Datterode settlers overseas
Datterode people were not always able to live of the proceeds of their fields, so it was either starve or emigrate. Over the centuries, like many other Hessians they found a new home in the east. Around 1840 the great wave of emigration to overseas started. Why did our countrymen, just as the subjects of other German states leave their homeland? There are two important reasons. First, it was the economic hardship, and secondly, the political situation in the Principalities, where freedom and human dignity had been trampled underfoot. The subjects were then fighting in vain for the purpose of living. We remember the revolution of 1848 and the National Assembly in Frankfurt's St Paul's. The dream of freedom was not fulfilled. Disappointed, many patriots of the old home turned their backs and looked for their future in democratic America.
For quite some time the county of Hessen residents knew of the political and economic conditions in the New World. Hessian soldiers, who remained after the Revolutionary War overseas (see the article to that subject), depicted in rosy colors the living conditions in their new homes in letters to their relatives. We know from many reports of that time that these descriptions produced a true America fever. The dream of prosperity and freedom was born this way. It is no wonder that today we read in Emigrants lists of friends, familie members, even whole families who sold their possessions and set out on their way into an unknown future. The second reason for emigration was because of economic distress in our villages. Given the meager income of the little arable land to feed on, for small and large families famine was a regular guest at their tables. Additional employment opportunities did not exist. On the contrary, even more was lost when the domestic linen weavery came to a standstill, for mechanical looms could produce faster and cheaper than humans. The fate of the Silesian weavers was felt in their homes in attenuated form, since many families earned more with weaving than with agriculture. This is expressed by a saying: “In addition to a baking oven nothing feeds as good as a loom.”
In the subsequent period weaving was only done for their own use. The job of a linen weaver disappeared from the Datterode tax records. For comparison with the emigration figures of Datterode I would like to mention those of other places, regarding the period of 1835-1847:
| Datterode Wanfried Eschwege Jestädt Albungen Frieda Reichensachsen Weißenborn Niederhone, Heldra and Aue each Niederdünzebach |
52 56 46 35 26 14 49 12 10 22 |
The absolute record of homeland emigrants is held by Blankenbach in the valley of the Ulfe river. In the last half of the 19th Century a total of 79 people left. However, approximately 265 people of Blankenbach left their hometown. This is the largest number unmatched by any other town this size. In the drought year 1847 13 emigrants left Datterode bringing the number to the highest mark. During the second wave of emigration in 1850-1872 a total of 65 Datterode people (including family members) submitted applications for emigration. Those were distributed to people in small numbers each year except for 1854, when there were 18. All these people hoped in the New World for a better future. It is unknown whether or not they fulfilled their hopes. We know only of a few cases, since contacts to the old country were no longer held. From time to time descedants show up to visit the homeland of their ancestors. The news of a letter arriving from America in Datterode, spread like wildfire through the village. The content read of joy and sorrow, successes and painful losses, of hard living conditions to built a new life. Each letter expressed how much the emigrant craved for the old country. Even after many years the homesickness was mentioned in their writings.
The following table lists the names of the above-mentioned emigrants from the mid-19th Century that left Datterode:
|
Bettenhaus, Jakob, *30.08.1808 with wife Caroline, *20.06.1809, born Köhler; daughter of Dorothea Elisabeth Köhler (see below) |
1845 |
|
Fischer, Henrich, *28.10.1810 born „in the city of Allendorf“ |
1835 (maybe after the death of his first wife 1851) |
|
Fischer, Johann Henrich, *05.12.1815 with 2. wife, Barbara Juliane, *11.09.1815, born Löber and children: Friedrich Henrich, Christine Elisabeth, Barbara Juliane |
1846 |
|
Jacob, Simon, *23.04.1790 in Grandenborn, with his 2. wife, Dorothea Elisabeth, *06.03.1806, nee Köhler and the children: Johannes, Katharina Elisabeth, Anna Catharina Christina – son Stephan see next |
1839 |
|
Jacob, Stephan, * 07.12.1814 in Krauthausen (?), son of Simon Jacob, with wife Christina Elisabeth, *27.04.1807, born Köhler and the children Anna Elisabeth, Johannes Jacob, Heinrich |
1845 |
|
Köhler, Dorothea Elisabeth, *30.01.1779; nee Vogler, widow of Johann Georg Köhler with four of eleven children: Jacob, Dorothea Elisabeth, Christina |
1840 (estimated) |
|
Köhler, Jakob, *06.05.1804, with wife Anna Catharina, *20.12.1805 in Röhrda, born Leinhose and the children: Johann Henrich, Christine, Christine Elisabeth Louise, Johann Christoph, Anne Christine |
1847 |
|
Lange, Johann Christoph, *07.03.1795, with wife Catharina Elisabeth, *18.12.1795, nee Wieditz, with the children: Dorothea Juliane, Jacob Conrad, Elisabeth |
1847 |
|
Leinhose, Anna Martha, *13.08.1825 |
1847 – in Philadelphia, USA, married to shoemaker Zunsius |
|
Möller, Johann Friedrich – application withdrawn |
1846 |
|
Möller, August Henrich, *05.12.1829 |
1847 (?) |
|
Möller, Carl August, *25.02.1829 |
1847 |
|
Ronshausen, Johann Werner, *27.06.1810 in Oberdünzebach |
1845 – emigranted without wife and children; est. his son Johann Eobald followed in 1854 (see below) |
|
Ronshausen, Conrad, *06.08.1821, with wife Dorothea Juliane, *17.06.1820, nee Lange and one of two sons: Christoph |
1845 – arrival 03.08.1846 in Baltimore aboard the vessel „Averon“ of Bremen, Smith; see: http://www.immigrantships.net/v6/1800v6/averon18460803.html in the transcript mistakenly written with “B”; HVD has contact with a descendant |
|
Schmidt, Johann David, *18.05.1794; |
1835 (estimated) |
|
Schmidt, David, *20.09.1815 |
(after) 1841 |
|
Schnitzer, Georg, born in Mitterode, with 2. wife, Martha Elisabeth, *24.03.1806, nee Schneider, and thee children (three other kids had died before): Anna Elisabeth, Margarethe Elisabeth, Anna Maria |
1839 |
|
Vogeler, Jakob, *03.10.1826 |
1846 |
Applications for emigration in the period 1850-1872 were taken from the weekly magazine for the District Administrator, District of Eschwege:
|
Application date |
|
|
13.05.1851 |
Jacob Henrich Fischer *18.03.1832, taylor |
|
13.08.1851 |
Johannes Löber, laborer, *04.01.1816, with wife Christina Elisabeth, *01.06.1811, nee Köhler, and the five children: Johann Jacob, Anna Elisabeth, Christoph, Johann Eobald, Elisabeth |
|
05.09.1853 |
Catharina Elisabeth Fischer, *18.11.1810, with two of three children: Anna Barbara, Anna Catharina |
|
05.09.1853 |
Anna Margaretha Fischer, *08.06.1839 |
|
23.03.1854 |
Jacob (Reinhard) Lange, *22.05.1827; in America supposedly married with Dorothea Elisabeth Munck (see below) |
|
12.04.1854 |
Reinhard Jacob Wieditz, *03.04.1830, miller |
|
20.04.1854 |
Dorothea Elisabeth Munck, *16.03.1834; in America supposedly married with Jacob Lange (see above) |
|
26.04.1854 |
Johann Reinhard Krause, *26.02.1835 |
|
26.04.1854 |
Johann Eobald Ronshausen, possibly son of Johann Werner Ronshausen (see above), *27.12.1839 |
|
18.05.1854 |
Johann Christoph Schmidt, *22.10.1812 and wife Margarethe Elisabeth, *28.12.1807, nee Hose, widowed Krause with three of four children: Anna Catharina, Catharina Elisabeth, Conrad Carl Julius |
|
17.08.1854 |
Anna Elisabeth Almerodt, possibly * 28.09.1827 |
|
31.08.1854 |
Cyriacus Rößner, *01.02.1813 in Breitau, with wife Anna Barbara, *08.04.1813, nee Fischer, and the three children: Anna Catharina, Peter Heinrich, Johann Jacob |
|
31.08.1854 |
Dorothea Elisabeth Jacob, possibly *14.04.1824, after her three kids had died |
|
28.09.1854 |
Anna Catharina Leinhos, *30.10.1839 |
|
29.06.1855 |
David Köhler *24.09.1827 with wife Anna Catharina Elisabeth, *23.08.1828 nee Beck, and the son Heinrich – maybe also with the daughter Catharina |
|
before 1856 |
Bernhard Loebenstein (Löbenstein); not all emigrants are known from these years, including the result that Bernhard Loebenstein (Löbenstein), *12.07.1836 in Datterode, evidently lived in Missouri in 1856. His son Rudolph became a famous person in the history of Missouri (see www.suvcwmo.org/commanders1-1889.php ). |
|
24.04.1856 |
Adam Almerodt, taylor, *28.09.1836 |
|
30.04.1856 |
Jacob Sippel, *11.01.1807 – without his wife and the six children; apparently died before 1875 in America |
|
22.05.1856 |
Anna Catharina Löber, *22.02.1820 (Passport application 31.05.1856) |
|
11.09.1856 |
Johann Henrich Fischer, *05.12.1815 |
|
06.11.1856 |
Dorothea Elisabeth Almerodt, *10.11.1825, servant (maybe with daughter Anna Elisabeth, * 14.09.1850) |
|
19.05.1859 |
Martin Almerodt, *23.03.1839 |
|
07.07.1859 |
Betti Löbenstein (Löwenstein), 20 years of age |
|
17.07.1860 |
Anna Catharina Leinhose, *26.01.1807, nee Hartung, widow of Johann Christian Leinhose, for sure with two of six children: Anna Catharina, Anna Marie; daughter Anna Martha immegrated in 1847, Anna Catharina 1854 (ee above); also see 25.07.1862 |
|
in 1861 or later |
Heinrich Eobald Mosebach, *10.04.1843 – still here in 1861 convicted of a criminal case |
|
21.02.1861 |
Reinhard Vogt, laborer, *21.09.1824 – he emigrated with his wife Eva Elizabeth (33), nee Bachmann, from Lüderbach and children Barbara Elizabeth (8), Henry (6) and George (3) on board the barque "Stella" on May 14, 1861 from Bremen to Baltimore, Maryland, USA, see: http://www.immigrantships.net/v5/1800v5/stella18610514.html |
|
11.04.1861 |
Frommet Löbenstein, 25 years of age |
|
25.07.1862 |
Laborer Christian Leinhose’s widow, 53 years – maybe same time as Anna Catharina Leinhose, see 17.07.1860 |
|
19.08.1862 |
Anna Catharina Vogt, *02.04.1822, servant |
|
23.08.1863 |
Johannes Carl Bierschenk, carpenter, *18.04.1840 – with vessel „Helene“ from Hamburg to Southafrica on 12.09.1863; see: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/meadows/7589/Names/schiff_19.html |
|
20.10.1868 |
Reinhard Werner, *14.05.1849, cooper |
|
07.04.1869 |
Johann Heinrich Hose, maybe *31.12.1850 |
|
02.07.1869 |
Andreas Werner, *18.03.1844 |
|
20.01.1871 |
Johann Peter Conrad Hose, *04.04.1854 - arrived from Bremen in New York on April 15, 1871 with the ship "Rhein"; see: http://immigrantships.net/v7/1800v7/rhein18710415_02.html |
|
22.06.1871 |
Minke Pfifferling |
|
09.08.1871 |
Jacob Pfifferling |
|
09.03.1872 |
Jacob Beck, carpenter, maybe *17.01.1855 |
|
26.03.1872 |
Bernhard Heinrich Fey, miller, *17.02.1853 |
Even in subsequent years people searched for emigration overseas.Unfortunately there are not many records, only a few traditional-looking statements. Here are the results of our recent investigation:
|
app. 1880 to 1888 |
Johann Heinrich Bierschenk, *11.05.1837; subsequently he brought in a total of five crossings his wife Anna Catharina * 29.04.1839, nee Gier, Johann Jacob, Dorothea Juliane Conrad Reinhard, Katharina Dorothea, Johann Carl, Catherine Elizabeth, Martha, Mary Elizabeth and Henry to America; see also „Individual stories " |
|
1883 |
Friedrich Lange, *01.06.1860; see „Individual stories "; HVD has contact with a descendant in USA |
|
1884 |
Philipp Jacob, *31.05.1864; HVD has contact with descendants in USA |
|
1884 |
Emilie Vogeler, *09.01.1863; on 05.11.1884 with ship "Marsala" from Hamburg to Adelaide, Australia; the descedants try to figure out how and when she came to New Zealand; see "Individual stories"; HVD has contact with descendants in New Zealand |
|
1909 |
Carl Wieditz, *29.12.1885; see „Individual stories " |
|
nach 1909 |
Hermann Casper Wieditz; see „Individual stories " |
|
nach 1909 |
Katharina Wieditz, in the USA married Stück; see „Individual stories " |
For information on these emigrants go to "Individual stories” and read the results accumulated so far.
Dear reader, if you should have more knowledges about other Datterode emigrants, please let us know. We would certainly appreciate the information.
The author had a nice experience several years ago. Through a friend he received a copy of a newspaper clipping which reported, that in a small town in California at midnight the phone rang and the caller, a friend of the woman who phoned, informed her that in a second hand shop he had discovered the emigrant chest of her grandfather. It still bore the inscription "Johannes Bierschenk from Datterode in Hessen Germany". A few hours later, the afore mentioned chest was purchased and now graces the entrance hall of the granddaughter.
To further Jewish emigration of Datterode residents - particularly as a result of Nazi rule – see: Die Datteröder Juden.
Between the two world wars, the Datterode residents Kümmel and Hose (Reinhard) went to America. They were followed after the Second World War by Miss Martha Sippel. She married a former American soldier. All three "New-Americans" later visited their home village.
In the last third of the 20th Century, three other women left Datterode for overseas:
Eva Schmidt - to California, USA
Beate Ritz - to California,USA (see http://www.coeh.ucla.edu/faculty/ritz.html)
Cornelia (Conny) Beck - to Alberta, Canada (see http://www.simplicityphotos.ca/)
In most cases the details where and when many immigrants arrived and settled are not known. Today the traces of Datterode emigrants and their descendants can be retrieved via the Internet. Especially overseas, a growing interest exists fathoming genealogical roots. For that reason contacts to descendants of emigrants from Datterode have been linked to our association.
1 Karl Gier in „850 Jahre Datterode“, Der Festausschuss Datterode, Verlag Friedrich Gajewski, 1991; expanded to provide additional information and photos by Heimatverein Datterode e. V.