In 1854 Johann Kiesling who was sixty seven years old decided to leave his home and head for Texas on the Ben Nevis with about 600 other people to make a new home and start a new life. Johann brought with him his wife Hanna, age fifty seven and their three children; Johann Kiesling, age […]
Dr. Ernst Kiesling – The Father of the Safe House Read More »
Jara zajimawe! Sehr interessant! Very interesting! I was once asked if I had any documentation for the quote in my book that Luther had supervised the burning of witches in Wittenberg. (Remember, I was citing the work of another scholar.) An old Concordia friend sent me the link below. Of course, after 500 years it’s hard
Martin Luther and Witches Read More »
The following article first appeared in the Sächsische Zeitung on Tuesday, 19 July 2016. The original German follows the English translation done by Weldon Mersiovsky and Charles Wukasch. Each learned language enriches the human being Sorbian learners from all over the world visited Lohsa and experienced a premiere. Pastor and poet Handrij Zejler (1804 –
Charles Wukasch Attends Sorbian Language Classes Read More »
Report on Charles Wukasch’s trip to Leipzig and Bautzen while living in Poland for about a year. -0- I spent three days in Leipzig and three in Bautzen, my two favorite cities in the “old country.” In Leipzig, in addition to getting together with friends (both German and Wendish), I visited the Wendish (Sorbian) Dept.
My [2017] Trip to Leipzig & Bautzen Read More »
The following article was written by Houston Chronicle writer Joe Holley and appeared on Page A3 of the Saturday, December 24, 2016 issue of the Houston Chronicle. (joe.holley@chron.com). You can view the article and see pictures by clicking on the following link: online. NATIVE TEXAN Wending through Rumplich country SERBIN — Meandering through the pleasant, wooded countryside
Wending Through Rumplich Country by Joe Holley Read More »
As I was translating one of the many articles which my grandfather, Rev. Gotthilf Birkmann, submitted to the Giddings Deutsches Volksblatt during the 1930’s, that are now in the Birkmann Blog on the Wendish Research Exchange website, I spotted this article immediately following his in the October 8, 1936, issue of that paper. Mr. Proske, the publisher
October 8, 1936 Something New From the Old Wendish Homeland Read More »
This article, introduced by George Nielsen and written by Pat Larsen, first appeared in the July 2016 Newsletter of the Texas Wendish Heritage Society, Serbin, Texas. One aspect of Wendish life that is generally ignored in Wendish studies is the daily activity of making a living. While most Wends took up farming, there were also
Andrew (Andreas) Urban, a Wendish Craftsman Read More »
This article by George Nielsen first appeared in the October 2016 Newsletter of the Texas Wendish Heritage Society. Helping fellow members of the faith has a long history with the Texas Wends. Both German and Wendish newspaper articles that reported the departure of the 1854 migration from the Bautzen train station also stated that the
The Household of Faith Read More »
Until now we had only four accounts of the 1854 migration written by individuals who were participants. 1. Pastor Johann Kilian left his collection of a diary, letters, and notes. (See the TWHS Newsletter of October 2012 “Death on the Irish Sea.“ 2. A German, August Haak, also wrote an account of his experiences, which
Another Account of the 1854 Migration Read More »
I have always found patents and inventions fascinating. A few years ago I found out that my Wendish great grandfather, Andreas Mattijetz, had been awarded six patents during a ten year period (1888 – 1898), thanks to the help of Kathe Richards and Weldon Mersiovsky of the Wendish Research Exchange. Since then I have been interested
The Seach for Patents Read More »
