Transcription
Page 1240
April 20st [189]5
An die Herren
„Präsident u Directoren“
des Canstatter-Volksfest-Vereins
Geehrte Herren
Der Unterzeichnete erlaubt,
im Auftrage der Directoren der „Deutschen
Gesellschaft“ Sie von einem Falle in Kennt.
zu setzen welche die Theilnahme aller edlen
Menschenfreunde verdient:
Im Frühjahr 1892 kam Herr Herrman
Jung im Alter von 46 Jahren nebst seiner Frau
4 Kindern im Alter von 5 bis 18 Jahren von
seiner Heimath Wermelskirchen bei Cöln
woselbst er eine nicht unbedeutende Fabrik
betrieben, u in sehr guten Umständen gele[bt]
hatte, nach America um sich eine neue
Stätte zu gründen – Seine Versuche Beschäfti[gung?]
und ein stetiges Unterkommen zu finden blieben
Fruchtlos, seine Mittel schmolzen zusammen
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241
die Rathlosigkeit u bedrängte Lage seiner
Familie, die dunkle und Hoffnungslose Zukunft
wirkten so drückend auf sein Gemüth, daß
seine Geistesfähigkeit theilweise zerrüttet
wurde, u. er oft bis in die Nacht zwecklos
in den Straßen umherirrte in Erwartung
irgendwelchen Beistand oder Unterkommen zu
finden. – In einem derartigen Zustande wurde
er Anfangs October 1894 von der Polizei als
[Transcriber’s note: October later corrected to September in red pencil]
betrunken verhaftet u. auf brutaler Weise mis-
handelt – Außerdem nahm man während seiner
Gefangenschaft in Moyamensink seine werth-
volle Uhr u Kette und sein ganzes Geld
(eine sehr bedeutende Summe wie er angiebt) welches
er in einer Geld-Katze um den Leib trug; jedoch
sind seine Behauptungen (seines geschwächten Geistes
halber) mit Vorsicht hinzunehmen – Die Uhr
bekam er später zurück das Geld aber blieb
verschwunden – Sodann erkrankte die Frau
u erhielt von der „Deutschen Gesellsch:“ Ärztlichen
Beistand u Unterstützungen in Baar, indem sie
sehr leidend u. im halb verhungerten Zustande von
den Herren Directoren Braun + Hatz aufgefund[den]
wurde – Mitte November vertrieb der
Constabler
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242
die Familie trotz Krankheit der Frau; u der
jungen Kinder aus der bisherigen Wohnung, sie
wurden abermals (wie auch schon früher mehrfach)
unterstützt, u bezogen eine ärmliche Wohnung
No 2814 Egmont Str (Rear) –
Am 24 Novb: wurde Frau Jung (in dem Frei-
Bett der „Deutschen Gesellsch“) im Deutschen Hospital
aufgenommen – Am 27 Nov vermittelte die
„Deutsche Ges:“ die Aufnahme der 2 jüngsten Kinder
8 u 6 J. alt im „Kinder Schutz Verein“ u benach-
richtigte später die Mutter von deren Versorgung.
Am 6ten December wurde Frau Jung aus dem Hospital
entlassen, von der „D. Gesellsch.“ in Baar unterstützt u ihr
auch eine Stellung angewiesen —
Inzwischen hatte sich der Geistes-Zustand von
Herrman Jung bedeutend verschlimmert, er
war fortwährend in Troubel, glaubte er sei das
Opfer geheimer Verfolgungen [etc] [etc] und hatte
durch Vermittlung der „Deutschen Ges.“ eine Asyl
in der Irrenanstalt des Pennsylvania Hospital’s
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243
gefunden wo ihm freundliche u Theilnahmsvolle
Behandlung u Pflege zu theil wurden,
und ist von dort als harmloß, wenn auch nur
theilweise genesen, entlassen auf Wunsch
seiner Frau —
Die Ärzte sind der festen Ansicht daß
America nicht der geeignete Platz ist einem geistig
geschwächten Manne und so sehr exzentrischen
Manne eine Heimath oder Existenz zu
gewähren, und rathen dringend ihn so bald als
thunlich nach seiner alten Heimath in Deutsch-
land zurück zu befördern —
Die „Deutsche Gesellschaft“ ist bereitwillig
sich dieser Aufgabe zu unterziehen, da jedoch
die Mildthätigkeit derselben während des
lang anhaltenden Winters so außerordentlich
stark in Anspruch genommen worden ist, so er-
laubt sie sich die Bitte an die Herren des
„Canstatter Volksf. Vereins“ freundlichst ein
Schärflein zum Zweck Christlicher Nächstenliebe
in diesem Falle beizusteuern —
Mit größter Hochachtung zeichnet
Im Auftrage der Directoren
C. A. Engler
Agent
Translation
Page 1
April 20th [189]5
To the gentlemen
“President and Directors”
of the Cannstatt Folk Festival Association
Dear Sirs
The undersigned authorizes me, on behalf of the Directors
of the “German Society,” to inform you of a case which
deserves the participation of all true philanthropists:
In the spring of 1892, Mr. Herrman Jung, aged 46, along
with his wife and four children aged 5 to 18, came from his
hometown of Wermelskirchen near Cologne, where he had
operated a not insignificant factory and lived in very good
circumstances, to America to establish a new place for himself.
His attempts to find employment and a steady livelihood remained
fruitless, and his resources dwindled.
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The helplessness and distressed situation of his family, the dark
and hopeless future, weighed so heavily on his spirit that his
mental faculties were partially shattered, and he often wandered
aimlessly in the streets until late at night, in the hopes of finding
assistance or shelter. – In such a state, he was arrested
by the police as drunk at the beginning of October 1894
[Transcriber’s note: October later corrected to September in red pencil]
and brutally mistreated. – Furthermore, during his imprisonment in
Moyamensink, his valuable watch and chain and all his money
(a very significant sum, as he states) which he carried in a money-
pouch around his waist, were taken. However, his claims
(due to his weakened mind) must be treated with caution –
He later got the watch back, but the money remained missing –
Then his wife fell ill and received medical assistance and cash
support from the “German Society,” when she was found suffering
greatly and half-starved by Directors Braun and Hatz –
In mid-November, the Constable expelled
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the family, despite his wife’s illness, and the young children from their
previous apartment. They were again (as they had been several times
before) supported, and moved into a meager apartment No. 2814
Egmont Street (Rear) – On November 24th: Mrs. Jung was admitted
(in the spare bed of the “German Society”) to the German Hospital
On November 27th, the “German Society” arranged for the admission
of the two youngest children, 8 and 6 years old, to the “Children’s
Protection Association” and later informed the mother of their care.
On December 6th, Mrs. Jung was discharged from the hospital,
supported by the “German Society” with cash, and also offered a job. —
Meanwhile, Herrman Jung’s mental state had deteriorated significantly;
he was constantly troubled, believed he was the victim of secret
persecution [etc] [etc], and had, through the intercession of the
“German Society,” been granted an asylum bed at Pennsylvania Hospital,
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where he received friendly and compassionate treatment and care,
and was discharged from there as harmless, albeit only partially recovered,
at the request of his wife. The doctors are firmly of the opinion that America
is not the appropriate place to grant a mentally weakened and so eccentric
man a home or existence, and strongly advise that he be sent back to his
old home in Germany as soon as possible.
The “German Society” is willing to undertake this task; however, since its
charitable activities have been so extraordinarily strained during the long
winter, it kindly requests a small contribution from the gentlemen of the
“Canstatter Volksf. Verein ” for the cause of Christian Charity in this case —
With deepest respect,
On behalf of the Directors,
C. A. Engler
Agent
What’s the story?
When the German Society of Pennsylvania was founded in 1764, the “Relief of Distressed Germans” was its main stated purpose. Initially, this support of the less fortunate members of the German community did not seem to require a separate organizational structure – mostly because the German Society interpreted its role as limited to recent immigrants who had been in the country for less than a year. As the 19th century progressed, more immigrants arrived who had spent all their resources on their passage, but had no work waiting for them once they were in the United States. At the same time, a greater number of those already in the country experienced difficulties and forced the German Society to re-evaluate its original mission of concentrating help on recent arrivals. Thus, by the middle of the century it had become apparent that it was no longer sufficient to handle the relief aspect of the Society’s work on an informal, volunteer basis. In 1847, the German Society decided to establish the Agentur – literally an agency devoted to coordinating its welfare efforts. It hired its first paid employee, the Agent, while keeping the previous structure of each of the six (volunteer) members of its Board of Directors serving twice a year for a month as the Guardian of the Poor(Armenpfleger). The Agent’s role consisted of screening applicants and recommending a course of action, while the Guardian of the Poor acted on that recommendation and recorded the monetary assistance.
The German Society’s Agentur Records document the tens of thousands of German immigrants who came to the Society for assistance from the 1840s to the 1940s. While the applicants’ ledgers record the names and other biographical data on each individual, the Agent’s letterbooks contain correspondence with, and on behalf of the individuals who asked for help. These letters, an example of which can be seen here, provide fascinating detail to the effort and resources expended by the German Society to aid immigrants who were struggling to attain their American dream.
More details
theme: Unfinished Revolutionssubjects: Charities, German Americans, German Americans–Biography–Sources, German Americans–Societies, etc, Immigrants, United States–Emigration and immigration–History–Sources, Philadelphia (Pa.), Cannstatter Volksfest-Verein, German Society of Pennsylvania
contributing repository: German Society of Pennsylvania
submitted by: Bettina Hess and Maria Sturm
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