The Fehmarn Cousins Newsletter

Issue #21

Family bonds: The Mackeprangs, Witts and Wittes stick together – for 440 years

Hamburger Abendblatt 7.3.2002
Marlies Fischer, Landkirchen.

The 32 silver beakers and goblets are polished, the family flag hangs in orderly habit on the wall, the table is set in festive decor. Around 4 p.m. the men are slowly arriving. It is the Tuesday after the second full moon in the new year, and in the assembly-hall of Peterson’s restaurant ‘Gasthof Peterson’ in Landkirchen /Fehmarn, the annual meeting of the nepotism between the Mackeprang, Witt and Witte begins, ‘Vetterschaft der Mackeprangen und Witten’ – the last association of such kind on the island Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea.

In the waning days of the Middle Ages Fehmarn had more than a dozen of such associations ‘Vetternschaften’. The male members of one or more families united themselves in clans, ‘Trutz- und Schutzbünden’, swearing allegiance in feuds and oath assistance, even in a blood revenge [vendetta]. Furthermore the cousins swore to aid each other and to pay a ransom when they were in prison, even offering them a mortgage loan when one member became destitute and to assist their families. Still to this day do they carry the casket of a member who passed away.

55 members still belong to this unit of nepotism ‘Vetternschft der Mackeprangen und Witten’. “The first documented mention of this is in 1562”, so says Hans-Michel Mackeprang (73), who is the chair person with the title “Worthalter”. “We are a nepotism but do not allow any cronyism.” He is proud of that.

During coffee and tea, cakes and cheese sandwiches they enjoy a conversational get-together, then the order begins: Greeting, memorial of the dead, roll call , reading of the minutes from the previous year, the treasury report, voting, and various things. Then they drink beer from the silver goblets. “After the last meeting I got home at 2 a.m.”, said the ‘Worthalter’, chair person.

If a male has the name Mackeprang, Witt or Witte and can prove that he is from Fehmarn, or his forefathers were from Fehmarn, he can become a member. “The membership begins after the confirmation and lasts as long as he lives”, says the chair person Mackeprang. “Our oldest cousin is 81 years old.” 26 members still live on the island Fehmarn, the others are spread all over Germany, in Vienna, Austria, on ‘Gran Canaria’ or even in Canada.

The committee is led by the ‘council of the elders’ ‘Ältesten’ – the chair person, four chieftains and 16 elders. They have to meet once a year. Every third year there is a general assembly. Moreover they celebrate a great cousin festival, where even the ladies are permitted to attend.

Previously the association, ‘Vetternschaft’ was financially well established and paid out some dividends. Now we hardly have any capital asset and have, contrary to what it was in the past, hardly any judicial or legal rights to collect late fees from members that were behind in their debts, says Hans-Michel Mackeprang.

To day it is only a social gathering, like a comfortable get-together and wallowing in memories. Assistance in a battle with attackers is not necessary nowadays, and if anyone gets destitute, he can rely on the social assistance. “We stick together, as it is known in any family”, says the chairperson ‘Worthalter’ and reminiscing over tradition and up-to-date ‘Vetterschaft’. “If we would stick to all the old rules, we would become an antiquity. Yet, if we get too flexible, we may become extinct.”

For Joachim Witt (24) tradition is no problem. “The meeting is a must. I have taken off ‘free time’ for this”, says the member in training. He has learned about the preference in the association. “When I was in Hamburg and suddenly lost my home, my cousin Jan Witt took me in for five months. That is true loyalty in the association ‘Vetterschaft’.”

Trustee Hans-Michel and head chieftain Hartwig Mackeprang leafing through the chronicle. It reaches back into the year of 1611.

During the meeting of the clan ‘Vetterschaft’ red wine and champagne is served from the silver goblet from 1911. The table-stand holds the heraldic escutcheon, it is never missing.

‘Worthalter’ – The chieftain of the cousines

Hans-Michel Mackeprang leads the men’s association.

Hans-Michel Mackeprang (73) has been for the last six years chieftain ‘Worthalter’ of the cousin’s nepotism and just lately sworn in officially. Before he served for years as an official in the family unit as bookkeeper. A farmer ‘Landwirt’ by passion, has lived on the island Fehmarn almost all of his life. Also his wife Elke (58) is from the island. His own farm, since 1847 in the name of the same family, with Holstein cattle, poultry, ducks and agriculture, the son Carsten (33) now administers the estate. The Mr. Senior helps every day. And when time allows it, Mr. Mackeprang, senior dabbles in genealogy, leafing through somehistorical maps and collects old picture postcards.

Out of the statues (1830) of the Mackeprang-Witt’s nepotism ‘Vetterschaft’

§ 1: The purpose for this nepotism ‘Vetterschaft’ and it’s sustenance reveals that from the accumulated interest of the total funds their singular relief seeking members were aided, so that each member, who becomes needy, or who has a son, who promises to be an achiever and intellectually excelling, may study or attend the educational system ‘Schulmeisterseminar’ or learn a trade for which he may not have the monetary background, may expect assist from the association, and also a daughter of such a member, who has been recommended and proven herself by her moral conduct, if she, when she marries does not have the capital for a trousseau [dowry], may be assisted and to some extent expect aid from the association.

§ 2: Everybody who wishes to become a member of this association, must show proof that he is a blood relative of a Mackeprang, Witt or Witte from the island Fehmarn and carry on the name Mackeprang, Witt or Witte. When a member has left the island and thereby abandoned the association, then his descendant must establish residence on this island again, to be accepted in our association. Should such person, who has taken up residence on this island and cannot proof his relationship to a previous member, then in a meeting with the other officers and elders they can have an election during a meeting and vote to accept him into the membership of the Association or ‘Vetterschaft’.

Translation by E. Bűgge-Wood, 3096-1A Maryland Ave., Columbus, OH-USA < Phone: (614) 237-4972 >

CANADIANS SEARCHING FOR ROOTS ON FEHMARN
Roots were found in Landkirchen.

Fehmarn (jk) Finally they arrived: The small house with white stucco in the ‘Meistersstraße 20’, in Landkirchen, had a small garden, this was the place  Laura Paquette and her daughter in law Lynda from Westlock, in the Canadian state Alberta had planned to visit. An uncertain pressure on the door bell, left them to wonder, who will open the door?

The two Canadians held their breath, after all, they had traveled halve around the world for this reunion, for the roots of the now 76-years old Laura Paquette are right here on the island Fehmarn, and in this house. Her father, Georg Matthias Haack, was born here in 1876. Sometime

between 1890 and 1895 he left the island in the Baltic Sea and went to America, in 1904 he moved from the USA to Canada, where Laura was born on a large farm, which they both managed up to his death four years ago. Laura’s grandfather, Matthäus Ferdinand Haack, a maker of pantaloons, or wooden shoes “Pantoffelmacher” in Landkirchen, is buried on the cemetery in the Saint Petri-Church. His grave and also the church, where he was baptized, they are planning to visit while here on the island.

 “We want to find out if any of our descendants are still living”, exclaimed Laura Paquette “that was the reason for our long journey. At the same time she and her daughter in law visited London, Paris, Rom, Venice and Amsterdam in the last three weeks.

Before the two finally arrived here on Tuesday night, with the train in Puttgarden. “It was a nightmare to get here, because nobody could speak Englisch, although every body was friendly and helpful toward us”, told Lynda Paquette explaining the lingual difficulty.

    After twice repeating the ringing of the doorbell in Landkirchen, the door was opened by Anna Scheel. At first a bit surprised to greet the unknown visitors, but after a few sentences the family history was recognized: The son of the older brother of Laura’s father, Hinrich Hermann Scheel, also has a son by the same name: Hermann Heinrich Scheel. His wife, Anna, also after the death of her husband is still living in the small house, where  Laura’s father first saw the light of the world.

In spite of the language barrier, with the help of hands and feet and sharing the pictures, there developed a conversation, while memories were being shared – and a picture was taken for the family album.

    Tomorrow Laura and Lynda Paquette are ending their search for ancestors on the island Fehmarn and hoping to take some of their new family knowledge about their ancestors back to Canada.

 THE END
English Translation by: E. Bügge-Wood

Henry Rose Centurion born on Fehmarn