|
Hamerschlag Family |
|
(click on thumbnails to view full images) ? NEW!! Web Family Cards--detailed information on individuals and family trees Newspaper and Obituary Archive Vital Records and Wills Archive Immigration, Naturalization, Passports, Travel New! Google Maps showing family locations ? Hamerschlag and Brummel Families
| Four Hamerschlag Brothers in Bohemia To date we know of four brothers who were born in northern Bohemia in the Sudetenland. According to William Hamerschlag's death certificate, their parents were Albert Hamerschlag and Regina Mayer. They were from Friedland, Sudeten (now known as Frydlant, Bohemia, north of Liberec).
Map showing these locations Adolph Hamerschlag was born in 1829. He lived in Reichenberg, now Liberec, NNW of Prague. At some point he moved to Vienna. Aunt Dot's memoirs speak of "Uncle Adolph" as the family patriarch in Vienna. He was married to Anna Pick, and died in 1915. His descendants live in Austria, England, and France. Margarete Hamerschlag Art Ernst Hamerschlag remained in Reichenberg where he was successful in the textile business. Aunt Dot (Dorothea Michael) spoke of his daughter Thekla in Vienna in her memoirs. Aunt Dot said that Thekla's son Fritz Pick came to the U.S. and was a successful businessman. A fascinating Hamerschlag family tree (drawn by Francois Koch) showing Adolph and Ernst's families in detail.
A Hamerschlag tree drawn by Alice Michael Gamer, probably c. 1955.
A note on the spelling of "Hamerschlag" vs. "Hammerschlag": According to Wolf-Erich Eckstein, the German word "hammer" is spelled with a double "m" as in Hammerschlag, but at that time such words were often spelled with the single letter and a line over it (not the case in the "Heimatschein" for Wilhelm). It seems that "Hamerschlag" vs. "Hammerschlag" may not be significant in terms of family relationships. Perhaps unrelated, but Sigmund Freud's Hebrew teacher and close personal friend in Vienna was Samuel Hammerschlag (born in Bohmische Leipa as was Joseph Hamershlag of New York). Wilhelm, the third brother, lived at some point in Libosovice, near Sobotka, Jicin district, northern Bohemia, according to his Heimatschein (residency document). Libosovice is almost due south of Liberec. There is some question about his date of birth. The Heimatschein lists him as 15 years of age. This document was originally issued in 1850, which would suggest that Wilhelm was born in 1835. However, the Heimatschein was renewed in 1856, and subtracting 15 years from 1856 yields a birth date of 1841. It is possible that the error stems from the hurried reading of the Bohemian document, mistaking the date of the renewal for the original date of issue, or perhaps Wilhelm swindled a bit, thinking younger was better for immigrants.Joseph appears in the Baltimore city directories and census 1878-1880, living with William in 1880 and listed as a brother. A Joseph Hammerschlag from Reichenberg appears in Germans to America; he emigrated from Reichenberg to New York in 1866. A Joseph Hammerschlag is also listed in the 1910 census in Baltimore and in Baltimore city directories in 1913-1914. This person was born in Austria, came to the U.S. in 1864, and was living with his wife Bertha Rosskopf Hammerschlag (a widow) and 3 children by her first marriage. Hamerschlag genealogy: NEW!! Web Family Cards--detailed information on individuals and family trees (note: these family trees suggest that the Albert Hamerschlag husband of Regina Mayer was the same person as the Albert Hamerschlag husband of Julie Werner. This is merely a hypothesis and is completely unproven). Hamerschlags, Brummels, and related families in the 1793 Register of Jews in Bohemia Hamerschlag locations in Bohemia
Wilhelm's Emigration to New York Wilhelm emigrated to Baltimore from Bremerhaven (via Antwerp) on the ship Helene on August 15, 1864. The passenger list of the Helene gives his age as 23, lending further weight to a birth date in 1841.
Passenger manifest showing Wilhelm Hamerschlag, 1864 William made another trip to Europe in 1873, returning on August 23 from Bremen to New York on the ship Deutschland. His age on the Deutschland manifest is listed as 32 which is consistent with an 1841 birth date. Of course, if a mistake had been made earlier, or William had a particular reason for misstating his age, this would simply have been a continuation of the earlier misstatement.
Other Hammerschlags in
Germans to America from Bohemia and Austria.
A
Franzisca
Brumel, Theresia (or
Franzisca???) Hamerschlag, and Henriette Hamerschlag
traveled from Bremen to New York on the same ship in 1866. Were they traveling
together? Was Fannie Brummel en route to New York to marry William
Hamerschlag? Did she perhaps meet him through his sisters or cousins who
happened to be on the same ship?
William Hamerschlag's residency and citizenship documents William's New York City death certificate, 1907, showing the names of his parents New York City directory entries for Hamerschlag
Marriage to Fannie Brummel Wilhelm became William and married Fannie Brummel from Neu Wallisdorf, Bohemia, in New York. Fannie had emigrated in 1866. (NY 1900 census says 1868). Hamerschlags, Brummels, and related families in the 1793 Register of Jews in Bohemia Passenger list for Franziska Brummel, 1866 Brummel Family Pictures from Bohemia At some point after they were married, William and Fannie moved to Baltimore and eventually to Omaha. Aunt Dot said that he was full of wanderlust. According to The Jews and Europe by Elena Romero Castello and Uriel Macias Kapon, Nebraska was chosen as a settlement site by Jews from Germany, Alsace-Lorraine, and Bohemia. William evidently wanted to join them, but after some time in the "wilderness," Fannie insisted on going back to New York where she spent the rest of her life. We know that the Hamerschlag and Brummel families kept in touch in the U.S., as evidenced by Annie Hamerschlag Michael's witnessing of the 1899 marriage of cousin Frances Brummel, and also some business transactions between Joachim Brummel and William Hamerschlag and Bernard Michael. William's Occupation William was in the liquor business. He is listed as a distiller on Annie's birth certificate, and various NYC directories listed him as "liquors", clerk, refiner. It is not clear whether he worked in a distillery, sold liquor, tended bar--or some combination. William and Fannie's Children and Grandchildren Annie Hamerschlag's birth certificate Annie Hamerschlag and Bernard Michael's marriage documents Arthur Hamerschlag's birth certificate Arthur's home at 4040 Bigelow Blvd. in Pittsburgh Several of Arthur's patents Kate Hamerschlag Travers' death certificate The Coast Guard & the Women's Reserve in World War II (Vera Hamerschlag; see also Christmas Card from Coast Guard Unit 21, Chatham, Mass) Photos of European Hamerschlag cousins Art of Margarete Hamerschlag and her family Some information about other Hamerschlag families
NOTE: Some of the information on the families of Adolph and Ernst Hamerschlag was kindly supplied by Wolf-Erich Eckstein of Vienna and is deeply appreciated. Many documents have been supplied by Cousin Jeff Brummel, and Alison Brown, another Brummel cousin, always has a sharp eye and good suggestions. |
|
Buyer, Stier, and Related Families Research is continuing and some information in this site is unproven. This site last updated on 03/11/2008 09:38 PM -0500 by Susan Patterson Buyer. I have added spaces to my email address to reduce spam. Please remove the spaces and substitute "@" for "at" when you email me. susanbuyer at gmail.com |
