The Fehmarn Cousins Newsletter
Issue #13 August, 2000
Hello Again
I hope that your summer is going well and that you and your family's are
fine. As a lot of you know Alan and I joined John and his sister Judy this year
on their trip to Fehmarn. I had been looking forward to this for over a year.
I wish to tell all of you that if you have not been to the island and have a
chance to go, GO!! I found the people of Germany to be open and giving. That
even though we spoke VERY little Germany in the end that was only a small
barrier. The one thing that I would suggest would be if you have a chance to
stay in a Bed & Breakfast on the island that is the way to go. You will find
it closer to the way the people live. For me it made me feel more at home and
welcome.
Even though we went over for Alan's genealogy and to see where his
grandfather was born I also was able to go and see where some of my family came
from. When we went to Denmark we went through the little towns of Stensby and
Kalvehavn. My Great Grandmother was born in Stensby and went to church in
Kalvehavn. I was so happy to have the chance of walking in some of the very same
places and seeing the country she lived in.
One of the best parts of the trip was going to the archives in Neustadt.
Frau Ehler was so nice to us. When I first got started I was not sure that I
would be able to find anything but I soon found that as long as you can remember
what to look for you will find it if it is there to find. I started looking for
the Schwartz line and you could have tipped me over with a feather when I found
the first record. I was having so much fun that the four hours we had to work
was like only having thirty minutes. I wanted to stay all day.
The other thing that made this trip good was
the finding of family on the island. When Alan and I were taken to the home of
Burgermeister Klaus Osterkamp I did not realize what this would do to all of us.
Klaus speaks English and he is a very open and gracious gentleman. He was open
to talking and helping us in our search for more genealogy. At the time John was
looking for information on his Wohler line when he found this out he took us
over to see Hermann and Rafaeia Wohler. When they were told of our interest
Rafaeia brought out a chart of the Wohler family that gave John a big missing
link and new cousins. These two meetings, let alone the finds at the archives,
made this trip a great success.
I would tell you all that genealogy by it's self is fun and well worth
all the time and when you can add to that a trip to those home lands it will
bring you a little closer to those who came before. I wish for all of you a
chance to make this same trip.
Tressie
Editor
WEB OWNERS COMMENTS
Well we have returned from our second trip to Fehmarn. This year we traveled with Tressie and her husband Alan on their first trip to Germany. My sister Judy once again kept a daily journal of our adventures during our trip. I hope you will take the time to read about our adventures at http://www.fehmarn-genealogy.com/our_2000_trip_to_fehmarn.htm
The Fehmarn Families database has grown to over 50,000
names, with the majority of them prior to 1870. Many of you have visited the web site but have not taken
advantage of the information in the database, which grows every day.
If you are a frequent visitor of the web site then you should email me
with the information you know on your Fehmarn ancestors and have me see if there
is additional information on them in the database. Also for those I have helped
you should request an updated report on your ancestors.
I also want to encourage you to participate in the web site
by submitting your family information, pictures of Ancestors and gravestones,
immigration information, obituaries of those born on Fehmarn, and letter your
ancestors wrote back and forth between Fehmarn and their new home.
We are also very much in need of information for the
newsletter such as stories of your families you have gathered as part of your
family history. Biographies found in local history of those born on Fehmarn.
Help us keep this web site going strong and the story of
our Fehmarn ancestors alive for future generations.
John Kostick
Web owner
Travel to Fehmarn
By Judy Cummings
Since writing the journal about our trip to Fehmarn in early June 2000, I have received several e-mails from some of the Fehmarn Genealogy Website Readers. Everyone has been very supportive and complimentary about my article and for this I thank you.
Writing the journal of our travels is fun, but it is a lot of work. My brother, John Kostick, takes me on his yearly trip to Fehmarn, not only as his sister, but also as his secretary. I love going to Fehmarn each year, but this trip comes at a price. An easy price for me, as I love reporting our trip to everyone interested in this website. Each day, as we travel around the island, I take notes on my tape recorder. And at night, I stay up late and type our day’s adventures on John’s personal computer. It’s a real challenge to write the day’s travels. John is usually sleeping, while I’m typing late into the night. For this second trip, we had the company of Alan and Tressie Hughes, and I’m sure Tressie will attest to all the late night work, as I had her working with me on a few of those nights!
I appreciate all the e-mails from the readers of this website. Several of you have offered suggestions to John and I, such as Margo Wilson’s tip on reading the menus. She suggested I go to www.travelersmenureader.com; as this is a site by a man whose hobby is creating menu translators. She said they fold up into a credit-card size card and are very helpful. He charges a small fee, which includes mailing. I’ll be sure to check this out before next years trip.
Another reader, Nora Wiese wrote and thanked me for writing the journal. She said it reminded her of the trip she took to the island in 1995. I’m glad I could bring back some good memories for her. Dale Rickert wrote to tell me that she and other family members had been to the island a month before our trip. She had kind words about my journal and an extra thank-you for Dorothee Gossel, who helped with the plans for her trip.
Others wrote asking advice before making their trip to
the island of Fehmarn. Judy Gabelman and Sherri Musselman are planning their
trips for the end of August and I hope they both have wonderful trips.
Karen Nihsen Wagoner also wrote to me with questions in preparation for her trip
to the island in August. She just returned from her trip, and the
following are excerpts from her e-mails to John and myself. It sounds like
she had a wonderful trip and I think you will enjoy reading about it.
Hello Judy,
Well, we got back last Thursday, and I'm still trying to adjust from jet lag! We had a great time of course. We took a train from Berlin to Hamburg up through Schleswig-Holstein with our exchange student (our interpreter!) to Fehmarn.
We stayed in Bannesdorf (the only place left!)
Her parents arranged for this; since Fehmarn is now a resort for Germans
to go to for holiday, it is a very busy place especially during the summer
months! We rented a small car and
drove around the island visiting every little town.
Of course, we went to Staberdorf, where my grandfather, his siblings and
parents were born. I was amazed at the little houses and the flatness of the
land. I loved the windmills.
We loved the Baltic Sea. We
even braved it to go on the boat to Denmark and drove to Copenhagen.
We also visited Burg and the church there (which is the church where my
great grandparents were married and where my grandfather and siblings were
baptized).
A Mr. Karl Klahn opened up the archives at Burg and tried
to find out Nissen family information for me (he spoke only German and talked
through our exchange student). He
found that our records were missing; someone else has them. He gave us the name of a man to visit, which we did.
He was a shirttail relative. Anyway,
while I was at breakfast, I received a letter from Mr. Klahn…. he had found
some Nissen information about my great grandfather's siblings!
It amazed me because I thought he was done looking.
It just amazed me that their records are still in their
original 100-year old books! The
Germans don't keep records like Americans!
I had wanted to find out where my grandfather's family
lived. No one knew.
I never did find the gravesites (and we checked them all - even a city
cemetery). I imagine they did not
have the money for a headstone, as they were poor farmers.
I was just so thrilled to be on the island - I had to pinch myself to
believe that I was in Staberdorf!
We went shopping of course....a woman's favorite thing to
do! Had to get Fehmarn flags for
each nephew and my own 3 sons! Got
Christmas ornaments & mugs for my brother and sister. We also got table runners, cloths, etc. for my mother, sister
and sister-in-law.
After being in Berlin, where people do speak a little
English, it was just the opposite in Fehmarn.
Our exchange student noticed the different dialects of German - including
low German. We visited the Stoltz
and Oldendorf department stores and the many shops around.
I even brought sand and rocks back from the Baltic Sea!
My only disappointment was that I wish my father was alive to know that
we went there. He passed away 6
years ago. It was always his wish
to go there. It was a cute little
island…. A real German secret.
Well, thank you for your concerns and interests in our trip. Keep in touch.
Karen Nihsen Wagoner
From another e-mail to John….
We did not make it to Neustadt (to visit the archives). We had been to Frankfurt, Heidelburg & Munich, Germany first, then went to Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France &
England. We flew from London to Berlin to stay with our exchange student, Silvia
& her family. (Karen’s trip started on July 17th and went into the month of August.)
I am wondering if Mrs. Melitta Mull-Ehler has the Nissen family records there. Mr. Klahn told us that it was common for people to come get their own family records.
We felt like true world travelers by renting a car and driving on the German Autobahn! In Denmark you must drive with your headlights on during the day; it's a law! Another thing we were amazed in Europe - it's like they're back in time - like in the 1950's - no air-conditioning (you certainly didn't need it in Fehmarn!), no screens on windows, no elevators, and we longed for free refills, water, free restrooms, and ice cubes! Germany was a very clean country. (Switzerland even more so!)
I will email you the information I did receive about my grandfather's dad’s siblings (at a later date). School starts for us tomorrow so it's a busy time. But I will do it!
Regards, Karen Nihsen Wagoner
Thanks, Karen for sharing your travels with us. It sounds like you and your family had a great time on your trip.
Judy
St. Juergen - a gruesome chapter
At 13 Chapel Way, is the Chapel of St. Juergen.
This chapel, as well,
originated from the medieval times, which since 1399 was already mentioned as
the "authentic" illness house (sick house). In this case, it
also applies that: who grows old, has experienced a lot, but not always
pleasant things.
The decorated chapel with paintings from the 15th Century was used in 1807, when
the Danish occupied it, as a horse stable and storage of gunpowder.
At the Gardens of St. Juergen, it was once the judging place of the victims of
the numerous witch-hunts. These victims were burned and tortured till
deceased. Suicides also increased at this time. This time of witch
madness, was not only on Fehmarn; It was a particularly dark section of
our history. This insanity existed between 1620 and 1660 on Fehmarn, when
over 100 people were condemned as witches and were executed on the stake.
Even here at castle level, it did not stop the witches' madness. Perhaps
it was because of the close position to the Castle Glambek.
Anyone suspected of practicing witchcraft, was subjected to the "water
test". The hands of the victim were bound to the feet. Then it was
rumored, they were put in a small boat and taken out to sea and thrown
overboard. It they sank, it was considered a proven fact that they were
innocent. If they remained at the surface, they were transferred back for
torture on the stake. The candidates, who were tied up in a special way and were
still wearing oil-soaked wool clothing, as a rule, did not usually sink.
TOTENTANZ
1. Aufwiederseh'n
-
Mein Fehmarn im Blütentraum,
Blätter so grün, -
Es singt so schön,
ein Vögelein,
In dem alten Pappelbaum,-
Pappelbaum.
2.
Dorf so leer,
Nur der Mond kommt heraus.
Von weit her ....
Schreit das Meer: "Komm' bald
her,
Komm zu mir, oh, komm' nach Haus,-
komm' nach Haus!"
3.
Herbst ist hier,
Der Ostwind heult Totentanz.-
Leer mein Herz,
Tiefer Schmerz, - Weit dein Grab,
Tränen auf dem Leichenkranz,-
Leichenkranz. -
DE DODEN LEED
1. Ik
sech ade,
To *Fehmarn, wenn allet in Bloom,
Greun de Blää,
De KuKuk süng, -
Süng so alleen,
In de grote Pappelboom,
Pappelboom.
2. Dörp
so leer,
Bloot noch de Maan över'n Knuus,
vun wiet her
Schreet dat Meer
Een old Gruß:
"Kum na mi, oh, kum na Huus,
Kum na Huus"!
3. Hars
het kaam,
De Ostwind weiht Dodendanz,
Du büs gahn,
Gahn in din Grab,
Leer min Hart.
Tränen op dien Liekenkranz,
Liekenkranz.
SONG
OF DEATH
By: E. Bügge-Wood
1. I
said good bye
To *Fehmarn, while flowers in bloom,
Parting when -
Cuckoos sang,
Church bells rang,
Love was then in tender bloom, tender bloom.
2. Peaceful
the isle,
Ocean is reflecting the moon.
Without a smile
Roars the sea, -
Calling me:
"Come and still my sighing tune, sighing tune."
3. Autumn
has come,
Winds whistle a dance of death,
Your grave yard -
Far apart, -
Broken heart.
Tears befall my sobbing breath, sobbing breath.
Newsletter submissions
by E-mail: kc7bal@juno.com
or mail to:
Tressie Hughes
PO Box 770
Puyallup WA 98371