Otto Sartorius – My Search for the Past

The optional theme for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks this week is “There’s a Way.” I agree. There often is a way to find that elusive genealogical record, but sometimes it’s the hard way!

Augusta Gustave Catharina de la Marche is one of my ancestors who married a descendant of Martin Luther. She is mentioned in Die Nachkommenschaft D. Martin Luthers in vier Jahrhunderten. Nebst Anhang über Nachkommen seiner Seitenverwandten und vieler anderer Luther, by Otto Sartorius, published in Göttingen in 1926. This book outlines my ancestors in a direct line back to Martin Luther the Reformer, my 11th great-grandfather.

Tafel for Johann Ernst Teubner (Sartorius, Otto; Die Nachkommenschaft D. Martin Luthers in vier Jahrhunderten. Nebst Anhang über Nachkommen seiner Seitenverwandten und vieler anderer Luther; Göttingen, 1926; p. 166

Augusta Gustave Catharina de la Marche (“de la Marchin” is the feminine form of the surname) is my 7th great-grandmother. The only information given about her is the vital statistics – dates of birth, marriage and death. Her parents were not mentioned.

Reference to Augusta Katharina de la Marche, (Sartorius, op. cit.; p. 18)

At a young age, I was intrigued by Catharina de la Marche’s French-sounding name. She was born in Strasbourg on 26 April 1658. Strasbourg is in currently in the Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France; yet, Catharina married Johann Ernst Teubner, pastor of the Lutheran Church in Zeitz, Saxony-Anhalt, on 19 June 1683 at the age of 25. The two cities lie 473 kilometers apart; and, while the bride probably didn’t walk to her new home, this would have been a long journey in 1683.

Walking Route from Strasbourg to Zeitz (Google Maps, retrieved 12 May, 2015)

Because I was so fascinated, I spent many hours searching for more information on my de la Marche ancestor. There are historic references to the Counts of la Marche beginning in the 10th century, but I never found any connection of my family to this nobility. Of course, la Marche is also a place name, so it is likely to have been the origin of the surname. I tried a few message board posts back in the 1990’s, but I never found any clue to the identity of Augusta Catharina de la Marche.

Last year I learned that Les Archives Départementales du Bas-Rhin has an excellent collection of scanned church books available online. (If you decide to use this site and do not read French, like me, please be sure to check the box at the bottom of the page so you can proceed. You are accepting the terms and conditions.) When I investigated this website, I was pleased that the records of Strasbourg were included. There are 15 Roman Catholic churches and 13 Lutheran churches represented in the collection. None of these are electronically indexed, although a most of the church books have handwritten indexes within their pages. It is literally like pulling a book from the shelf in a library and paging through it.

So began my morning routine of hunting for Augusta Gustave Catharina de la Marche over a cup of coffee. This was before an updated cable modem that was bottle-necking my download speed. At least I felt fairly confident that I could start with the Lutheran records. After all, my ancestress married a Lutheran minister. I didn’t search every day. Even when the records were indexed, I really wasn’t sure under what letter the name would be filed – “D,” “L,” or “M.” To be thorough, I tried them all. The names were mostly familiar to me from my German research. I was surprised that the names didn’t sound more French.

I had reached my 12th Protestant parish on a Sunday morning in late January of this year. St. Thomas parish had an index, but it left me bewildered. I seemed to be using the wrong index. Sometimes, it is simply easier to look at the records chronologically. I pinpointed the correct volume for baptisms in 1658. Then I paged to the year and month. Was I imagining things? There is was. Or, at least, I thought so. I was going to need some help reading this. (Image unavailable due to copyright restrictions. See Strasbourg, St. Thomas Parish, Baptisms, volume 250, page 160, #771)

I asked for assistance from the Alsace Genealogy Facebook group. It didn’t take long. I was in touch with expert help. Alex Bueno-Edwards responded with a translation for me:

Dom. [Sunday] Jubilate the 2nd of May baptized at home by permission of the Ammeister [lit= Dn. Consuli or Lord Consul – the Ammeister was equivalent of the mayor of Strassburg] – Parents H[err] Franz la Marche[der] Dantzmeister [the dance instructor] and Margaretha. Daughter Augusta Gustave Catharian

Godparents 1) Hr. Johann Augustus, the Prince of Holstein; 2) Hr. Georg Dietrich Zorn von Plobsheim, the Stettmeister [the noble figurehead leader of the city]; 3) Jgfr. Ursula Catharina von Lutzelburg, daughter of Hr. Antonius von Lutzelburg, the Oberamtmann of Oberkirch [in modern Baden]; 4) Jgfr. Anna Antonia von Lutzelburg, daughter of the same; 5) Jgfr. Bernigna? von Dettlingen, daughter of Hr. Meylach von Dettlingen

Alex Bueno-Edwards continued:

I can tell you a few things about this record (having more than 800 pages of typewritten notes from the Strassburg parish registers). First, she had only noble godparents and an exceptional number of them. The usual was 2 of the gender of the child and 1 other. Second, the name is definitely French and the language of the record is entirely German other than a few Latin words. The record is from the parish register of St. Thomas (I can tell from the handwriting) and that was a parish with a lot of wealthy people.

Mr. Bueno-Edwards was a great help to me. He went on to point me to several other children of Franz de la Marche and his wife Margareta (last name unknown). Their births and a death happened between the years of 1652 and 1661. All had noble godparents.

This was surprising information. Who was this dance master who wielded so much influence? Again, Mr. Bueno-Edwards was able to shed some light on Franz, but I will save that story for another time, as my 8th great-grandfather still needs further research.

How did Augusta Gustave Catharina de la Marchin meet Johann Ernst Tuebner, the great, great grandson of Martin Luther? It is possible that he was a theology student at the University in Strasbourg. It is my understanding that they taught a conservative Lutheran doctrine there. Catharina’s father supposedly died in 1676, but this may be an error. Margareta de la Marche, Catharina’s mother died in Strasbourg in 1665 and her father remarried. At this point, it is not known where Margaretha was from or her surname, and, so, there are many unanswered questions. I continue to page through Strasbourg church records looking for clues “the hard way.” I guess I have to admit, though, it could have been worse. At least I didn’t have to fly to Strasbourg and search the records in person. On the other hand, maybe a trip to Strasbourg wouldn’t be so bad!

Entry #13

This is where the genealogy bug originated for me. No, I am not saying that Martin Luther, the Reformer, was a great family historian. I am sure that he was far too consumed with thinking about the Church and God, and igniting the Protestant Reformation in Germany, to be a genealogist. What I am saying is that from the time I was very small, I knew that I was descended from Martin Luther on my maternal grandfather’s side of the family. Martin Luther and Catherine Von Bora were my eleven times great-grandparents. Unlike a lot of family fables, this was a credible claim. I was a child who was always brimming with questions. How did we know this, I asked my mother? “Well,” replied mom, “Grandpa Lindner has a book. It belonged to Uncle Gus. Uncle Gus was a member of some kind of a society of Luther descendants.” Mom also stated that she thought the Society came to an end after World War II. “The next time we go to Cincinnati to see Grandpa,” she added, “you should ask him to see the book.”

I am not sure how old I was when Grandpa (Richard Max Otto Lindner, born in Dresden, Germany, in 1890) first brought out the book for my inspection. It was, of course, in German – in that fancy script that for me seemed to bestow an extra air of importance. Grandpa opened directly to the page where our family appeared and showed me the entry for his grandfather, Emil Heinrich Max Lindner, born in Sondershausen on 11 April 1831. There was also a supplement from 1936 with an update to our family that included my mother and my aunt. Oh, and there was an enormous chart that went with the book! Grandpa and I would unfold it, spread it out on the floor, and marvel at the number of descendants Martin Luther and Katharine Von Bora had spawned. As I grew older, the family visits to Cincinnati dwindled to once a year, but every time I stayed at my grandparents’ home it was our special ritual to pull out the Luther genealogy. Grandpa would translate our part of the book – it was like reading the Bible – one begat after another with strange German place names and the occupations of ancestors interspersed. One time I took notes on a lined steno pad – I recorded our direct lineage and held on to it for years.

Otto-Sartoriusn-Book-2 — Die Nachkommenschaft D. Martin Luthers

(My grandpa was notorious for writing in the books he owned.)

On 28 November 1988, Grandpa Lindner passed away at the age of 98. When I next saw my mother, she presented me with the book. The proper title is Die Nachkommenschaft D. Martin Luthers in vier Jahrhunderten. Nebst Anhang über Nachkommen seiner Seitenverwandten und vieler anderer Luther, by Otto Sartorius, published in Göttingen in 1926. My grandfather had left instructions that the book be passed down to me.

When the Internet began to blossom, I decided to look for information on the Luther Association. It had not ended with World War II as my mother supposed. I found a website and made contact with the Lutheriden Vereinigung. After a few e-mails back and forth, the Association confirmed my lineage. Although I am not an expert on Martin Luther, he does have a fascinating story. He supposedly made a pledge to enter the monastery if God would spare him when he was caught in a frightful thunderstorm. Eventually, Luther spoke out against the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church, was excommunicated, and married Katherine von Bora, an ex-nun. At first Luther was reluctant to marry, but I understand he treasured his “Katie.” They had six children together: Hans (7 June 1526); Elizabeth (10 December 1527); Magdalene (4 May 1529); Martin (9 November 1531); Paul (29 January 1533); and Margaret (17 December 1534). I am descended from Paul. Supposedly, the male lines died out, so there are no living descendants of Martin who bear the named Luther, although some Luthers may descend from his uncle or brother. There are some people who hold the opinion that the male line did survive, but I believe it is still unproven.

Update! May 2, 2020

Jamie, a reader, said that he/she is related to Martin Luther through the male line. I thought I should do some research before replying. I found new information indicating that a male line has been proven and accepted by the Luther Association. I quote from Wiki-Tree taken from the entry for

Bernhard Marianus (Conrad) Luther

Born 28 Feb 1754 in Erfurt, Thuringia, Electorate of Mainz

ANCESTORS

Son of Johann Melchior Luther and Margarethe Maria Wagner

[sibling(s) unknown]

Husband of Elizabeth (Bard) Luther — married 10 Dec 1789 in First Reformed Church, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA

DESCENDANTS

Father of John W Luther and William Luther

Died 4 Mar 1823 in Carroll, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, USA

“New information from Germany, 2019: Dear Mrs. Lilly Martin Sahiounie.

As genealogist of the International “Lutheriden-Vereinigung e.V.” our president Christian Priesmeier asked me to answer your inquiry (see copy below).

First of all, thank you for your kind letter with some more information on the fate of soldier Conrad Luther!

Indeed, after checking all available information we can affirm your direct descent from the Great Reformator Dr. Martin Luther (DML) via his son “Dr. Johannes Luther 1526-1575”, whose great-grandson “Simon Luther 1646-1677” was teacher at the Barfüerschule in Erfurt: His great-grandson is your ancestor CONRAD LUTHER, who came to New York 1776 as Hessian soldier and whose complete given name is

“Bernhard Marianus Conrad Luther” 1754–1823 Geburt 28.02.1754 • Erfurt, Thüringen Tod 04.03.1823 • Carolltown, Cambria, Pennsylvania, USA

With kind regards, Yours sincerely Prof. Wolfgang Alt 2019″

Here is the link to this information: Bernhard Marianus Luther

I am delighted to receive new verifiable information. There is so much more access to information in this era and genealogical research is one area that has benefited from the Internet and collaborative efforts. In my earlier version of this post, I stated that there wasn’t much new research that could be done on Martin Luther. Obviously, I was mistaken!

Portrait of Martin Luther by Lucas Cranach

Additional resources for researching a family connection to Martin Luther:

http://www.litzigerlay.de/helmert/luther/luther_stammtafel.h….

Stammbaum der Familie des Dr. Martin Luther zur dritten Secularfeier seines

Die Lutherstiftung zu Leipzig vom 18. Februar 1847 bis zum 18. Februar 1856

2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Read about it here.

Please report broken links through a comment. Thank you.

Tag: Otto Sartorius

Augusta Gustave Catharina de la Marche – Locating My Ancestor the Hard Way – 52 Ancestors 2015 #19

Martin Luther – Yes, THAT Martin Luther – 52 Ancestors #13