Gentzkow: Julius Conrad

In American Gentzkow family history, I consider myself part of the “Julius Group.” I am descended from the second son of Julius August Emil “George Edward” von Gentzkow (1826-1904) and his wife Sophia Schultz (1830-1897).

The three Gentzkow Groups are:

• The George Group: descendants of George Gentzkow (1854-1939) and his wife Christina Kohler (1856-1918)
• The Julius Group: descendants of J.C. Gentzkow (1856-1932) and his wife Matilda Dittrich (186x -1908)
• The William Group: descendants of Bill Gentzkow (1862-1934) and his wife Clara Schneider (1868-1961)

These three men were the only offspring to live to adulthood and have children. (Their sister, Kate had no children. Four other Gentzkow siblings did not survive childhood.)

This blog post is a significant update to the material I presented in my American Gentzkow history back in 2000.¹Blees, Karrie L.N. Descendants of George Edward von Gentzkow of Minneiska, Minnesota: a history of the Gentzkow family in America. North St. Paul MN: Sewing for the Harvest, 2000. There are no more copies available for purchase. Several copies were donated to libraries. At that time, I compiled the best available resources. Now, with the explosion of genealogical information available on the Internet and with the assistance of cousins in Europe, we have much better sources and more complete information.

Where was Julius born?

Because Julius August Emil Gentzkow and Magdalena Sophia Christina Schultz married in Rostock, I assumed that all their children were born in Rostock. Nope.

Their first son, Georg, was born there and baptized at the Jakobikirche. However, Julius’s baptism record did not exist in the church record books of any of the Rostock churches.

Julius’s adopted son Rodney (1909-1986) told this colorful (and fictitious) story: As the Gentzkow family traveled up the Mississippi River, their steamboat tied up to an island so that Julius could be born.²Letter from Rodney Gentzkow to Eloise Oliver, 1985. Karrie Blees has a copy.

When Julius died in 1932, his obituary reported that he was born January 1, 1856 in Hamburg Germany.³“J.C. Gentzkow Old Minneiska Merchant Dead.” Winona (MN) Republican-Herald, 6 Aug 1932, page 6. Hamburg is, and was, a very large city. In 1856, it was one of the 39 sovereign states of the German Confederation. If Julius was indeed born in Hamburg, we needed a lucky break to help us navigate the vast, archived resources of the city.

Rogue Index

Gaunerkartei.de is a searchable site of Historische Steckbriefe von Straftäter und Opfern (Historical Profiles of Criminals and Victims). In this database you will find references to thousands of original historical profiles, personal descriptions, listings and biographies located in German archives and libraries. A quick search points to sources of information on beggars, fraudsters, vagrants, crooks, exiles, criminals, the poor, tramps, vagabonds, the homeless, petty criminals as well as their victims from 1500 to 1919.

Like all thorough family historians, cousin Jürgen Gentzscke, combed the Internet, found this website and inserted the name GENZKOW. (Remember to always search alternate spellings).

Genzkow, Julius Konrad von of Poppenbüttel:
Evidence of an official “wanted” notice from the Royal Prussian Government District of Schleswig

When Julius Konrad reached the age of required military service, the authorities placed an ad in the newspaper in order for him to fulfill his obligation to the state. They looked for Julius in Poppenbüttel. If the government was looking for Julius in Poppenbüttel, there must be a record of his birth in that place.

We know that the army was not going to find Julius in Poppenbüttel because the family emigrated from Germany in 1857⁴Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934, 373-7 I, VIII A 1 Band 011 B, Ship Hammonia, departed June 30, 1857, Aug. Gentzkow, page 596, line 11. when Julius was 17-months old.

Julius Konrad Adolf Heinrich

Again Jürgen Gentzscke followed the trail. He paid a searching fee to the Kirchenbucharchiv Hamburg Ost (Hamburg East Church Archives) to obtain a copy of the baptism of Julius Konrad Gentzkow in Poppenbüttel. The Archive replied that they did not locate the record (and they retained the payment).

In 2017, Conny and Christoph Diederichs drove to the Kirchenbucharchiv Hamburg Ost. There, Conny found the baptism record!⁵Kirchenbuch von Bergstedt. Kirchenkreis Hamburg-Ost/Archiv. 1856 Baptism #10 for Julius Konrad Adolf Heinrich Gentzkow. Photocopy of the record made by Cornelia Diederichs.

Yes, this is difficult to read! Luckily, Conny transcribed the record, so I could translate it to English:

Evangelical Church of Bergstedt, near Hamburg
1856
No. 10, Born January 1 and Baptized January 22
Julius Konrad Adolf Heinrich, son of Landwirths (farmer) Julius Emil August zu Gentzkow (v. Gentkow) of Poppenbüttel and his (wife) Sophie, nee’ Schultz, legitimate son (23 J).

Taufpaten (baptism sponsors):

1. The father of the child of Poppenbüttel
2. Dr. Konrad Grell of Poppenbüttel [relationship unknown]
3. Adolf von Linstow, Landmann (rural farmer) of Jatzke in Mecklenburg-Strelitz [half-brother of Julius Emil August]
4. Heinrich Seidel, Landmann (rural farmer) of Dieckof in Mecklburg-Schwerin [half-brother of Julius Emil August]

In America, Julius Konrad became Julius Conrad, oftentimes shortened to “J.C.”

Bergstedt Church

In the fall of 2017, Patrick and I traveled to Germany to meet Conny and Christoph Diederichs. One of the first tours that Conny scheduled was the Kirche Bergstedt in the northeastern part of the city of Hamburg. This is where Julius was baptized.

Flying Angel Baptismal Font inside Bergstedt Church

Sketch of Bergstedt Church⁶Ink Drawing of Bergstedt Church. Patrick Blees, June 11, 2017.

What other aspects of J.C.’s life should be researched?

SOURCES

• 1
  Blees, Karrie L.N. Descendants of George Edward von Gentzkow of Minneiska, Minnesota: a history of the Gentzkow family in America. North St. Paul MN: Sewing for the Harvest, 2000. There are no more copies available for purchase. Several copies were donated to libraries.
• 2
  Letter from Rodney Gentzkow to Eloise Oliver, 1985. Karrie Blees has a copy.
• 3
  “J.C. Gentzkow Old Minneiska Merchant Dead.” Winona (MN) Republican-Herald, 6 Aug 1932, page 6.
• 4
  Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934, 373-7 I, VIII A 1 Band 011 B, Ship Hammonia, departed June 30, 1857, Aug. Gentzkow, page 596, line 11.
• 5
  Kirchenbuch von Bergstedt. Kirchenkreis Hamburg-Ost/Archiv. 1856 Baptism #10 for Julius Konrad Adolf Heinrich Gentzkow. Photocopy of the record made by Cornelia Diederichs.
• 6
  Ink Drawing of Bergstedt Church. Patrick Blees, June 11, 2017.