree are the words Christinus Scholarius ("Christian scholar") next to his name.

Since it was customary to use Latin surnames at the time, the family name Schöchter (t) was Latinized to Soterius (which is similar to the Greek word soter , "savior"). Peter Schöchtert's son was Petrus Soterius, who was born in Stein in 1618. He became a Protestant pastor in Bodendorf (today Buneşti ) and founded the first of three generations of pastors in the family. Petrus married twice, first Anna Thomae (1632–66) and later Barbara Kissling (1633–91), who came from an old Saxon family of royal judges. In 1661 he was on a mission to the Ottoman camp, which was involved in throne disputes, offered by the Ottoman leader Ali Pasha the title "Prince of Transylvania". However, Peter refused this attempt to win the sympathy of the Saxons in the multi-ethnic context of Transylvania, referring to his humble circumstances and returned to his pastoral life.

Georg Soterius (the elder)

Petrus' son, Georg Soterius (the elder), was born in Bodendorf ( Buneşti ) before 1673 . He attended grammar school in Sibiu and then studied theology and history in Wittenberg (1693–1696). In 1696 Georg Soterius was mistakenly linked to a duel involving one of his friends. This prevented him from returning home for a while and instead went to Riga in Latvia , where he arrived on May 12, 1696. Then he enrolled at the University of Dorpat and lived in Marienburg (today's Alūksne in Latvia) in the house of Pastor Johann Ernst Glück . There he met and taught Marta Helena Skowrońska, a twelve-year-old orphan girl from Lithuania who was raised by the pastor (and who would later become Empress Catherine I of Russia ).

Georg Soterius later returned to Sibiu. In 1701 he married Agnetha Lupinus, a pastor's daughter. They had two children, Georg (the younger) (born 1704) and Andreas (born 1707). He taught at the Hermannstadt grammar school until 1708. He also began researching the history and geography of Transylvania, using his knowledge of ancient and modern languages. In preparation for this planned major work, he wrote down much of his preliminary work in Latin and German, some of which are kept in the Brukenthal Museum . The book Cibinium (the Latin name of the river Cibin ) was published in 2006 after it was translated from Latin into German for the Transylvanian library at Schloss Horneck ( Gundelsheim ).

1708 he became a Protestant pastor in Deutsch-Kreuz (today's Criţ, in the municipality of Buneşti). He had applied for this rather quiet position in order to continue his history works and finally to finish them. There he received a letter from Empress Catherine I, who remembered him as her teacher and offered him a position at the Tsar's court (he declined her offer for similar reasons). On February 10, 1728, Georg Soterius died of a stroke in Stolzenburg (today's Slimnic ). He was survived by his wife Agnetha, who died 25 years later on November 11, 1756.

Georg Soterius (the younger)

Georg Soterius (the younger) attended universities in Germany and received his master's degree in Leipzig. As a young professor, he then began to give lectures at the university. His father's death in 1728 led him to leave Germany and return to Sibiu , where he taught and became school director in 1733. In 1739 he married Anna Katherina Breckner von Brukenthal (1713–1763), the sister of Samuel Breckner von Brukenthal , who later became governor of Transylvania. Their children were Johann Michael Soterius von Sachsenheim (the elder), Anna Sophie, Katherina and Anna Maria. In April 1741 Georg Soterius was appointed as a Protestant pastor in Schellenberg (today's Șelimbăr ) and in 1746 he went to Stolzenburg (today's Slimnic ). He later became dean of the "Sibiu Chapter". He was highly regarded for his outstanding achievements and his erudition. He wrote several essays as well as a religious book. He died in Stolzenburg in 1756.

Johann Michael Soterius von Sachsenheim (the elder)

Johann Michael Soterius von Sachsenheim (the Elder) portrait by unknown artist, Brukenthal Museum

Johann Michael (the elder) was born on November 25th, 1742 in Schellenberg (today's Șelimbăr ) and began his education at the Hermannstadt high school. In 1770 he married Anna Mara Filtsch, the daughter of the parish priest of Sibiu. Their first child, Anna Maria, was born in 1771. Two boys followed later, Johann Michael (the younger) and Carl.

In 1771 he became gubernial concepter and in 1786 gubernial secretary in the administrative system of Transylvania. After the Edict of Restitution of 1790, it was decided in 1791 to send a delegation to Leopold II , Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, on behalf of the Transylvanian Saxons, as they wanted to submit their own proposal for regulation. Mayor Rosenfeld von Hermannstadt and Johann Michael led the delegation and traveled to Vienna in January 1792 to meet Emperor Leopold II. At the same time Johann Michael received the nobility status from the emperor, who gave him and his descendants the title of nobility "von Sachsenheim". The original signed documents and the coat of arms are with family members.

Johann Michael was known as a musical talent. He played the piano and composed arias and minuets. After Samuel von Brukenthal resigned from politics, Johann worked with him to organize and expand his collections and library (the core of the future Brukenthal Museum , which also contains a Soterius von Sachsenheim collection). He died on March 31, 1794 in Klausenburg (today's Cluj-Napoca ), where the family had moved after it became clear that the seat of the state government would be there permanently.

Johann Michael Soterius von Sachsenheim (the younger)

Johann Michael Soterius von Sachsenheim (the Younger) Portrait by JM Stock (1799), Brukenthal Museum

Johann Michael Soterius von Sachsenheim (the younger) was born on February 2, 1775. He attended the local evangelical school and later studied philosophy and law at the Cluj-Napoca training center (today Cluj-Napoca ) until 1794, the year in which his father died. After a few months he joined the administration of the district government and in 1796 rose to the administration of the central government of Transylvania. Eventually he became Inspector General of the Ministry of Finance of the Transylvanian Government.

He was the first in the family to collect written records of the events of his life - a very detailed, many-page diary that was kept by family members. It's a glimpse into life in the early 1800s that shows how common illness and death were commonplace.

In 1808 he married Theresia Sophie Elisabeth von Albrichtsfeld, who gave birth to four children (two of whom survived early childhood). She died of tuberculosis in 1819. In 1820 he married Johanna Justine Conrad, with whom he had eight children (seven of whom survived early childhood; notable among them were Clara Adelheid and Albert Conrad). Johann Michael died of acute lung failure in Sibiu in 1838 at the age of 63.

Clara Adelheid Soterius von Sachsenheim

Clara Adelheid Soterius von Sachsenheim self-portrait (1853), Transylvanian Museum

Clara Adelheid was born on November 5, 1822, the second child of Johann Michael (the younger) and his second wife Johanna Justine. She showed artistic talent and the painter Theodor Glatz praised her in a letter to Anton Kurz dated May 16, 1847, which was published in the magazine “Transylvanian People's Friend”. Clara often visited the Brukenthaler Art Gallery in Sibiu, where she could learn to paint. There she met the aspiring artist Theodor Sockl, who taught students. After much reluctance from her widowed mother, Theodor was allowed to paint a portrait of Clara in 1847.

Clara and Theodor then lived together out of wedlock, much to the displeasure of their mother and the other family members. Despite resistance from the family, who were reluctant to give their consent to the wedding, - due to Theodor's insecure job and also because of differences in religion and status - the couple were married on August 12, 1847. They then left Sibiu and lived in Graz and Vienna in Austria until 1850 when they returned to Sibiu.

Clara, who was now a mother, made a living by giving painting and drawing lessons. She also painted portraits of Dr. Gottfried Teilmann and judge Adolf Spech. A series of 20 portraits of Transylvanian nobles were also made. Her husband was still painting, but had also become a photographer. In the spring of 1854 they set up a photo studio in Sibiu, where Clara colored some of the photographs, as was the custom for this developing art form at the time. In October 1857 the family moved back to Vienna, Austria, where they continued their painting and photography.

Clara, who suffered from lung problems, died on July 25, 1861 at the age of 38. A few months later, on December 25th, Theodor followed her to the grave at the age of 46. To cover the funeral expenses, Theodor's brother, Moritz, sold the remaining paintings, including hundreds of sketches, to a Viennese used goods dealer. A self-portrait and a portrait of her husband Theodor, both from 1853, were brought to England by their sons. The family has now handed them over to the Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim.

They had four children, three of whom survived early childhood. Among them was Victor Franz Theodor Sockl, who founded and ran a successful greeting card company in England ( Sockl and Nathan ).

Clara is listed in the Benezit artist directory. In 1970, Dr. Julius Bieltz also wrote about them in his publication on artists in Sibiu around 1850.

Albert Conrad Soterius von Sachsenheim

Albert Conrad Soterius von Sachsenheim Portrait of Theodor Sockl (around 1848)

Albert Conrad Soterius von Sachsenheim was born on May 7, 1824. After graduating from Hermannstadt High School, he pursued a military career and was promoted to lieutenant in 1847. During the Hungarian Revolution of 1848/1849 he was involved in 19 battles and disputes. In 1860 he left the army, where he had achieved the rank of squadron commander. Albert then lived in Mediasch , the birthplace of his wife Jeanette Schaffendt, and began to take part in public life.

In 1861 he was involved in the founding of the "Mediascher Spar and Advance Association", the first of its kind in Transylvania (a company that often preceded the establishment of a bank). In 1867 he took part in the founding of the "Wein - Export - Gesellschaft", in which he worked as a committee member until 1873. As a member of the upper management level of the “Transylvanian-Saxon Agricultural Association”, he headed the regional association in Mediasch for two years. Since the reorganization of the municipal council, he was the city's deputy and a member of the committee of the district assembly of Medias. In 1872 he was appointed a corresponding member of the Kronstadt Chamber of Commerce.

In 1872 he won a parliamentary mandate in the Hungarian Reichstag for the legislative period from 1872–1875. In 1875 he was elected for a further three-year term.

Arthur Soterius of Sachsenheim

Arthur Soterius von Sachsenheim Portrait by Robert Wellman (1905)

Dr. med. Arthur Soterius von Sachsenheim was born on July 31, 1852 in Békéscsaba , where his father, Albert Conrad, was serving in the army at that time. After completing high school in Mediasch, he studied medicine at the University of Vienna with study visits to Graz, Berlin and Würzburg. He received a doctorate in general medicine. In 1881 he enrolled in Vienna to attend a medical school course in the military and in 1882 was drafted to the Garrison Hospital in Trieste . There he showed great interest in the lively activities of the shipping lines. In February 1883 he resigned his military service and was accepted as a ship's doctor by the Austro-Hungarian steamship company Lloyd . In this capacity he visited the Mediterranean and made two trips to Brazil. He also drove to the coastal countries of the Red Sea, followed by India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and China.

Photo of the team of the Erling-Jarl-Expedition from 1896. Arthur SvS is in front right with a white cap and beard.

After about two years of almost uninterrupted travel, he returned to Transylvania in March 1885 and became a doctor in Marienburg (today's Feldioara ). There he married Wilhelmina Gust, who gave birth to three daughters (among them Edith Soterius von Sachsenheim ). From February 1889 he worked in a secondary position at the Franz Josef Hospital in Herrmannstadt (in 1904 he was to become a primary physician there).

Arthur took in 1896 in the expedition of the steamship Erling Jarl part than thirty scientists were sent from thirty countries to the region around Spitsbergen to explore. There they met Salomon August Andrée , who was preparing his expedition for 1897 with a gas balloon . They also wanted news about Fridtjof Nansen , who had tried to go as far north as possible (and was successful), but his whereabouts were unknown until some time later that year. Arthur collected ethnographic objects, mammalian skeletons , and molluscs (including a mollusc later called Neptunea sachsenheimi ). After returning from the expedition, he wrote the publication From Transylvania to Spitsbergen (available in the ASTRA National Museum Complex ).

He donated a collection of over 100 ethnographic objects from different parts of the world to the Transylvanian Society for Natural Sciences. This collection was one of the original core collections of the "Franz Binder" Museum for Non-European Ethnography , which opened in 1933 as part of the ASTRA National Museum Complex in Sibiu.

Edith Jeanette Soterius von Sachsenheim

Edith Soterius von Sachsenheim Portrait by Arthur Coulin

Edith Jeanette Soterius von Sachsenheim was born on December 26, 1887 in Marienburg (today's Feldioara ). She showed artistic talent in painting at an early age and her parents support her desire to pursue a career in this field. After completing a two-year course (1903-04) at the Sibiu Art School , her father moved her to live with relatives in England, where she spent a year (1904-05) taking English lessons, followed by piano - and art lessons. The Nationalgalerie allowed her to copy museum work, and it is there that she developed an interest in Turner's watercolors, a visible influence in her early works as well as in a later period from 1948 onwards.

In 1907 her father decided that she should continue her studies in Munich, where she enrolled at the Academy of Fine Arts . A year later she began to visit Professor Moritz Heymann's artistic circles, where she met artists who showed a close affinity with the youth group . She spent three years in Munich, apart from her occasional return home on public holidays. In 1911 Edith returned to Transylvania, where she organized her first exhibition in the Brașov galleries.

In 1912 she married the doctor Franz Herfurth. She became the mother of three children - Editha, Günther and Eva - and family responsibilities limited her artistic pursuits for a while. They divorced in 1926, and the next year she married her childhood friend, Professor Ludwig Herbert (he died of a heart attack in 1936).

After this painful incident, Edith moved to southern Germany to be close to her daughters who lived there. She also spent some time in Poland, but returned to southern Germany for the remainder of World War II. She painted as often as she could and mostly made watercolors of the places where she lived and visited. These works are influenced to some extent by her early encounter with Turner's art. In 1955 she moved to London to live with her daughter Eva. She drew portraits (including of her daughter's family) and mainly painted roses.

Edith died in 1970 at the age of 83. During her lifetime she created over 200 paintings, drawings and lithographs that are now in several museums or in the possession of friends and relatives across Europe. In 1998 the Transylvanian Museum in Gundelsheim held a retrospective exhibition and acquired 50 of her paintings, some of which are on permanent display in the museum. In 1999 the Gundelsheim collection was also exhibited in Munich in the Haus des Deutschen Ostens . In 2001 the Army History Museum Vienna acquired three portraits of officers from the First World War for its display collection.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Der Adel von Siebenbürgen, Siebmacher Großes Wappenbuch , Volume 34, published in 1898, reprint from 1984, page 219, Figure 155
  2. ^ A b c Earliest ancestors of Soterius von Sachsenheim family . SoteriusvonSachsenheim.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  3. ↑ nowadays the village of Dacia in the municipality of Jibert near Brașov , Romania
  4. ↑ Lore Polechau: Saxons in Livonia in the 17th and 18th centuries . Journal of Transylvanian Cultural Studies (1/1999). Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  5. ↑ a b c Georg Soterius the Elder . SoteriusvonSachsenheim.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  6. ^ Georg Soterius the Younger . SoteriusvonSachsenheim.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  7. ^ A b c Johann Michael Soterius von Sachsenheim the Elder . SoteriusvonSachsenheim.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  8. ^ Emil Sigerus: Vom alten Hermannstadt, Volume 1, p. 202 . Johannis Reeg publishing house. 2003. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  9. ↑ Orfevrăria liturgică sibiană din tezaurul Muzeului Naţional Brukenthal (PDF; 3.4 MB) Brukenthal Museum . Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 18, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.brukenthalmuseum.ro
  10. ↑ Transylvanian Archives . p. 9, 601, 1908. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  11. ^ A b c Johann Michael Soterius von Sachsenheim the Younger . SoteriusvonSachsenheim.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  12. ↑ a b c Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 Vol. 12 (Lfg. 58, 2005), p. 392f. . Institute for Modern and Contemporary History Research. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  13. ↑ a b c d e f Dr Julius Bieltz: Clara Adelheid Soterius von Sachsenheim . SoteriusvonSachsenheim.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  14. ^ Clara Adelheid Soterius von Sachsenheim around 1847 . Siebenbuerger.de. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  15. ^ A b c Albert Conrad Soterius von Sachsenheim . SoteriusvonSachsenheim.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  16. ↑ a b c Dr. med. Arthur Soterius of Sachsenheim . SoteriusvonSachsenheim.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  17. ↑ Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815–1950 Vol. 12 (Lfg. 58, 2005), p. 432f. . Institute for Modern and Contemporary History Research. Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  18. ↑ Maria Bozan: Colecţia Arthur von Sachsenheim . ASTRA National Museum Complex . Retrieved June 18, 2013.
  19. ↑ Braşov Art Museum, 2009 - 2010 Arthur Coulin exhibition, page 88 (PDF; 5.0 MB) Archived from the original on September 23, 2013. Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved June 18, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.muzeulartabv.ro
  20. ↑ a b c d e Marius Tataru: Edith Jeanette Soterius von Sachsenheim (website that contains a list of paintings that are in the possession of museums) . SoteriusvonSachsenheim.com. Retrieved June 18, 2013.