USA > Maryland > Annual report of the Society for the History of the Germans in Maryland, 13th-14th, Vol. II > Part 13
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St. Mary's (Marien) German Catholic Community, to which nearly all the German Catholics of Richmond and the adjoin-
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ing counties belong, numbers270) 225 families with a total membership of 1200. To these are to be added eight families at Buckner's Station, Louisa county, who have a pretty chapel of their own and are visited every month by one of the fathers of St. Mary's church. Rev. Willibald Baumgartner, a native of Bavaria, is the Pastor Prior. The following schools are con- nected with St. Mary's church : Boys' Highschool, Rev. F. Ed- ward Meyer, O. S. B. Principal, 16 pupils ; Boys' Parish School, I. Section, Prof. C. F. Mutter, teacher, 33 pupils; II. Section, 40 pupils ; Girls' Parish School, I. Section, 58 pupils ; II. Sec- tion, 22 pupils ; Girls' Highschool, 120 pupils. The schools for girls are managed by sisters of St. Mary's Benedictine Institute under the supervision of the pastor. Another school connected with St. Mary's church is kept in Chesterfield county, near Granite Station. A lady teacher is in charge of it and the pu- pils number twenty. The total enrollment of the various schools amounted at the close of 1890 to 309. The pupils, assisted by an excellent choir under the leadership of Prof. Mutter, per- form the ecclesiastical singing in German, English and Latin. The following German Catholic societies are also connected with the church :271
St. Joseph's Beneficent Society (Unterstützungs-Verein) 101 members.
St. Benedict's Society (Unterstützungs-Verein) 60 members. St. Mary's Social and Beneficent Society, 102 members.
St. Anna Ladies' Society (Frauenverein) 210 members.
Society of the Living Rosary (Verein des lebendigen Rosen- kranzes) 225 members.
St. Mary's Sodality for Young Men and Ladies, 240 mem- bers.
Society for the Poor of St. Mary's church.
The voluntary subscription is very liberal and is dispensed among the poor by the officials of the society. St. Mary's church, Priory and school buildings are located corner Fourth and E. Marshall streets.
270.) "Der Sueden," I, No. 3, p. 10, January 1891. Richmond, Va.
27L.) "Der Sueden," I, No. 5, p. 11, February 1891. Richmond, Va.
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The Beth Ahaba Synagogue, Eleventh street between Mar- shall and Clay, is one of the prettiest buildings in the city. The membership is constantly increasing. The Rabbis who succeeded Rev. M. G. Michelbacher, already mentioned, are Wechsler, Dettelheim, Hoffmann, Dr. Abraham Harris, born in England by German parents, and at present Ed. N. Calish. Moses Millhiser was president of this German-Jewish commu- nity ever since its organization to his death in 1892, and Hon. Wm. Lovenstein was for years its secretary. The present offi- cers are : Julius Strauss, president ; Charles Hutzler, vice-presi- dent; Henry S. Hutzler, secretary ; L. Z. Morris, treasurer ; Isaac Held, financial secretary; Greentree, sexton. Board of Managers: Messrs. E. Gerst, Isaac Strauss, E. Bottigheimer, I. Thalhimer, E. Raab, and Sol. Bloomberg. With the syna-
gogue is connected "The Society of the Home for the Enfeebled by Age and for the Sick," which has over 300 members. Henry S. Hutzler is president of this charitable institution. The "Hebrew Benevolent Association of Richmond" elected the fol- lowing officers : President, S. Stern ; Vice-President, B. Jacob; Secretary, H. E. Hirshberg ; Treasurer, Harry Marks. The "Congregation Keneseth Israel," Rev. Dr. L. Harfeld, Rabbi, elected the following officers: President, Harris Jacob ; Vice- President, P. Hirshberg ; Secretary, I. E. Hirshberg ; Treas- urer, M. Meyer. The congregation of "Beth Shalome " has lately combined with " Beth Ahaba."
The Protestant Episcopal Church Home, 517 North Fourth street, was the gift of the late German Consul Friedr. W. Hahne- winkel and can therefore be termed a German foundation. It is a retreat for gentlewomen, 272) those ladies in Virginia desti- tute of friends and fortune and unable to support themselves : but it is designed for members of the Episcopal Church exclu- sively. It is presided over by the bishop, but no German-Vir- ginian is at present in the Board of Managers.
Scientific and artistic efforts had until the middle of the nineteenth century not attained a very prominent degree in Virginia ; however the Anglo- and German-American citizens
272.) "The Richmond Dispatch," January 1, 1898.
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of Richmond have always participated in every attempt to pro- mote them. The Richmond Microscopical Society, chartered in 1880, consisted entirely of Germans. The founders were Dr. Wm. A. Weissiger of Manchester, Rev. Ed. Huber and G. A. Peple. Membership was limited to active workers with the microscope. Regular meetings were held the first Friday of each month and the society had a reference library and subscribed to micro- scopical journals. Meetings were held at Dr. Henry Froehling's office, corner of Twelfth and Cary streets. Members had the use of Dr. Froehling's chemical laboratory for research. In 1889 Dr. II. Frochling was president, G. A. Peple secretary, Thomas Christian treasurer and Dr. Wm. Grebe librarian. 273) Dr. Henry Froehling is analytical and consulting chemist for the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, R. & A. and M. & O. Central railroad and Banking Co. of Georgia. Dr. M. A. Burt, who by accident was killed at his residence on March 20th, 1890, was vice-president of the Richmond Medical and Surgical Society ; and the German-Virginian Dr. C. L. Cudlipp (according to his own explanation this name was derived from Gottlieb) was sec- retary. Another German-Virginian, Dr. W. T. Oppenheimer, is president of the Board of Health and professor at the Rich- mond Medical College. The "Jeffersonian Literary and Social Circle," owning a library of 1250 volumes, and the "Mercantile Club," with elegant reading rooms, are composed mostly of German-Virginian Hebrews, and their object is the cultivation of social and literary relations. L. Hutzler, J. S. Levy, Charles Hutzler, M. S. Block, Myer IIeller, D. Mitteldorfer, Wm. Loven- stein, E. Raab, F. S. Myers, Wm. Heller, Moses May, Sol. Sycle, Israel I. and Jacob I. Cohen, N. Ezekiel, M. Rosenbaum, J. Thalheimer, L. and Joseph Wallerstein, W. and J. Gans, H. S. Binswanger, Ch. Strauss and others are among the leading men
and former presidents of the clubs.
The literary activity of
the Germans reawakened after Richmond rose out of the ashes of the evacuation fire in 1865. The "Richmond Anzeiger" was the only German newspaper that survived the terrors of the war, but it did not satisfy all liberal Germans and consequently a new German weekly, "Der Richmond Patriot," was published.
273.) Richmond Directory, p. 26. 1839-1890,
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The paper was well edited and the management rested in the hands of Isaac Hutzler and Wm. Lovenstein. On July 20th, 1870, the " Patriot" was transferred to the "Virginia Deutsche Publishing Co.," which had started on April 11th, 1870. The daily " Virginia Staats Gazette" continues to this day. Editors of the " Gazette " were in succession : Paul Ketterlinus, Jacob Rosenfeld, Heinrich Pein, (born at Altona, Holstein, died at Richmond June 7th, 1886), and Moritz Friedrich Richter, (born at Grossschoenau near Leipzig, Saxony.) In 1890, after the
successful celebration of the first "German Day," the German News Company of Virginia was organized : G. A. Peple, presi- dent; Christian Droste, secretary ; Joseph Wallerstein, vice- president, and Hermann Schmidt, Fritz Sitterding, Carl Ruehr- mund, H. G. Miller, directors. Herrmann Schuricht of Louisa county was chosen editor of a new German weekly, "Der Sue- den." The principal object of the promoters of this paper was to secure through a large circulation in the United States as well as in Germany and wherever the German tongue is spoken, the influx of German settlers into Virginia and the other southern States. To make "Der Sueden" instructive as well as attractive, its columns were filled with descriptions of all the features of German-American life in the southern States, the topics of the day discussed, the different branches of agricul- ture, commerce, science, art and literature represented, and the cooperation of eminent professional men and well known dis- tinguished writers was secured. The first number appeared on January 4th, 1891, and the paper was very favorably spoken of by the leading German and English journals of the Union ; but in October 1891 Mr. Schuricht resigned the editorship on account of his impaired health. Mr. B. Hassel was elected his successor and a few weeks later the News Co. sold "Der Sue- den" to the publishers of the " Staats Gazette," who still con- tinue it as their Sunday publication, but changed in shape and contents. Of the originals written by German-Virginians and published in "Der Sueden " during the time of its independent appearance are to be mentioned : Novels and poems by Chris- tian Droste under the nom-de-plume of " R. Helge; " educa- tional and popular articles by Prof. G. A. Peple ; poems and two novels by H, Schuricht, and by the same author: "Peda-
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gogical Letters to a German-American Mother." Dr. William Grebe wrote different articles for English papers on medical questions and he also translated and published in 1893 in Eng- lish : "Gesunde und kranke Nerven," by Dr. Freiherr R. von Kraft-Ebings.
Several German-Virginian artists have gained well-merited recognition. The sculptor Edward V. Valentine, who is said to be of German descent and a pupil of Professor Aelquoit Kiss of Berlin, enjoys a national reputation. His exhibition gallery, 801 E. Leigh street, is open to visitors from 10 to 11 o'clock on Saturdays, but strangers are usually admitted on other days upon presenting their cards. Besides his recumbent statue of General Lee at Lexington, Va., Mr. Valentine produced other important art works, among them the Stonewall Jackson statue at Lexington and the Jefferson statue in the court of the Jeffer- son Hotel at Richmond. The sculptor's brother, the late Mann S. Valentine, left a bequest of $125,000 for a permanent Museum and Library under the name : " The Valentine Museum." The purposes of the museum are : to preserve the relics illustrative of the civilization of Virginia and the United States, from the discovery of America to the present time, and more especially to secure from destruction portraits, manuscripts, etc., the pro- ducts of southern labor ; to preserve the archaeological remains of Virginia and the South, and so arrange them as to show the habits and customs among the aborigines; to acquire, classify and exhibit the natural products, botanical and mineral, of Virginia, for the purpose of developing further knowledge of the State's resources among Virginians and prospectors ; to ac- quire collections exhibiting raw materials, and the processes of manufacture of the same into finished products ; to acquire and classify specimens of art and its allied industries in order that students may derive practical benefit from them; to acquire a complete reference library on the above subjects and to make this library of practical value to earnest investigators. The treasures of the Valentine Museum are known in all the leading scientific circles throughout America and Europe, and they are . housed in a beautiful old Virginia home corner of Eleventh and Clay streets. The very large number of valuable and in-
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teresting German manuscripts, autographs, books and engrav- ings is really surprising. The most notable and rare collections were thrown open to the public on November 21st, 1898, and will for ever commemorate the name of Valentine.
Moses Ezekiel, a native of Richmond, Va., and of German- Jewish extraction, sculptured in Rome " The Statue of Religious Liberty," exhibited and much admired at the Centennial Cele- bration, 1876. It is in the form of a group of statuary in Car- rara marble. An eminent and thoughtful foreigner, a states- man of world-wide fame, passing through Fairmount Park (Philadelphia Exhibition Grounds), earnestly gazed at the mar- ble group and exclaimed: "If the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 resulted in this work of art and nothing else, the American people should be satisfied. I, the subject of a mon- arch, salute the nation that makes this creation possible.""7+)
· Caspar Buberl, a native of Eger in Bohemia, now a resident of New York City, has only temporarily resided in Virginia, but his name is inseparably connected with some of Virginia's proudest monuments. He came to America forty years ago, aged twenty-two. Since his arrival in this country he has been an active, busy man and has executed many decorative pieces of sculpture North and South. The sculptor, in a letter dated May 1894, says: " My last piece of modelling, the Confederate for the Richmond Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, will, I hope, be liked by the public, as I did this work with a feeling of thanks for all the kindness I have received from the generous people of the South." Mr. Buberl has modelled this monu- ment and also the A. P. Hill monument and the Howitzer mon- ument, both at Richmond, after designs by Mr. W. S. Sheppard. The bronze statue of the Confederate Soldier at Alexandria, Va., is another piece of his work.
Alfred H. Raynal, an engineer of superior qualifications and talent, and highly regarded, was superintendent of the Richmond Locomotive and Machine Works. In 1891 he retired from office and accepted a position in New Jersey.
274.) "The American Jew as Patriot, Soldier and Citizen," by Simon Wolf, pp. 65 and 63, Philadelphia, 1895,
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The most important lithographing establishment in Rich- mond is the well known firm of A. Hoehn & Co. on Bank street.
Of German architects and builders Capt. Leibrock and Carl Seibert have already been mentioned. The last named built the new St. Johannis church. Fritz Sitterding, a very enterprising and successful business man, has built many churches and resi- dences in all parts of the State. The large Exhibition Build- ing, with its ingenious roof-work, but now taken down, was erected by him. Carl Ruehrmund is another excellent architect and draughtsman. His biography follows later.
It is also a matter of pride with the Germans of Richmond, that many of the principal buildings there, are from designs of German architects; that the plan of the new and magnificent City Hall was drawn by a German architect, Myer of Detroit, Mich., and that the designs of the Masonic Temple are also the work of a German.
Friedrich Roeth is spoken of in the local papers of 1870 as a superior fresco painter, and it is a matter of regret, that the son of the late A. Hottes, who had studied at the art schools of Muenchen and was looked upon as a very promising talent, died soon after his return to Richmond.
Music was again cultivated by the German citizens of Rich- mond after the thunder of the cannon around its hills had ceased. In speaking hereafter of the public festivals of the Germans, occasion will be found, to point to the charming ef- ' fects of music and its inspiring influence, and it is therefore sufficient for the present to name the various organizations de- voted to its culture.
The " Gesangverein Virginia" survived the war and gained reputation by the performances of the operas "Stradella," April 15th and 19th, and "Der Freischnetz," April 16th and 20th, 1875. These performances were universally appre- ciated and were the first rendering of opera by home talent in the South. The society was from that time on very popular and the whole city showed its interest for it at the celebration of
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the 25th and 40th anniversaries of its foundation on September 24th, 1877 and July 1st, 1892. At the 25th anniversary " Saengerhall" was dedicated and for the occasion a poem, " Weihe-Gesang" (Dedication Song) by G. A. Peple, set to mu- sic by the musical leader C. L. Siegel, was sung. In honor of the 40th anniversary H. Schuricht composed and dedicated a festive play, " Huldigung dem deutschen Liede."
In 1870 two other similar societies were formed : the " Ger- mania Maennerchor," .. ... Krause, leader, and " Richmond Phil- harmonic Association."
On April 20th, 1876, the " Richmond Mozart Association" was organized and received the hearty support of the wealthy Germans. E. A. IIoen and Samuel Hirsch were members of the board of directors, while Prof. Jacob Reinhard was for several seasons the musical leader. German ladies and gentlemen took active part in the perform- ances.
The Arion Society of Richmond, a singing society for the promotion of vocal musical study, was organized June 17th, 1887; Joseph W. Laube, president, and Jacob Rein- hard, director. It was not a German society, but listed many members of German descent.
The Richmond Musical Protective Society was organized January 1st, 1886, and consists of professional musicians only. Its membership numbers 38. Its objects are social intercourse, interchange of views on all things pertaining to the musical . profession and the protection of its interests generally. To its members counted : H. F. Laube, John Baseler, John Reintz, J. T. Pulling, C. B. Baseler, G. A. Thilow, J. C. Reinhardt, Rich- ard Wagener, A. J. Leiss, Jacob Beier, Geo. Voelker and H. J. Tremer. These names indicate that the society was composed chiefly of Germans.
There are several German lodges in the city and others in which the German element is heavily represented. On Septem- ber 13th, 1870, the Germania Lodge of Knights of Pythias, pre- viously mentioned, was established by Ch. T. Loehr, Otto Mor- genstern, J. Hutzler, A. Blenner, F. Fischer, O. F. Cammann.
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C. Dunker, L. Gimmi, H. Metzger, G. Habermehl, I. Marxhau- sen, L. Michel and G. W. Robinson.2 73) After an existence of twenty-four years the lodge numbered about two hundred mem- bers and the total receipts amounted to about $16,000, of which sum more than $9,000 have been paid for benefits, funerals and endowments. Several of the Hebrew orders have a decided Ger- man character and to their most prominent members are counted : M. Hepburg, Ch. Hutzler, Julius Strauss, H. S. Hutz- ler, W. Lovenstein, L. Hexter, A. Levy, M. C. Block, H. Fisher, C. Goldenberg, J. Baer, J. Hirschberg, I. Held, A. Cohen, N. Nachman, E. Bettingheimer, J. Thalheimer, P. Hellstern, A. Gunst, S. Binswanger, W. Flegenheimer, M. J. Rosendorf, M. Kaufman, M. Myer, J. Lewit, E. A. Ezekiel, M. Cohen, E. Solo- monsky, E. Ullmann, etc.
The German military organizations were dissolved at the end of the Civil War and since. that time no entirely German company has been formed. However the Stuart Horse Guard is almost a German troop. It was commanded until October 1892 by Captain Carl Euker, afterwards Colonel of the First Virginia Cavalry Regiment, and his successor in command of the Company was Captain Edward Euker, his nephew. Chas. Euker, Jr., the son of Colonel Euker, was elected one of the
lieutenants. Other Germans or German descendants have held high positions in other military corporations, like Captain Chas. Gasser of Company D, First Virginia Volunteers, Captain Chas. H. Philips and Lieutenant Werne, Lieutenant Armin Heinrich of Richmond Light Infantry Blues; Lieutenant-Colonel Stern, Inspector-General; Captain P. T. Conrad, Quartermaster of First Virginia Regiment; Lieutenant H. D. Messler of Com- pany B; Captain A. A. Spitzer, Adjutant-General of Grand Camp Confederate Veterans ; Dr. R. B. Stover, Surgeon-General of the same Camp; Charles T. Loehr, Commander of Picket's Camp Confederate Veterans, and Captain John Trusheim of the Petersburg Artillery.
It is further proof of the influence and respect the Ger- mans of Richmond enjoy, that foreign States have appointed
275.) Nebengesetze und Ordensregeln der Germania Loge, Printed by Va. Staats Gazette, Richmond, 1899,
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several of them their commercial representatives. Friedrich Hanewinkel, Heinrich Boehmer and Adolph Osterloh officiated as Consuls of the German Empire, respectively of the North German Confederacy ; Emil O Nolting, Belgian Consul, Charles L. Ludwig, Consul of the United Kingdoms of Norway and Sweden, and Louis Borchers, succeeded A. Osterloh, Consul of the Austrian Empire.
In the development of industry and commerce the Ger- mans have taken active part. In the manufacture, purchase and export of tobacco, Virginia's great staple, they are still much en- gaged. After the restoration of peace the export of tobacco underwent a great change. Steamers took the place of the sail- ing craft, so that for many years gone by no merchant ship has sailed from Rockets with a full cargo to the rivers Weser and Elbe. All tobacco is at the present time shipped by railroad to Baltimore or New York and forwarded from there by steamer. The purchases for the Austro-Hungarian Government have been made by the German firms of Fr. Wm. Hanewinkel & Sons, H. Boehmer, Osterloh & Co., A. Osterloh & Co., and L. Bor- chers & Co. These firms have also supplied most of the de- mand of the French, Italian and Portuguese Governments, and the German tobacco houses : Schaer, Koetter & Co., E. O. Nol- ting & Co., Nolting & Koetter, E. R. Victor & Co., and Williams & Rehling, have successfully participated in this export. Ma- jor Lewis Ginter, of German descent, one of the most meritor- ious men of Richmond, was partner of the firm of Allen & Gin- ter, manufacturers of tobacco and cigarettes. The firm has been changed to Allen & Ginter Branch of the American To- bacco Company.
In 1891 a very valuable invention was made by Prof. G. A. Peple for the drying and assorting of leaf tobacco, to dispense with steam and impure air. The invention is now the property of "The Mayo Tobacco Drying and Ordering Company," of which G. A. Peple was up to his death vice-president. The appa- ratus has been adopted by the American Tobacco Company and by other large tobacco houses.
Major Lewis Ginter, above named, was born in New York.
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His great grandfather had emigrated from Germany and settled there. When a young man he came to Richmond and at the outbreak of the Civil War he joined the Confederate forces and was promoted to the rank of major. After the war Major Gin- ter went North, but a few years later he returned to Richmond and engaged in the tobacco trade with astonishing success. He was the first to use the light colored tobacco of Virginia and North Carolina in place of Turkish tobacco for the manufacture of cigarettes. The firm of Allen & Ginter gained a widespread reputation under his management, and finally Major Ginter ac- cepted the presidency of the Allen & Ginter Branch of the American Tobacco Company. Important as were the business talents of Major (inter to the interest of the city, of still greater value was the delight he took in the beauty of nature, his de- sire to beautify by all manner of improvements the picturesque environs of Richmond and to further in this way the prosperity of the city. West of the Capital, where the Confederates had thrown up carthworks on sandy hills, Maj. Ginter purchased large tracts of land, built elegant avenues and boulevards, laid out parks and invested much money to secure a beautiful landscape. The city of Richmond is greatly indebted to the sense of beauty, the enterprise and the noble spirit of this German-Virginian. No man could have made better use of the wealth he gained by diligence and intelligence. Greatly beloved by all Richmond, he died October 2nd, 1897.
In the period of 1889-1890 Ashton Starke, another Ger- man descendant, was president of the Virginia State Agricul- , tural and Mechanical Society.
German business men engaged in the management of banks, insurance companies and building associations. The cedar works and several other manufacturing interests are con- trolled by Germans and their descendants. Two large breweries, The Richmond Brewery of Kersten and von Rosenegk, now Rosenegk's Brewing Company, and the Peter Stumpf Brewing Company, Peter Stumpf late president, are in successful opera- tion since 1891, after Euker's Brewery, Edw. Euker, proprietor, and the James River Brewery of Baier, Juengling & Betz had
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been discontinued. In all branches of the wholesale and retail trade the Germans are engaged. The sale of dress-goods is almost the exclusive domain of the German Israelite citizens. The sole furrier of importance in the South is Charles Haase. German artisans are employed with preference in all the various factories.
CHAPTER XVII.
THE CELEBRATION OF GERMAN PUBLIC FESTIVALS IN RICHMOND AND BIOGRAPHIES OF GERMAN- VIRGINIAN PROMINENT CITIZENS.
HE historical facts mentioned in previous chapters show that the Germans have contributed very materially to the wealth and progress of the city of Richmond and the entire State. They have helped in a great measure to bear the burden and expenses of the community and com- monwealth. It is asserted that the German-Virginian popula- tion of Richmond pays about one-third of the whole amount of the city's taxes.
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