Johann Steinhauer
Encyclopedia
Johann Steinhauer was a Latvia
n entrepreneur
, social reformer and landowner, who made significant contributions to the Latvia
n civil rights
throughout the 18th century.
n serf turned into a merchant
who transported cargo for the Swedes during the Swedish
rule of Riga
. He was born about 1680 and emigrated to Riga from Courland
on the turn of the century. In 1704 he married Johann's mother Margareta Schugge, a Riga Latvian. "Matthis possessed and exceptional talent for judging the quality of timber and built an international reputation as an assessor of ship's masts".
Between 1703 and 1710 Matthis and mast selector Brinkkis was were hired by the Tzar Peter I of Russia
to select the wood for the construction of the newly founded city of Saint Petersburg
, receiving the title of Royal Mast Selector. He engaged the Unitas Fratrum or Moravian Brethren, becoming one of their most prominent members in Riga, and this would have far lasting consequences in the destinies of his descendants. He had 10 known children all born at the St John parish in Riga.
Manors and Estates that belonged to Johann Steinhauer and his Family:
(Winston-Salem
), North Carolina
in support of the Moravian Church efforts to create a Moravian Colony there. This land was later sold to the Moravian Church and colonist who emigrated there. Throughout his live he promoted religious understanding and freedom in Riga
.
was a significant event in the history of race relations in Riga
". With time The Steinhauers were able to amaze a considerable fortune and own property throughout Riga
. However all transactions had to be owned under somebody else's name, because, according to the Statue, only the members of the great Guild had the right to trade and to own property, and membership was refused to them because they were Latvian and Serf origin. In 1747 the Steinhauers brought the case before Riga's Senate but in 1753 emitted its verdict against the appellants. After the Senates Decision, new restrictions against the Latvians were enacted. The Steinhauers brought their case before the Governor General of Livonia
, prince Dolgoruky, who supported them, and eventually the Grand Duke Peter, heir to the Russian Throne, named Johann's brother Daniel commissar of commerce to Schleswig-Holstein, saving their property from confiscation. In 1757 Tobias Georg Efflein, a German
accountant
and Daniel's son Law, applied for membership at the great Guild and was refused on the grounds the he had given no proofs of his standing as a bookkeeper, and that his wife was a Latvian. In 1757 the Senates previous ruling was dismissed, under the auspices of the Monarch
Katherina the Great, and ordered the Guild to accept his membership. The senate ruling had far reaching consequences for it established the right of any worthy inhabitant of Riga, regardless of national origin, to trade and own property in Riga.
Among his many Descendants are: Rev. Johann Steinhauer III, Moravia
n Minister and Teacher
, Principal of the Fulneck Moravian School in England
, who established the Boarding School for young ladies at Gracehill
in Ireland
; Henry Steinhauer, the first Paleobotanist in the Americas and Principal of the Moravian Ladies Seminary of Bethlehem
,Pa. and Married to the Daughter of John Gambold
, the first Moravian Bishop of the British Isles
; Botanist and early Ohio
plant collector Daniel Steinhauer; Barbara Steinhauer married to Sarepta's
(now Volgograd
, Russia
) Doctor in Medicine Joachim Wier and Johanna Magdalena Riegelmann Married to the Jurist and administrator of the Hennersdorf
Castle
in Saxonia
; Karl Eduard von Napierski Dr. Philosophie, researcher, author and publisher of Latvian Historical and Biographical books: Index corporis historico-diplomatici Livoniae, Esthoniae, Curoniae, Monumenta Livoniae antiquae volumes 1 and 2, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Kirchen und Prediger in Livland. 4 Volumes, among others.
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, social reformer and landowner, who made significant contributions to the Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
throughout the 18th century.
Family
Johann Steinhauer was the son of Matthis Steinhauer, a runaway LatviaLatvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n serf turned into a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
who transported cargo for the Swedes during the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
rule of Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. He was born about 1680 and emigrated to Riga from Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
on the turn of the century. In 1704 he married Johann's mother Margareta Schugge, a Riga Latvian. "Matthis possessed and exceptional talent for judging the quality of timber and built an international reputation as an assessor of ship's masts".
Between 1703 and 1710 Matthis and mast selector Brinkkis was were hired by the Tzar Peter I of Russia
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
to select the wood for the construction of the newly founded city of Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, receiving the title of Royal Mast Selector. He engaged the Unitas Fratrum or Moravian Brethren, becoming one of their most prominent members in Riga, and this would have far lasting consequences in the destinies of his descendants. He had 10 known children all born at the St John parish in Riga.
Economic Success
Johann Steinhauer became Mast Inspector like his father and accomplished a considerable fortune in a short time. He traded timber and he was known for the quality of his products. He founded sawmill at Hermelingshof (Hermalina) and the first paper factory in Riga. He owned estates, manors, and land in Riga and the Rest of Latvia becoming the wealthiest man in Riga in the 17th Century.Manors and Estates that belonged to Johann Steinhauer and his Family:
- Sassenhof or Zasumuiža: In Sassenhof he build the First Paper's manufacturing industry. It operated both by wind and water. The mills produced various grades of paper, and raw materials for the Clothing and Printing Industries.
- Hermelingshof: At this manor Steinhauer build a Sawmill driven by a Windmill that supplied the ships arriving at the port of Riga.
- Möllershof or Mühlenhof by Riga (Zemunda)
- Wohlershof or Voleri at Dünamünde (Daugavgriva)
- The meadows and grasslands of Spilwen (Spilva/ Spilve)
- The Windmills at Fosa Island
- Aahaken or Bergshof Located in the vicinity of Rigas. Here he build his own Port (Bolderaja) to transport timer.
- Schlottmachersholm [Schlottmaker]
- 4000 acres (lot 5 and 13) as Shareholder in the " Der North Carolina Land und Colonie Establissement" (Wachovia settlement)
Moravian Society
Fascinated by the Brethren's democratic ideals, Matthis Steinhauer became one of its earliest members of the pietist Moravian Church. He became the leader of the Moravian Society in Riga and his Home,their meeting place. After his father death Johann took his place in Riga's Moravian Society, and when the Herrnhuters were outlawed he continued to support the church and its missionary effort in secret. One of his Manors, Sassenhof, became the center for the Underground Moravian Church in Riga. In 1754 he bought 4000 acres (16.2 km²) in WachoviaWachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States based on total assets...
(Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
), North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
in support of the Moravian Church efforts to create a Moravian Colony there. This land was later sold to the Moravian Church and colonist who emigrated there. Throughout his live he promoted religious understanding and freedom in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
.
Johann Steinhauer Versus The Great Guild and The Magistrature of Riga
"The case of Steinhauer Versus The Great Guild and The Magistrature of RigaRiga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
was a significant event in the history of race relations in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
". With time The Steinhauers were able to amaze a considerable fortune and own property throughout Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
. However all transactions had to be owned under somebody else's name, because, according to the Statue, only the members of the great Guild had the right to trade and to own property, and membership was refused to them because they were Latvian and Serf origin. In 1747 the Steinhauers brought the case before Riga's Senate but in 1753 emitted its verdict against the appellants. After the Senates Decision, new restrictions against the Latvians were enacted. The Steinhauers brought their case before the Governor General of Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
, prince Dolgoruky, who supported them, and eventually the Grand Duke Peter, heir to the Russian Throne, named Johann's brother Daniel commissar of commerce to Schleswig-Holstein, saving their property from confiscation. In 1757 Tobias Georg Efflein, a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
accountant
Accountant
An accountant is a practitioner of accountancy or accounting , which is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information that helps managers, investors, tax authorities and others make decisions about allocating resources.The Big Four auditors are the largest...
and Daniel's son Law, applied for membership at the great Guild and was refused on the grounds the he had given no proofs of his standing as a bookkeeper, and that his wife was a Latvian. In 1757 the Senates previous ruling was dismissed, under the auspices of the Monarch
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
Katherina the Great, and ordered the Guild to accept his membership. The senate ruling had far reaching consequences for it established the right of any worthy inhabitant of Riga, regardless of national origin, to trade and own property in Riga.
Legacy
Johann Steinhauer's entrepreneurial successes, his efforts to bring about the right of ownership and freedom of worship on behalf of the native Latvians and Serfs had far reaching consequences. At the time of his birth native Latvians and serfs were a stagnant social caste with little opportunity for social movement, the Ruling of Riga's Senate opened new opportunities for future generations of inhabitants of Riga. partly because of his support of the Moravian Church, it ideals eventually became an accepted and popular religious movement among Latvians, having at one point 50.000 converts in three years.Among his many Descendants are: Rev. Johann Steinhauer III, Moravia
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
n Minister and Teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, Principal of the Fulneck Moravian School in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, who established the Boarding School for young ladies at Gracehill
Gracehill
Gracehill is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies about 3 km from Ballymena and is in the townland of Ballykennedy . It is part of the Borough of Ballymena....
in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
; Henry Steinhauer, the first Paleobotanist in the Americas and Principal of the Moravian Ladies Seminary of Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
,Pa. and Married to the Daughter of John Gambold
John Gambold
John Gambold , was bishop of the Unitas Fratrum.- Early Life :John Gambold received his early education from his father, William Gambold, a clergyman, and in 1726 entered as a servitor at Christ Church, Oxford...
, the first Moravian Bishop of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
; Botanist and early Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
plant collector Daniel Steinhauer; Barbara Steinhauer married to Sarepta's
Sarepta
Sarepta was a Phoenician city on the Mediterranean coast between Sidon and Tyre. Most of the objects by which we characterise Phoenician culture are those that have been recovered scattered among Phoenician colonies and trading posts; such carefully excavated colonial sites are in Spain, Sicily,...
(now Volgograd
Volgograd
Volgograd , formerly called Tsaritsyn and Stalingrad is an important industrial city and the administrative center of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. It is long, north to south, situated on the western bank of the Volga River...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) Doctor in Medicine Joachim Wier and Johanna Magdalena Riegelmann Married to the Jurist and administrator of the Hennersdorf
Augustusburg
Augustusburg is a town in the district of Mittelsachsen, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated 12 km east of Chemnitz. Augustusburg is known for the Jagdschloss Augustusburg....
Castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
in Saxonia
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
; Karl Eduard von Napierski Dr. Philosophie, researcher, author and publisher of Latvian Historical and Biographical books: Index corporis historico-diplomatici Livoniae, Esthoniae, Curoniae, Monumenta Livoniae antiquae volumes 1 and 2, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Kirchen und Prediger in Livland. 4 Volumes, among others.
External links
- Johann Steinhauer's Gravestone; Drawing by Johann Christoph BrotzeJohann Christoph BrotzeJohann Christoph Brotze was a famous German pedagogue and ethnographer.Brotze was born in Görlitz, Electorate of Saxony. He studied theology and philosophy at the universities of Leipzig and Wittenberg, and was also skilled at technical drawing...
- Biographical Reference by the Latvian Archives
- articles about Johann Steinhauer at Letonica (in Latvian/for a Fee)
- St. John's Church in Riga; references to Johann Steinhauer (in Latvian)
- Sassenhof or Zasumuisa
- Hermelingshof