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The First Generation
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Auguste &
Wilhelm Zaehring
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The story of the Zaehring’s in America begins
sometime in early 1893 with a family’s decision to
emigrate. The father was Wilhelm Zaehring,
born April 22, 1845. The mother, Auguste was born
Auguste Emilie Reichow on October 8, 1847. Her
parents, August Reichow and Auguste Emilie Bordt,
were married in Pomerania, but coming from two
different parishes. So far there are yet no
references to Wilhelm’s parents or birthplace.
They were married in 1872 (according to William’s
declaration on the 1900 census). Their children
were Otto, born on March 23,1873, Margaret, born
on September 29, 1875, Max, born on March 27,
1877, Franz, born in June 1879, and Ernst, born on
May 12, 1888. Family members also recount a
“Helena” as a sixth child and an “Elsie” who may
have died at birth since there is no other known
record. (The 1900 census indicates five of seven
children were living.) There is not much
information yet about the family’s roots and
movements. Some family stories say the couple was
married in Berlin, but that is unlikely. The
family lived in Memel, East Prussia (now Kleipeda,
Lithuania) for a number of years prior to
emigrating to America. The birth record for Max in
Memel has been verified. Otto and Ernest both
filed documents that they were born in Memel.
Ernst (nka Ernest) registered with his draft board
stating that he was born in Memel (He spelled it
Memmel). Memel has a long history of
German connections. It was originally
captured by crusading Germanic knights of the
Livonian Order who built Memelburg, a wooden
castle at the mouth of the Dane River in 1252.
When Napoleon captured Berlin in his conquest of
Europe, Kaiser Frederick Wilhelm III fled from
Berlin to Memel, where his household remained
until after Napoleon was effectively defeated
outside Moscow.
When Wilhelm and Auguste were born, there was no
unified country known as Germany. Kaiser
Wilhelm I, through the able and ruthless
assistance of Otto von Bismarck, completed
the unification of Prussia into one country in
1871. In the mid 1870's, about the time
Wilhelm and Auguste were married, an economic
depression hit much of Germany, causing much
hardship, particularly among shopkeepers and
tradesmen. With the name Zaehring, Wilhelm’s
ancestors possibly originated from the
southwestern part of Germany where various cities
were built by Zähringers, such as Berne and
Freiburg. There are numerous interesting
legends surrounding the Zähringers, many
fictitiously linking them to Barons and Dukes of
the twelfth and thirteenth century. There
are family stories that Otto remembered playing at
a castle that had his name, which has led some of
the family to suggest that perhaps the family
either resided there for a time or paid relatives
there an extended visit. Be that as it may,
the 1920 census has Max declaring that not only
was he born in East Prussia but so were both of
his parents. In Germany today, “Zähring” and
“Zaehring” are not uncommon names. The “Zaehring”
spelling was prominent in northern Germany
(Prussia) while the umlaut spelling seems to
reside in the south. Auguste signed her name on
Max’s birth record as “Zaehring”. During the
time their children were growing up, Prussia had
mandatory schooling from age 7 to 14, so the
family had at least basic education.
There is a family recollection that while the
family was in Memel, East Prussia, Wilhelm– either
alone or with part or all of the family– went to
Russia to pursue work. Memel is right on the
Russian border. Many workers from Memel went
into the Russian forests nearby for timber.
Alternatively, perhaps this is what got them to
Memel in the first place. During this period there
was a steady stream of emigration which reached a
torrent from Russia, Prussia and numerous other
European areas. The vast majority of
emigrants were leaving a destitute existence,
while some were fleeing religious
persecution. The Zaehring family, being
Protestant Lutheran, would not have experienced
religious persecution directly, except perhaps in
Russia–if any of the family indeed went to Russia.
Catholics and Protestants alike were severely
discriminated against there, although nowhere near
that experienced by the Jews in European Russia.
Whatever the reason to emigrate, the decision
resulted in Otto, the oldest son, making his
way to Rotterdam where he was able to board the
ship S.S. Edam bound for America. He arrived
on May 2, 1893 at Ellis Island, New York1.
Soon afterward, perhaps after receiving word of
Otto’s safe arrival, Wilhelm set out with his
second son, Max, age 15, from Bremen aboard the S.
S. Saale.2 They arrived on July 11, 1893 at
Ellis Island and began the process of finding work
and adequate quarters. Finally, on October
6, 1894, over a year later, Auguste, his wife,
their daughter Margaret and their two youngest
sons Franz and Ernst arrived at Ellis Island from
Hamburg. Emigrants in Hamburg while facing delays
until they could embark were sheltered in large
dormitory-like buildings down by the docks.
With a stopover at Southampton, England, they
voyaged for nine days aboard the S. S.
Columbia,.3 The Zaehring’s all came third
class– otherwise referred to as steerage. (or
“Zwischendeck”.) This consisted of large
open rooms with numerous beds arranged for the
many passengers. (For those interested
in ships, Appendix A has a detailed description of
the ships on which the original family traveled.)
Thus the family was reunited in America.
Upon arrival,Wilhelm changed “Wilhelm” to
“William” and upon their arrival changed “Franz”
to “Frank” and “Ernst” to “Ernest”.
By the time of the 1900 census, the family was
renting their home at 715 3rd Avenue in
Brooklyn, Kings County, New York. The census
lists William and Otto as carpenters, Max as a
machinist, Franz (now known as Frank) as a baker
and Ernst (now known as Ernest) as at
school. Auguste’s occupation didn’t warrant
the census taker’s mention. Margaret was no
longer home, having already married John Frederick
Belus, but lived nearby at 229 22nd St. The
parents had a portrait taken in a Brooklyn
photographer’s studio about this time– probably
three years previously on their twenty-fifth
wedding anniversary.4 After moving to
Newark, New Jersey, William died about 1912.
Auguste was listed in the 1913 City directory as a
widow. Auguste lived with her son Otto and
also with several other of her children. She
died around 1926.
What follows is a summary account of the next
generations of Zaehring descendants, divided into
the family relations of the five surviving
children.
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