Letters to August Wittkopf from his parents
and nephew in Germany, 1865-1871

John Parker Clark, a great-grandson of August Wittkopf, is the person who had these German letters translated to English, by some person unknown to us. The comments in parentheses and the footnotes in the letters are John’s.

Click on a link to see a translated letter (all PDF, ~500 KB)

Letter 1, dated 18 Jun. 1865, Altenwalde: The entire letter, as far as we can tell, was written by August’s mother (who was chronically sick), except for a paragraph near the end which was written by August's nephew Fritz Wittkopf. We learn from the letter that the parents had moved from Otterndorf to an apartment in Altenwalde at least four years previously. August had apparently addressed a letter to them shortly before, at Otterndorf, his first letter to them in eleven years (so he had written in 1854). Some of the letter is chronologically confusing. August’s brothers Johann and Fritz, who have been about as remiss in writing home as August, are mentioned. Nephew Fritz, now 17 years old, writes that his mother died on 1 May 1860, and that his father (August’s brother Fritz, we believe) has abandoned him.

Letter 2, dated 18 Mar. 1866, Altenwalde: August had written to his parents on 7 Dec. 1865, and this was their reply. August mentioned his children, who at this time were “Little Adelaide” (Adeline, age 12), Christina (8), Johann Frederick (6), and “Little Otto” (3). We also learn that Eleanor was “a good energetic wife,” who helped August a lot. August mentioned that he had forty acres of land with salt and oil on it, which he wouldn’t sell for $50,000. We learn too that August had promised to return to Germany after 10 years, which time, since he left Germany in 1848, was seven years past. Brother Johann is again mentioned, again in a confusing way.

Letter 3, dated 2 Nov. 1866, Altenwalde: August had written home on 6 Sep. This entire letter appears to have been written by nephew Fritz. Eleanor had been seriously ill during the summer. Hanover has been taken over by Prussia. Mice and rats are destroying the crops, and that, along with the takeover, is causing many young people to leave for America. Young Otto (now age 4) appears to have promised in the 6 Sep. letter to send a muley calf to the folk in Germany.

Letter 4, dated 20 Oct. 1867, Altenwalde: August had written home on 5 May, and is congratulated here on the birth of son William, born 13 Oct. 1866. August had expressed best wishes to his parents for their 50th wedding anniversary, coming up 26 Mar. 1868. Adelaide had asked for the “auerbach book“ (?) and “my flower apparatus” (apparently August’s mother is writing this part), and her grandparents are making excuses and recommending that she learn “the cleaning work” (which she would soon do). Nephew Fritz writes that he fears being drafted into the Prussian Army. He is now in Altenbrüch (where he has perhaps already met his wife-to-be), where he has been working for a year, and will work one more, for farmer Jacob Gerdts. Fritz, who mentions that he is August’s oldest nephew, promises to include a picture of himself in his next letter.

Letter 5, dated 26 Mar. 1871, Altenwalde: August had written home on 6 June, 1868, but not since then. (From the fact that we have no letters for the interim period, perhaps he did not receive whatever letters were sent from home.) Nephew Fritz has married without his grandparents’ permission, which has hurt and angered them. They had been counting on him to take care of them in their old age, and now Fritz wants their help instead. (It sounds like his grandparents very likely would have denied Fritz permission to marry, had he asked.) The parents remind August that today (26 Mar.) is their wedding anniversary. Father is 74 years old and working hard, and Mother is 72. They are now hoping that August will send them one of his daughters to care for them. (Adeline, 17, would have been the prime candidate. Christina, at 13, would have been a bit too young.) Apparently August asked for the family Bible and other things in his last letter, but because they haven’t heard from him since then, his parents have not sent these things. Mother is fading, and Father asks August to visit home as soon as possible. Nephew Fritz, whose wife is from Altenbrug (Altenbrüch) named his son (now one year old) August.