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The History of Three Families
Hegenscheidt Palace in Reindorf
 
The coats of arms
of Northrhine-Westphalia and of the city of Ratingen
Birthplace of Juergen and Heide A. M. Hegenscheidt
The Hegenscheidt-Notthoff-Friedlinghaus Connection
or
The History of Three Families,
as Much as Could be Unearthed
by
H. H. Dame Heide Anna Maria Margravine Gulgowski-Doliwa, GCMS, GCDA, etc.
(nee Hegenscheidt)
and
H. H. Commodore Prof. Dr. Paul W. Margrave Gulgowski-Doliwa, GCMS, GCDA, etc.
Lady Maria Margarete Hegenscheidt
This study is dedicated to the loving memory of
Lady Maria Margarete Hegenscheidt (nee Notthoff), my late mother
Heide and Juergen's Mother with a Friend's Child
The lady with the angelic face pictured above was a cheerful, pleasant, obedient and always eager to learn child to her parents. As a young adult, she became an arduous worker in her parents' business. Everyone said that she could have studied to advance herself in the fashion industry as a designer, yet she followed a higher calling. She decided to marry, be a loyal and faithful wife as well as a dedicated and loving mother. She exuded an ever youthful, modern personality and excelled in all her tasks, regardless how small they may have appeared in the eyes of others.
Maria and Wilhelm Hegenscheidt
in the Aaper Forest of Ratingen Near Duesseldorf
Mother always maintained an open house and was a gracious, entertaining and generous hostess to guests from all over the world, regardless their nationality, creed or social status. Old and young, family members, distant acquaintances, neighbors, former employees of her parents' business as well as everyone who provided services to the family or had been of assistance to any of the family members would be treated with equal grace and benevolence.
Lady Maria in East Prussia
Lady Maria at the Berlin Olympia Stadium
Lady Maria had visited many foreign countries and several continents in her lifetime.
Before she passed away, at the rightful age of 82 in the year 1993, she decreed that all of her valuable furniture and household appliances, including any and all equipment and food items still in the refrigerator, should be donated to a refugee family from Poland. Her wish was obeyed down to the last letter.
Fashionable Maria Seated on the Dyke Walls of the Elbe River in Dresden
Beautiful Heide A.M. v. Hegenscheidt, Maria and Wilhelm's only daughter, on her wedding day, 6 July 1989, with then U.S. Army General Staff Major Prof. Dr. Paul W. Gulgowski-Doliwa.
Maria and Wilhelm's Only Grandchild, Kristina Heidi Marie Hegenscheidt
GENERAL:
As is the case with hundreds of thousands of German families, who have survived the destruction and carnage of World War I, World War II and the revanchist actions of the occupying armies at that time, few, if any of them, emerged from this calamity with their recorded family histories intact. If one is forced to run for one's life, one feels little inclination to carry the family chronicles under ones arms in search of a protective shelter. In those trying times, one automatically knew that listening to one's primary instincts enhanced one's chances for survival of the inferno.
MY PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS:
I, Heide, from the bottom of my heart wish, I could have known more about my esteemed ancestors. What I have gathered outside from official books, records, documents and
word-of-mouth family accounts, I would store in my mind, while as a child, I would intensely listen to the narratives of my elders, as they pertained to blood relations. I can presently only recall by associating the information that I have heard with the names, I have enshrined forever in my memory banks.
Our critics will now maintain that all German couples, who got married during the National Socialist era in Germany, were obliged to submit to the civil authorities a family tree, going back at least five generations, prior to receiving the blessing of the state for their marital union. Although this is absolutely true, it is equally true that these papers were destroyed by untold numbers of individuals who did not wish to appear as having been subservient to the dictates of the political powers of yesteryear, because previous compliance with the National Socialists now carried in its train severe repercussions such as not obtaining employment in upper-level positions within the country. Besides, many of these family trees carried names of wishful thinking rather than documented facts. To make this long story short, out of virtue had grown an unforgivable stigma.
Well, here is what we definitely know for certain:
Known Genealogy of the Hegenscheidt Family
GENERATION ONE:
Kristina Heidi Marie Hegenscheidt was born on 20 June 1987.
GENERATION TWO:
Hans-Juergen Friedrich (von) Hegenscheidt was born on 26 September 1946.
He was married to Mary Lou Kostello on 12 April 1986.
Out of this union their daughter Kristina was born.
Heide Anna Maria (von) Hegenscheidt was born on 9 April 1954.
She married Commodore Prof. Dr. Paul Wilhelm von Gulgowski-Doliwa, who was born
4 July 1940, on 6 July 1989.
GENERATION THREE:
Maria Margarete (von) Notthoff was born on 31 March 1911.
She married Friedrich Wilhelm (von) Hegenscheidt, who was born
25 January 1912, on 30 March 1939. (1)
Friedrich Wilhelm died on 3 October 1977. Maria Margarete died on 6 July 1993. (2)
GENERATION FOUR (Parents of mother):
Franziska Friedlinghaus (date of birth and death unknown)
married Hermann (von) Notthoff (date of birth and death unknown)
on 21 August 1894.
GENERATION FOUR (Parents of father):
Lina Maria Luise Uhlemann (date of birth and death unknown)
married Friedrich Wilhelm (von) Hegenscheidt Sr. (date of birth and death unknown)
on 4 June 1910.
Summarizing, this study will exclusively focus on the achievements and acclaims of three surnames pertaining to my relatives: Notthoff, Friedlinghaus and Hegenscheidt.
GENEALOGICAL INFORMATION
PERTAINING TO THE NOBLE SURNAME NOTTHOFF
Spring 1990
Ladies Gertrud and Maria with a Former Trusted Employee
while Enjoying Refreshments in Their Favorite Restaurant
According to the Institute of German Nobility Research, the noble surname Notthoff experienced the following evolvement:
Nothaft
Nothafft v. Hohenberg (N.v. Hochenberg)
Nothafft v. Weinberg (Notthofft v.W.)
Notthafft v. Wernberg (Bayern)
Nothaffte
Notthoff. (3) (4)
The noble surnames listed above evolved differently over the centuries, while they were entrenched in Lower Bavaria (Niederbayern), Palatinate Bavaria (Oberpfalz), Franconia and Swabia, regions of Germany with distinctly different linguistic accentuation and diphthongs. Even their coat-of-arms evolved differently. Your attention is invited to the following four examples (5):
 
Notthafft Coat-of-Arms 1 and Notthafft Coat-of-Arms (Franconia)
 
Notthafft Coat-of-Arms 2 and Notthafft Coat-of-Arms (Bleibach)
Margravine Heide's modern Coat-of-Arms (expertly created from the old
by St Andrew Principal Herald Master, Commander Valery Yegorov, GCOS)
features all the honorable chivalric elements of her ancestors on
the female line of her family with distinctly modern refinements and ambience.
NOTTHOFF HISTORY
Family tradition explains the origin of this family commencing with the Friesian Prince Radipold, who, as a member of the army of Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse), fought against the Bohemians and thus ended up in Bavaria. The family is first mentioned in official records in the year 1140 with Rudolf and Eilhulf Nothaft and 1166 with Adalbertus Nothaft. (6)
The ancestral seat of the Notthaffts was located north of Eger at the Wildstein Castle.
Wildstein Castle
As history progressed, the Notthafft family settled primarily in Lower Bavaria and Palatinate Bavaria. Here, the family divided up into three main branches.
1) The Wernberger line that had oriented itself according to the geography of Wernberg Castle, located in Palatinate Bavaria. This line climaxed in Johann Heinrich Notthafft von Wernberg being advanced to the official position of Imperial Court Counselor (Reichshofrat) with simultaneous advancement to the noble rank of Imperial Count (Reichsgraf).
2) The Weissensteiner line, which was at home at Weissenstein Castle, Palatinate Bavaria. This line reached its zenith in 1718, when Johann Paul Notthafft was officially recognized as a Baron (Freiherr). Weissenstein Castle is today no longer existent. Paintings or drawings of this edifice could not be located to this very day.
3) The third line took its identity from Bodenstein Castle, also located in Palatinate Bavaria. In the 16th century, the name Bodenstein was changed to Weissenstein. One of the Castellans of Weissenstein (his identity is not entirely known) was elevated to Baron status in 1718. The records are not totally clear on this date.
Historical records maintain that the last male of all the Notthaffts died in 1734.
There was also a clan of Nothafts in Swabia. In the year 1300 appear the first records listing a Werner Nothaffte with his sons Albrecht and Werner. If a definite link between the Bavarian and the Swabian branches of this noble family existed cannot be explicitly ascertained. However, they resided at Hochberg Castle at least up to the middle of the 14th century.
There was also a sub clan of the Swabian Nothafts residing in Beihingen, today known as the community of Freiberg on the Neckar River. Records exist that list Heimeran Nothaft as selling Beihingen Castle to his brother-in-law Ludwig von Freyberg in the year 1532.
Beihingen Castle
Philipp Jacob Nothaft was the last of his sept. He died in the year 1687 at the age of 90. (7) (8).
Notable personalities with Notthafft names, other than those mentioned above, were:
1) Cajetan Anton von Notthafft (1670-1752): Chancellor of the Princely Administration of Berchtesgaden.
2) Heinrich Notthafft von Wernberg (1370-1440), Vice Administrator of Lower Bavaria, Treasurer of Hennegau, Holland and Seeland. (9)
Reason dictates that at least Heinrich Notthafft von Wernberg, members of his immediate family and more or less distant relatives with the same surname, who were part of his extensive entourage, brought this honorable noble last name to the lower Rhine Valley (Niederrhein), which stretches from Duesseldorf to the delta of the Rhine River, where it empties into the North Sea, which includes, of course, the Holland region of the Netherlands. There, the surname Notthafft is still carried by a few, staunch survivors of this sept.
ORAL HISTORY ACCOUNTS
OF TWO OUTSTANDING, STRONG WOMEN FROM
THE HONORABLE HOUSE OF FRIEDLINGHAUS
Ever since growing up in the sheltered home of my beloved parents, I, Heide, remember most vividly the stories told to me and others about two colorful and charismatic Friedlinghaus ladies. Although I have never encountered them in person nor have I ever seen any photographs of them; still, their images linger on in my mind, never to be forgotten.
The first lady, I like to report about, is my grandaunt (the first sister to my maternal grandmother, Franziska) Margarete Friedlinghaus, who had distinguished herself as a Deputy High School Principal at a school for girls (Konrektorin eines Lyzeums) in the industrial city on the Ruhr River, Essen. She was a leader on women's issues long before this trend had come into mode. Her reputation as an authoritarian, no-nonsense but kind and benevolent lady, was known and revered throughout our entire family and our extended circle of relatives.
Margarete's intellectual powers were reported to be awesome. As the saga went, there was nothing that she did not know or could not accomplish. To the astonishment of everyone, she was capable of lecturing on any topic extended to her for explanation. For the ladies and the girls in our clan, she served as an unassailable roll model, proving even then, that women could reach as high as the sky, if they only wanted to. Beyond that, she served as a tireless advisor to my widowed grandmother, who was responsible bringing up seven children while effectively leading the family industrial business that employed at times up to ten individuals. This number included the teamsters of our delivery wagons. In retrospect, I am very sorry that history denied me the opportunity to know her better and feel closer to her. May she rest in God's everlasting grace and glory.
The Founder of the Order of St. Clare from Assisi, Italy
Maria Friedlinghaus, another grandaunt (the second sister of my maternal grandmother, Franziska), served our Lord God in the capacity of an Abbess (Aebtissin), which is the equivalent on the male side within the Roman-Catholic hierarchy of an Abbott, having the status of a Bishop. She was the Abbess of the Order of St. Clare (Klarissinnen) in the Dutch city of Stein. Today this convent, unfortunately, no longer exists. But, the Abbess's reputation as a serene, gentle, noble, farsighted, intellectual, generous and peace-dispensing lady continues to live on in the minds of all those who have heard about her.
The Order of St. Clare is by dedication a sisterhood resolved to live under the most Spartan of circumstances, if not to utilize such words as austerity and outright poverty. This religious Order also provided spiritual, musical and last but not least academic education to girls and young ladies of the upper classes of Belgium, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in my native part of the world. Actually, the Sisters of St. Clare can be encountered the entire globe over, as they serve the glory of our all-powerful, merciful and everlasting God.
Our family found it prudent and advisable for my mother's sister, Aunt Gertrud Notthoff, to be educated at the convent of my grandaunt Maria. It was felt, the austerity and humble demeanor of the Order of St. Clare would give her direction and purpose for her life. It did! Aunt Gertrud never married and remained dedicated to music, academics and the service to others within her family and the larger community. Eventually, she took up employment with the Federal German Railroad System, where her sense of orderliness and uncompromising administrative skill contributed greatly to the punctual and proficient functioning of the railroad district who had procured her services at a time when she was already forty years of age.
Lady Gertrud (von) Notthoff
In a liberal manner of speaking, chaste Aunt Gertrud had become the personification, if not to say the reincarnation of the Abbess of the Order of St. Clare in deportment, appearance, religious and moral predisposition. When one met Aunt Gertrud, initially one had the impression of meeting a saint. She was a lady of a most sweet personality, she had no ethical faults and she did not know the meaning of the word discrimination. She was generous to a fault and for that reason frequently taken advantage of, something that she always overlooked just as though it had never happened. In the year 1998, surrounded by her loving family, she peacefully passed away at the blessed age of 95.
May all of the ladies discussed above rest in peace up to the final judgment day, when they will be resurrected to rejoin the union of all saints.
Concluding this particular segment of the study, two items become abundantly clear:
There is a distinct reason, and not just an accident of chance, that the aforestated families, the von Notthoffs and the Friedlinghaus, maintained a close relationship with Holland, the central province of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The reader will now understand as to who gave Heide and Juergen's mother her two Christian names.
THE LINGUISTIC EVOLUTION OF
THE DISTINGUISHED SURNAME (VON) HEGENSCHEIDT
The research pertaining to the above name reveals that the family so identified held a deservedly high place of pride and honor in historical records.
The origins of the surname Hegenscheidt lie in the terms "hegen" and "scheid(t)."
The word "hegen" represents the activity of attending to something with a great deal of care, affection and purpose. Frequently, the things being cared for or attended to are plants of all types; i.e. from the smallest flower to the highest tree. This meaning or explanation is also extended to animals of all species, from the smallest to the tallest; i.e. from the rabbit over the horse to the elephant. However, the most applicable professional description would not necessarily refer to a zoo keeper, but to a ranger or forester. An extended interpretation of the word "hegen" could, of course, also be applied to people.
The surname Hegenscheidt can also rightfully be classified in terms of habitational origin. The word "scheid" (cut) denotes a separation, a borderline or a natural phenomenon that can serve the function of a borderline such as a river, ravine, canyon, mountain range or a long row of bushes, hedges or even a tree line. An entire forest, the shoreline of a lake, sea or an ocean can also perform in this manner.
A word about the consonant "t" that was much later added in this name's historical evolvement as a discriminator. It means, according to common knowledge, that someone whose surname ends with a "dt" was considered to be of higher social standing than a person whose surname only ended in a lonely "d." Today, this distinction has become largely insignificant.
Staying within the norm of logic and unassuming reason, a person by the name of Hegenscheidt could quite well have been the proprietor of extensive lands, possibly even of a large estate, which was surrounded by all of the natural characteristics described above. In the north, his landed possessions might have bordered by a raging river, in the south by a public road, in the west by a line of fruit-bearing orchards and in the east by a mountain range.
The aerial photograph of the Gulgowski Ethnographic Park in Pomerania
offers the best visual explanation in this regard
Within the confines of the aforestated borders, or something similar, could have been
a small community chapel, servants' quarters, stables for life stock and a manor
house or two. To round out this idyllic pastoral scene, we could also add an elementary
school, a windmill, a bakery and a butcher's shop
Rendering of the Hegenscheidt Estate in Ornontowitz (Reindorf)
Upper Silesia (Oberschlesien)
Drawing of the Hegenscheidt Neo-Renaissance Palace within the Estate at large
Leaving this socioeconomic explanation behind and returning to the linguistic characteristic of the surname Hegenscheidt, we encountered the following phenomena.
Most surnames undergo more or less frequent changes in spelling during the course of history, sometimes even from father to son. The name evolves and changes with the language. As we have already encountered with the "t" explanation above, it was common in German to add letters/phrases to a root name that tells something of the person's religion, place of origin, or even character. Since only few people could read or write in the Middle Ages, the scribes recorded the names based on their actual sound (phonetically), reflected in the different spelling and pronunciation from region to region.
The variations found of the name Hegenscheidt include the following:
von Hegen
Hegen (10)
Hegenser
von Hegenscheidt (11)
Hegenscheidt (10)
ANCIENT HISTORY RELATED TO
THE DISTINGUISHED NAME HEGENSCHEIDT
During our research, we traced subject name primarily, almost exclusively, to the Province Westphalia.
This area of the former Roman Empire of the German Nation, on its central western fringes, provided real estate to the capital of Charlemagne (Karl der Grosse), Aachen.
Emperor Charlemagne
Charlemagne is claimed, by France as well as Germany, as the greatest historic figure produced by what may rightfully be heralded the first united Europe under Franco-German auspices. To this very day, he remains the bright shining beacon for all unification efforts presently under way in all of Europe.
Westphalia means "western plains," and was originally part of the old Duchy of Saxony, before the identity of Saxony described the eastern region around Meissen. Bordered by the Rhine and the Weser rivers, Westphalia was part of the ancient Saxony until about 1180 A.D., when Emperor Frederick Barbarossa placed Henry the Lion, Duke of Saxony, under ban and divided up his former domain. It now came under the control of Archbishop Philip of Heisenberg, who also received the Sauerland in his care. This area is now, by and large, the contemporary land state (Bundesland) of North-Rhine-Westphalia (Nord-Rhein-Westfalen).
Emperor Barbarossa von Hohenstaufen
Despite all of that, Westphalia has and is proud of its own history. At its eastern border is the Teutoburger Forest, site of Herman the Cherusker's victory over the Roman legions of Emperor Augustus in 9 A.D.
The Monument Dedicated to "Hermann der Cherusker"
in the Teutoburg Forest
Eventually, the Duchy of Westphalia came under the control of the Archbishopric of Cologne, a powerful church and state government. The most famous archbishop, Bruno, who reigned from 953 until 965, also served concurrently as the archduke of Lorraine. The worldly powers of the religious authorities were further increased, when they were elevated electors (Kurfuersten) of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation in 1356. During the Reformation, most of Westphalia remained Roman Catholic, while Saxony converted to the Protestant faith.
During the Middle Ages, the first known Hegenscheidt family lived in Westphalia, where the name emerged in medieval times as one of the most notable families in its western region. From the 13th century onwards, the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution, which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the German nation.
In terms of industry, about half of the Ruhr Region, the most industrialized area of the world, named the "Coal Pot" (Kohlenpott), belongs to Westphalia. The city of Duesseldorf is the present capital of the combined state Nord-Rhein-Westfalen. The Ruhr District (Ruhrgebiet) possesses coal mines, heavy and chemical industries as well as a modern observatory and space exploration institute. Next to Muehlheim, Oberhausen, Essen and Duisburg, Dortmund is Westphalia's largest city and a former Imperial city (Reichsstadt). It was a member of the all-powerful Hanseatic League, a trading and commercial alliance of the Middle Ages, that was designed to foster trade among most of the European nations.
Today, Dortmund is not just a center of industry, but equally renowned for its soccer sport events and the famous "Dortmunder Union" beer. Nord-Rhein-Westfalen is also the site of Bonn, Germany's interim capital city on the Rhine River and birthplace of the world famous composer Ludwig van Beethoven. This excerpt of history would be incomplete, if we were not to mention the metropolis of Cologne (Koeln) with the famous museum of its original settlement by the Romans. Koeln is the home of one of the most beautiful and majestic gothic cathedrals in the world.
Ludwig van Beethoven
Cologne Cathedral
The second and third generations of the Hegenscheidts spent most of their adult life and youth in Ratingen, located about 12 kilometers northeast of Duesseldorf. Ratingen was settled already before 849. Since the Middle Ages, Ratingen belonged to the Counts and later the Dukes of Berg. On 11 December 1246, this area received its city rights. At the beginning of the Industrial Age, the first manufacturing plants opened within the city in 1783. In 1815, Ratingen was incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia. The history of the Catholic St. Peter and Paul Church goes back to the 8th century. (12)
St. Peter and Paul Church, Ratingen
Finalizing this portion of our study, let it be said that the Hegenscheidts were, next to being intelligent, gifted and talented in all the arts, also enterprising and daring.
They did well wherever they went, primarily by implementing their industrial inventions, transforming them into large factories and industrial plants. With their efforts and brains, they enlarged the fame and fortune of the regions and countries in which they settled, offering employment and personal wellbeing to tenth of thousands of people of all trades, skills and professions.
Records prove that the Hegenscheidts settled as near as the Netherlands (Example: Paul van Hegenscheidt, who obtained fame, fortune and nobility status in the Kingdom northwest of Germany) and as far away as North America and Australia.
As a modern example of this statement will serve the talents and skills of Mr. Hans-Juergen Friedrich Hegenscheidt, a student of the Duesseldorf Kunstakademie (Academy of the Arts), who excels, among many other creative pursuits, in sophisticated mural designs, highly sought after by owners of villas and mansions who aspire to refined cultured lifestyles.
Balcony with Flowers
Bridge over Arno River Near Florence, Italy
Image of Tuscany Landscape
Image of Tuscany Landscape
However, for our purposes we shall concentrate on the Hegenscheidts who went to Silesia, where their industry and genius amounted to a river of many good things for large segments of the hardworking population there.
 
Lower Silesia Coat-of-Arms Upper Silesia Coat-of-Arms
THE HEGENSCHEIDTS OF SILESIA
From the History of Silesia:
Silesia (Schlesien) is a historic region in Central Europe, presently populated by Czech-, German- and Polish-speaking people. It is rich in mineral and natural resources and includes important population centers such as Wroclaw (Breslau) and Katowice (Kattowitz).
Silesia's borders and national affiliation have frequently and radically changed over time, both when it was a hereditary possession of noble houses such as the Glogowskis (Gulgowskis) and after the rise of modern nation states.
Gulgowski Coat-of-Arms
In the 10th century, Silesia was incorporated into the early Polish state, but it relatively soon broke into independent and semi-independent duchies, thus coming under increasing German influence. Eventually, it came under the rule of the Crown of Bohemia, which passed to Austria in 1526. Thereafter, most of Silesia was conquered by Prussia in 1742, becoming part of the German Empire. Only a small part of Silesia continued to be retained by Austria.
During its truly turbulent history, Silesia only rarely, and then only for a short time, was governed as one entity. From 1311 to 1675, the beautiful city of Brzeg (Brieg) served intermittently as capital for an independent line of dukes. After World War I, Upper Silesia, which is located in the south, was governed from the capital city of Oppeln, after 1941 from the city of Kattowice (Kattowitz), Lower Silesia, which is in the north, was governed from the city of Wroclow (Breslau).
After World War II, the bulk of this region was transferred to Poland while the remaining Austrian portions of Silesia became mostly part of Czechoslovakia which is now known as the Czech Republic. Today, Germany retains only the small Silesian Lusatian area west of the Neisse River, which is currently part of the German land state Saxony (Niederschlesien-Oberlausitz or Schlesische Oberlausitz). (13) (14)
 
Map of Lower Silesia Map of Upper Silesia
Selected Prominent Hegenscheidts:
About 1870, Dr. Friedrich von Hegenscheidt, J.D., married Irma Countess von Bethusy-Huc. Dr. von Hegenscheidt obtained the title of Count via this union, not just for himself, but also on behalf of the fold of this branch of the von Hegenscheidt sept. (15)
1906-1919, Dr. Friedrich Wilhelm Robert Heinrich von Hegenscheidt served the Lusatian area of Silesia (Oberlausitz) with great distinction as county commissioner (Landrat). It is particularly noteworthy to recognize that Dr. von Hegenscheidt governed this region on behalf of its people prior, during and after World War I, which must have amounted to a great strain on his health and personal material resources. (16)
1908, "Meritorious Silesians" (Persoenlichkeiten von Schlesien) lists Wilhelm Hegenscheidt and Rudolf Hegenscheidt as industrialists who have furthered the economic and personal wellbeing of thousands of Silesians. They are listed in this highly respected publication in close proximity to distinguished author Gerhart Hauptmann and the partron saint of Silesia, the Duchess St. Hedwig of Andechs. (17)
1910, The prominent publication "Who's Who in Silesia" (Schlesische Lebensbilder) lists both Dr. Fritz von Hegenscheidt and Mr. Wilhelm von Hegenscheidt as distinguished citizens of Silesia right along with the great German author Gerhart Hauptmann. (18)
1911, In Polish literature appears a highly complimentary account of the life of Pani (Freifrau) Katarzyna Hegenscheidt. (19)
1912, "Distinguished Silesians" (Verdiente Schlesier) lists industrialist Carl August Wilhelm Hegenscheidt right next to St. Hedwig von Andechs, who was duchess and since canonization patron saint of Silesia. (20)
The reader will assuredly note the common denominator relating to the Christian names of many of the male members of the Hegenscheidt family. It appears that they heavily favored the given names of Friedrich, Fritz and Wilhelm. By the way, Fritz is the short, affectionate form of Friedrich. A historian may deduce this phenomenon as an indication that these Hegenscheidts were loyal monarchy-supporting individuals, who took great pride in bearing the names of many Prussian kings and emperors of Germany.
CARL AUGUST WILHELM HEGENSCHEIDT
* 9 October 1823 + 1 March 1891
This gentleman, definitely of Westphalian origin and pictured above, exerted great control over an ever-increasing number of factories, thus becoming an important industrial power in Silesia, the entire eastern part of Germany and nations of the southern seaboard region of the Baltic.
From the humble beginnings of a small nail shop, he created an enormous, sophisticated screw and bolt factory, which, in turn, he restructured into a diversified axle factory that was supported by an in-house steel foundry, in which iron and steel plates of various grates and sizes were manufactured. His enterprises also included lumber mills, which prepared wooden products for general-purpose industries and coal mines, the latter still being quite abundant in Poland today.
Drawing of Nail Shop
These plants were expanded over time to produce industrial-strength steel cables of all sorts and lengths, including barbed wire and electrical wire systems in tremendous quantities. These products were transported and distributed via an extensive network of canals, railroad tracks and road systems. Overall, more than 30,000 people, working in three shifts around the clock, worked in an industrial conglomerate known as the "Koenigliche Eisengiesserei" (Royal Steel Mill) von Gleiwitz. After the decline of the German Imperial system, this industrial complex was given the name "Gleiwitzer Huette" Steel Mill of Gleiwitz.
Gleiwitzer Huette – Hegenscheidt
To support the various branches of his industrial empire, August Wilhelm Hegenscheidt also instituted what one would call today an industrial arts college, designed to educate young people in the industrial skills necessary to operate an immense and highly technical entity. Today, the edifice, that once housed this college, is still being utilized as a Lyceum (High School for girls).
The School Founded by A.W. Hegenscheidt
During his lifetime, this indisputably great member of the Hegenscheidt family was a philanthropist par excellence, who, for his extensive good deeds, is still remembered by the Polish population of this area today. Streets and avenues that carry his name continue to exist in this part of Upper Silesia in modern times and will do so for a long time to come. (21)
While working in Gleiwitz, immediate members of the August Wilhelm Hegenscheidt family resided in the Villa Hegenscheidt. The international word for villa is "mansion."
Here, they entertained in style: Dinners for friends and business associates, recitals of poetry and music as well as receptions on high church and national holidays for the dignitaries of the region and visiting very important persons from distant places.
Villa Hegenscheidt
While on vacations, weekends and holidays, the Hegenscheidt family resided and presided at their neo-Renaissance palace in Ornontowice (Reindorf). This characterized in every way gentile living in the countryside. The aristocratic Hegenscheidt palace was classified in German governmental records as a "Rittergut" or noble estate. Old government records manifest, that all in all 318 people lived, or earned their living, on this extensive estate in the year 1900. (22)
In summer and in winter, this luxurious estate of architecture could not have been more elegant or sophisticated.
The Hegenscheidt Palace on a Sunny Winter Day
The Hegenscheidt Palace on a Summer Day
Life within this neo-Renaissance palace was refined and easy. Tasteful furniture contributed to an ambience of comfort and "Gemuetlichkeit."
However close or distant our parents may have been in their relationship status to the aristocratic Hegenscheidts presented here, they were always fully aware of the existence and location of the neo-Renaissance palace and spoke about it rather frequently, wishing to visit and admire it one day within their lifetimes. It was the good fortune of my brother, Juergen, to have this desire satisfied, if not within our parents' lifetimes then at least during ours.
The following pictures do not entirely resemble the furniture that was once an integral part of this aristocratic house, but they resemble, at least in part, the style that once governed the interior of this palace.
Inside the Palace
Inside the Palace
Inside the Palace
While visiting present-day Ornontowice, my dear brother, Juergen Hegenscheidt, a gifted and talented artist as previously explained above, could not resist being photographed by his company in front of the fireplace of Hegenscheidt palace, also a part of his ancestral heritage, however close or extended that may be.
Juergen in Front of the Fireplace
The following photograph shows Juergen being seated in an ornate, high-back chair that most certainly graced this room, when August Wilhelm spent his rest and recuperation time there.
The authors of this study and documentary like to take this opportunity to thank a Dutch entrepreneur for restoring the entire Hegenscheidt estate, enabling it to embrace anew all of its former glory. You have our gratitude and appreciation, Sir.
Juergen in the High-back Chair
All good things, by uncompromising necessity, must come to an end for you and me. For August Wilhelm, the last day of his life was 1 March 1891. The heavy burden of his responsibilities thus transferred to his son Otto Hegenscheidt, who was born in the year 1867. It is reported that he discharged his duties with immense efficiency and effect.
August Wilhelm represented the absolute triumph of Hegenscheidt achievements. He was the captain of exceedingly talented engineers, an aristocratic magnate of high industry and gracious living. His direct descendents also carried the genes of his genius within them and continued to dispense the blessing of their labor to all the people of their surroundings.
The grand tomb of the Hegenscheidts in Gleiwitz is commensurate to their life-time attainments and status in the community that loved them. Regrettably, the heavy bronze tablets that once offered proof of the identity of those interred here, have been broken off, stolen and sold for scrap metal to the highest bidder. Such are the deeds of the ignorant, "May God forgive them, for they do not know what they do." In this case, however, many people in Silesia, and those who made their living after World War II in remote areas of Germany and the world, will not forget their great benefactors: The Hegenscheidt industrialists from Silesia.
The Hegenscheidt Tomb
Juergen Hegenscheidt at the Tomb
The Tomb, Side View of Columns
The towering angel statue that during earlier decades graced the zenith of the Hegenscheidt tomb had also been taken by sinful hands from its appointed place of guard duty. But, as good fortune wanted it, it found its way into the Museum of Foundry Technology in Gleiwitz. The statue is now titled: "The Allegory of Industry."
The Angel of the Tomb, now the "Allegory of Industry"
R E F E R E N C E S:
1. MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE (Heiratsurkunde) pertaining to Friedrich Wilhelm Hegenscheidt and Maria Margarete Notthoff, dated 30 March 1939.
2. DEATH CERTIFICATES (Sterbeurkunden) pertaining to Friedrich Wilhelm and Maria Margarete Hegenscheidt, dated 3 October 1977 and 6 July 1993, respectively.
3. INSTITUTE FOR GERMAN NOBILITY RESEARCH (Institut fuer Deutsche Adelsforschung) from the 19th Century, Page 31, 1860-1870.
4. INSTITUTE FOR GERMAN NOBILITY RESEARCH (Institut fuer Deutsche Adelsforschung), Excerpts from the Nobility Encyclopedia pertaining to the Untitled Nobility of the 18th Century, Page 12.
5. a) Coat-of-arms of the Notthaffts in COATS-OF-ARMS OF GERMAN NOBLE FAMILIES (Wappen deutscher Adelsgeschlechter), Augsburg 1475, Page 43.
b) Coat-of-Arms of the Nothafts of Hohenberg (Swabia) in COATS-OF-ARMS OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE (Wappenbuch des Heiligen Roemischen Reiches), Nuremberg, 1554-1568, Page 87.
c) Coats-of-Arms of the Notthaffts in COAT-OF-ARMS OF FOREMOST GERMAN NOBLE FAMILIES (Wappenbuch besonders deutscher Adelsgeschlechter), by Nikolaus Berschtis, Augsburg 1515, Page 28.
d) Coat-of-Arms of the Notthaffts in COAT-OF-ARMS OF THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE (Wappenbuch des Heiligen Roemischen Reiches), Nuremberg 1554-1568, Page 92.
6. Bavarian State Archives in Wuerzburg (Bayrisches Staatsarchiv Wuerzburg), CHRONICLES OF THE BISHOP OF WUERZBURG (Chroniken der Bischoefe von Wuerzburg), as quoted by Lorenz Fries.
7. GENEALOGICAL HANDBOOK OF NOBILITY (Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels), ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NOBILITY, VOLUME IX (Adelslexikon Band IX),
Volume 116 of the entire series (Band 116 der Gesamtreihe), published by C.A. Starke Verlag, Limburg (Lahn), 1998, et al., ISSN 0435-2408.
8. Harald Stark: Die Familie Notthafft - auf Spurensuche im Egerland, in Bayern und Schwaben (The Notthafft Familie - Tracing Their Roots in Egerland, Bavaria and Swabia), Weissenstadt 2006, et al., ISBN 3-926621-46-X.
9. Auf den Spuren eines Adelsgeschlechts - Die Notthaffte in Boehmen und Bayern (Tracing a Noble Family - The Notthaffte of Bohemia and Bavaria) from the Catalog for a Historical Exhibition at Regionalmuseum Eger (Cheb) and at the Egerland Museum Marktredwitz, Cheb 2006, et al.
10. INSTITUTE FOR GERMAN NOBILITY RESEARCH (Institut fuer Deutsche Adelsforschung) NOBLE PRUSSIAN LANDOWNERS (Grundbesitzende Deutsche Adelsfamilien), 14th-19th Century, a Listing of all Families Who Owned Noble Estates in Prussia, 1993, Page 5.
11. INSTITUTE FOR GERMAN NOBILITY RESEARCH (Institut fuer Deutsche Adelsforschung) NOBLE FAMILIES IN GERMAN-SPEAKING COUNTRIES
(Adelsfamilien aus dem Deutschsprachigen Raum), 1993, Page 13.
12. ENCYCLOPEDIA, Volume III, Duden Bibliographisches Institut, Mannheim, 1959, Page 1865.
13. Dr. Eberhardt Orthbandt, ILLUSTRATED GERMAN HISTORY (Illustrierte Deutsche Geschichte), published by Suedwest Verlag, Muenchen, 1963, Pages 19-591.
14. Alexander Randa, HANDBOOK OF WORLD HISTORY (Handbuch der Weltgeschichte), published by Otto Walter Verlag, Freiburg i.Br., 1956, Pages 1635-1647.
15. Valeska Graefin von Bethusy-Huc, Moritz von Reichenbach, A SILESIAN BIOGRAPHY (Eine Schlesische Biographie) by A. Pawlik, Dresden 1913.
16. GERMAN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY OF SILESIA, COUNTY OF HOYERSWERDA (DeutscheVerwaltungsgeschichte in Schlesien, Landkreis Hoyerswerda), by Rolf Jehke, Herdecke, 2004.
17. MERITORIOUS SILESIANS (Persoenlichkeiten von Schlesien), Dresden, 1980,
Page 20.
18. WHO'S WHO IN SILESIA (Schlesische Lebensbilder), by Andreas Friedrich, 1985.
19. LUTERANIE, Poland, 1911.
20. DISTINGUISHED SILESIANS (Verdiente Schlesier), Dresden, 1979, Page 14.
21. CHRONICLE OF THE HEGENSCHEIDT FAMILY (Chronik der Familie Hegenscheidt), Breslau, 1938, et al.
22. Michael Rademacher, GERMAN ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY (Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte), University of Osnabrueck Press, 2004.
The Coat of Arms of H. H. Chev. Commodore Prof. Dr. Paul William Margrave Gulgowski-Doliwa
can be seen
HERE
The Coat of Arms of H. H. Chev. Lt. Colonel Paul W. Margrave Gulgowski-Doliwa II
can be seen
HERE
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