Hope for a better life (in German)
The emigration from Wittgenstein to
America in the 18th and 19th century
by Mr. Heinrich Imhof
560 pages and more than 5400 emigrants
Price 38,- Euro (plus shipping if necessary)
For further information please contact the author Mr. H. Imhof
e-mail H.Imhof@gmx.de
Extract from the table of contents
- Emigration to America and other destinations
- Why did they try their luck abroad?
- The first provable emigration
- The mass emigration from Wittgenstein in 1724/25
- America the promised country
- How emigration proceeded
- Obtaining a permission to emigrate
- Coming into conflicts with the law
- Sneaking away; secret emigration via Hessen
- Farewell at home and travelling to the embarkation/harbour
- The crossing
- Arrival in America and choosing a place to settle
- Living in the New World
- What happened to their dreams?
- Gifts, inheritances and support from America
- Letters that tell about life in America
- Visitors and people who returned home
- List of about 5400 emigrants by name
The Wittgenstein Bibliography (in German)
by A. Krueger
The price is 28 € plus shipping outside Germany. 472 pages
For further information please contact:
WHV-Schriftleitung@wichtig.ms
or via mail to:
- Mr. D. Bald, Tiergartenstr. 2, 57319 Bad Berleburg
- Mr. E. Feuring, Zum Grund 4, 57334 Bad Laasphe-Steinbach
- Mr. O. Marburger, Edertalstr. 20, 57319 Bad Berleburg-Schwarzenau

Lotzes house in Wunderthausen
Photo: P. Riedesel, USA
The Ludwigsburg in
Bad Berleburg
Photo: P. Riedesel, USA
School Chapel in Sassenhausen
Photo: P. Riedesel, USA
The Master Builder, Mannus Riedesel
Relatively little is known about the life of the renowned builder, Hermann (Mannus) Riedesel. He was born in 1662 in the house known as “Herjes” in the hamlet of Melbach in Wittgenstein. His baptismal record gives his name as “Johann Mannus”, but it was customary to be known by one’s middle name, and Mannus is understood as a nickname for Hermann. He was married twice and had five known children. Riedesel died in 1726 and is buried in the churchyard at Raumland, though gravestones were not used in those days.
How he learned his craft as a carpenter and builder, or where he might have apprenticed is simply not known. There was no guild system in Wittgenstein, and skilled builders were usually brought in from the outside. It appears that he learned a great deal more during his training than basic carpentry. The carved figures and other decorations which feature in his work are something of a mystery yet today. How many projects he worked on is unknown and many are probably lost to time. Only a dozen or so are known to us today. His most impressive structures in Wittgenstein were built between 1691-1726, including the following:
- The Ludwigsburg in Bad Berleburg (built for a side line of the ruling family)
- The decorated balcony of the ancient church in Raumland
- The “School Chapel” in Sassenhausen — built as a church, but to which space for a school was later added
- “Stoltz’sche” house in Bad Laasphe, built for a wealthy brewer
- Hof Dambach, built to house a forester in employ of the Count, now a popular Pension
Known literature about „Mannus Riedesel” here.
We offer a number of older Wittgenstein magazines for sale.
If you would like to order, please contact Mr. D. Bald dieter.bald@t-online.de for full details on prices and shipping.
An overall view of available magazines is here …
Magazine 2 / 2022
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Table of contents
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Heidemarie Horaczek-Körnert
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Farbenspiel
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Hans Wied
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Es Rotkäppche on da bease Wolf.
Ein Märchen der Brüder Grimm in Feudinger Mundart
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Jan Siegemund
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Wittgensteiner Kriminalitätsgeschichte des Spätmittelalters und der Frühen Neuzeit
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Wolfram Martin
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Wittgenstein im Wandel. Impressionen einer sterbenden Landschaft
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Paul Riedesel
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Historische Heiratsmuster in Wittgenstein
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Dieter Bald
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EJOT – eine Wittgensteiner Abkürzung mit Weltruf
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Frank Henk
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„Mein letzter Wille”. Auslegung des Testaments von Gustav-Albrecht Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg vom 26. Juni 1943
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Matthias Seim
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Zum Verhältnis zwischen Landesherr und Residenz in der sog. Südgrafschaft – die Beschwerden der Stadt Laasphe von 1722
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Wolfram Martin
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Muffelbegegnungen in Wittgensteins Wäldern
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Stefan Vomhof
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Wo Eisen unter den Hammer kommt. Hammerwerke in unserer Region
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Roland Scholz
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WittgenSteine
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Rezension
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Andreas Krüger
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Dieter Bald, Information zwischen Pflicht und Gefühl, Todesanzeigen im Wittgensteiner Kreisblatt
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Schriftleitung
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Hinweis und Einladung zur JHV in Berghausen
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The Wittgensteiner Heimatverein invites the submission of materials to be considered for future publication in its periodical, „Wittgenstein: Blätter des Wittgensteiner Heimatvereins e.V.”
Manuscripts should be sent to whv-schriftleitung@wichtig.ms and should adhere to these writing guidelines <Hinweise und Richtlinien>. They must be written in German.