Johann Weißheimer II
Encyclopedia
Johann Weißheimer II was the father of the composer Wendelin Weißheimer
and around the middle of the 19th Century, the most heavily taxed landowners in Rheinhessen
. He was also a politician and mayor of Osthofen in the first chamber stalls of the Hesse state parliament during the
1848 revolution
.
His extensive diaries tell nearly 80 years of his life, documenting economic, political, social and climatic conditions. They are considered the most important primary sources about Osthofen and also of the Rhenish-Hessian
history of the 19th century. Because of his extensive studies, he is also called the "chronicler" of Osthofen.
as the eldest son of John I. and Margaret Weißheimer, nee Dechen, in his father's estate, the stone mill in Osthofen. Shortly before he celebrated his wedding with Ottilia Best, the daughter of the Osthofener proprietor of the Swan Inn and future mayor Wendelin Best, he managed to transfer to the stone mill the associated goods in the ownership of his family through the gradual acquisition of fields and vineyard, thus making the stone mill to became one of the most important companies in the Rhenish Hesse. In his 1500-page diary, he reported in detail over 70 years of his life.
so, enabling him to set a foothold in Germany.
As mayor
of Osthofen from 1831–1842, he led many reforms such as the introduction of the volunteer fire department
and a charity fund. Osthofen was for the first time during his term of office, extended beyond its medieval boundaries. As a member of the first Hessian Chamber he took in Darmstadt
, during the 1848 revolution, the interests of his home and suggested reforms, later becoming High Commissioner and permanent member of the City Council. He died in his hometown in 1883 leaving for posterity extensive studies of more than 2000 pages which are among the most important sources about the history of Osthofen from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.
Wendelin Weißheimer
Wendelin Weißheimer was a 19th-century German composer, conductor, essayist, teacher and music writer. Wendelin Weißheimer studied with Franz Liszt and was in close contact with Richard Wagner, Hans von Bülow, Peter Cornelius, Louise Otto-Peters, Ferdinand Lassalle, August Bebel and of many other...
and around the middle of the 19th Century, the most heavily taxed landowners in Rheinhessen
Rheinhessen
Rhenish Hesse refers to the part of the former Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt located west of the Rhine river and now part of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is a hilly countryside largely devoted to vineyards, therefore it is also called the "land of the thousand hills." Its larger towns include:...
. He was also a politician and mayor of Osthofen in the first chamber stalls of the Hesse state parliament during the
1848 revolution
Revolutions of 1848 in the German states
The Revolutions of 1848 in the German states, also called the March Revolution – part of the Revolutions of 1848 that broke out in many countries of Europe – were a series of loosely coordinated protests and rebellions in the states of the German Confederation, including the Austrian Empire...
.
His extensive diaries tell nearly 80 years of his life, documenting economic, political, social and climatic conditions. They are considered the most important primary sources about Osthofen and also of the Rhenish-Hessian
Rheinhessen (wine region)
Rheinhessen is the largest of 13 German wine regions for quality wines with under cultivation in 2008. Named for the traditional region of Rhenish Hesse, it lies on the left bank of the River Rhine between Worms and Bingen in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate...
history of the 19th century. Because of his extensive studies, he is also called the "chronicler" of Osthofen.
Life
Johann Weißheimer II was born on 25 October 1797 in OsthofenOsthofen
Osthofen is a Verband-free town – one belonging to no Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the middle of the Wonnegau in the Alzey-Worms district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
as the eldest son of John I. and Margaret Weißheimer, nee Dechen, in his father's estate, the stone mill in Osthofen. Shortly before he celebrated his wedding with Ottilia Best, the daughter of the Osthofener proprietor of the Swan Inn and future mayor Wendelin Best, he managed to transfer to the stone mill the associated goods in the ownership of his family through the gradual acquisition of fields and vineyard, thus making the stone mill to became one of the most important companies in the Rhenish Hesse. In his 1500-page diary, he reported in detail over 70 years of his life.
Career
He made the stone mill in Osthofen, around the middle of the 19th century, the most important estate in the Rhenish Hesse]]. It is thanks to him that his youngest son Wendelin Weißheimer could begin studying music, laying so the foundation stone for his career. Encouraged by him, Johann Weißheimer II often contributed significantly by providing financial assistance to the composer Richard WagnerRichard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
so, enabling him to set a foothold in Germany.
As mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Osthofen from 1831–1842, he led many reforms such as the introduction of the volunteer fire department
Volunteer fire department
See also the Firefighter article and its respective sections regarding VFDs in other countries.A volunteer fire department is a fire department composed of volunteers who perform fire suppression and other related emergency services for a local jurisdiction.The first organized force of...
and a charity fund. Osthofen was for the first time during his term of office, extended beyond its medieval boundaries. As a member of the first Hessian Chamber he took in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, during the 1848 revolution, the interests of his home and suggested reforms, later becoming High Commissioner and permanent member of the City Council. He died in his hometown in 1883 leaving for posterity extensive studies of more than 2000 pages which are among the most important sources about the history of Osthofen from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.
Works
- Historical information about Osthofen, 3 vols (unpublished)
- Historical information about Westhofen, (unpublished)
- My Diary 4 vols (unpublished)
Sources
- Wendelin Weißheimer: Experiences with Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt and many other contemporaries, FrankfurtFrankfurtFrankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
/ LeipzigLeipzigLeipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
1898 - Henry Beckenbach: Wendelin Weißheimer, one Rhein-hessen conductor and composer, 1958
- City of Osthofen (ed.): 1200 years of Osthofen - On the trail of the past, Osthofen 1984
- Brigitte Kazenwadel-Drew: Osthofen - A walk through history, HeidelbergHeidelberg-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
2006
External links
- Weingut Steinmühle - May-Weißheimer Family on the Weingut-Steinmuhle Website.