Johann Wendel Adler (abt. 1742 - abt. 1830)

Born about 1742 in Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Wurttemberg

Husband of Salomea (Hager) Adler — married about 1760 in Germany

Husband of Christina (Stend) Adler — married about 1795 in Grimm, Saratov, Russia

Descendants

Died about 1830 at about age 88 in Grimm, Saratov, Russia

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Biography

Wendel Adler was a Volga German.

Wendel Adler has German Roots.

Germany-Denmark-Russia

Family A44-14 in The Immigration of German Colonists to Denmark and Their Subsequent Emigration to Russia in the Years 1759-1766.

Family B-5 in The Immigration of German Colonists to Denmark and Their Subsequent Emigration to Russia in the Years 1759-1766.

Rus14-1 in The Immigration of German Colonists to Denmark and Their Subsequent Emigration to Russia in the Years 1759-1766.

Family #30 in the 1775 Grimm census.

Family #65 in the 1798 Grimm census.

Johann Wendel Adler was born in 1742 in Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Wuerttemberg to Mr. Adler, first name unknown, and Catharina Zellerin. His mother's maiden name is almost certainly spelled incorrectly. There were no Zellerins that showed up in my search of birth and marriage records. It was probably Zeller or Zoeller.

Johann Wendel was an Evangelical Lutheran, a farmer in Rhein. During the mid 1700s, the southern tier of Germany had been hit hard with wars and famines, and many residents were poor farmers who could barely take care of their family's needs. ^[1]

In 1759, the Danish government offered these disadvantaged Germans a chance for a new life in Denmark, helping to farm what was currently unfarmable marshland.^[1] Those who chose to immigrate would be given an opportunity for a brighter future via homesteaded land or through a land lottery.

Johann Wendel arrived in Flensburg Denmark on 09 June 1762 with his wife Salome Hager, son Johann Michael, 12 weeks old and his mother-in-law Anna Margaretha Hager.^[1] He took his oath of allegiance to Denmark five weeks later on 19 July 1762, and was considered a reserve colonist.^[1]

The marshlands were very inhospitable to all farmers. Although Germans were known for being hardworking and good farmers with typical farm land, it was far more difficult to convert these former wetlands and grow crops. Most of the German immigrants barely reaped enough to feed their families, let alone to provide food for others in Denmark.

Around that same time, Catherine the Great invited Germans to immigrate to Russia. This offered Johann Wendel and his family a opportunity for a new, prosperous life. In 1765, he decided to immigrate with his family to Russia. It is unclear when the family left Denmark for Russia, but they are included on an immigration list of 57 German Danish colonists who traveled to Grimm, Russia.^[1]

At the time of the 1775 Grimm Census, he was living in Grimm with his wife and five children:

• Johann Michael, born in 1762 in Germany
• Georg Jakob, born in 1771 in Grimm
• Katarina Elizabeta, born in 1765 in Grimm
• Dorotea Christina, born in 1765 in Grimm
• Eva Elizabeta, born in 1768 in Grimm

1775 Grimm Census ^[2]

Family # 30

Head of the Household Johann Wendel Adler, age 35

Wife Salomea Adler, age 42

Child #1 Johann Michael Adler, age 12 years 6 months

Child #2 Georg Jakob Adler, age 4

Child #3 Katharina Elisabeth Adler, age 9 years 3 months

Child #4 Dorothea Christina Adler, age 8 years 3 months

Child #5 Eva Elisabeth Adler, age 6 years 3 months

By the time of the 1798 census, he was going by his middle name, Wendel, and his had a different wife, Christina Stend who was from the neighboring village of Moor (Klyuchi). Salome had been seven years older than her husband, and Christina was seven years younger. The sons still living with the family were from his first marriage: Johann Michael and Georg Jakob, along with their wives and children. Most likely his daughters were already married and living in another household.

1798 Grimm Census ^[3]

Family # 65

Head of the Household Wendel Adler, age 57

Wife Christina Stend Adler, age 50, absent from Grimm in Moor without permission

Child #1 Johann Michael Adler, age 35

Wife of Child #1 Dorothea Haas Adler, age 31

Grandchild #1 Elisabeth Adler, 5

Grandchild #2 Katharina Adler, age 3 months

Child #2 Georg Jakob Adler, age 27

Wife of Child #2 Anna Margaretha Abikh [sic], age 26, from Köhler

Grandchild #3 Heinrich Peter Adler, age 4

Grandchild #4 Anna Barbara Adler, age 6 months

Wendel Adler is not listed in the 1834 census and was most likely deceased before 1816. ^[4] His death would have been documented in the 1816 male-only census. Had he survived to 1834, he would have been 92 years old. Had he survived to 1816, he would have been 74 years old, a significant long life for a Volga German during that time frame.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Eichhorn, Dr. Alexander, Dr. Jacob and Mary Eichhorn. The Immigration of German Colonists to Denmark and Their Subsequent Emigration to Russia in the Years 1759-1766; Bonn, Germany and Midland Michigan, USA; Drukerei und Verlag Steinmeier GmbH & Co. Kg, Deiningen, Germany, 2012; page 297, family A44-14; page 409, family 427; page 672, family Rus14-1.
2. ↑ The 1775 and 1798 Census of the German Colony on the Volga, Lesnoy Karamysh, also known as Grimm; Published by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Published date: 1995; family #30 in the 1775 Grimm census, Johann Wendel Adler family.
3. ↑ The 1775 and 1798 Census of the German Colony on the Volga, Lesnoy Karamysh, also known as Grimm; Published by the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Published date: 1995; family #65 in the 1798 Grimm census, Wendel Adler family.
4. ↑ 1834 Census of Grimm in the District of Saratov, Russia, dated 2 February 1835; Translated by Brent Mai, Concordia University, Portland, Oregon; Published by Dynasty Publishing, Beaverton, OR, USA; Published 2011.

See also:

• VolgaGermans.org online database, research from Concordia University Center for Volga German Studies, History, Journey Through Denmark, see https://www.volgagermans.org/history/journey-through-denmark.

• VolgaGermans.org online database, research from Concordia University Center for Volga German Studies, Who Are Volga Germans, Settlements, Original, Grimm, see https://www.volgagermans.org/who-are-volga-germans/settlements/original/grimm.

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