Four Generations

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

Here's a photo my great grandparents kept in an honored place in their home after coming to America from Germany.

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Alot of nice baubles being worn there.

Dan

[Chris B.]

That's neat Hauptman. It's interesting that the description beneath the photo is in english. You should make a laser enlargement of the photo, add a couple of old family documents, ( if you have them), old german stamps, coins, paper money and a medal or two and have the whole thing framed and put under glass. It would make a cool family memento. Cheers, Chris B.

[Hauptmann]

That's neat Hauptman. It's interesting that the description beneath the photo is in english. You should make a laser enlargement of the photo, add a couple of old family documents, ( if you have them), old german stamps, coins, paper money and a medal or two and have the whole thing framed and put under glass. It would make a cool family memento. Cheers, Chris B.

Hi Chris,

Many thanks... that's a great idea! I may just do that. I think the reason they got one with an English inscription is that they insisted on their children learning English since they were Americans. Sadly they did not pass along their language. I can remember my Great Grandmother Harmony from when I was very little. She'd speak in German as she was getting to that stage in life and I could not understand her. How I wish she'd passed it to her kids and so on down to me.

Thanks again for the great suggestion. I may make two and present one to my mom as a gift at some point. I think she'd really appreciate it.

Dan

[Tom]

These four men on the photo are I think the four kings of Prussia. The one on the right is Wilhelm II. The one most up is I think Wilhelm I. For the others I know to little to can see who they are.

It is interesting indeed that there is written in English on the photo. I think this has the following reason. In 1800 and the beginning of 1900 Prussia was a normal state in Europe. It was a state that was developing itself fast. As a lot of people now people than must have been interested in the kings and emperors. So they collected photo's etc. This is one given out for the English marked (fans;-).

[Tom]

When I am thinking now...if my conclusion must state than the man on the left is Friedrich III who died very quick (something with his longs).

Than the child in the lower part of the photo must be Kronprinz Wilhelm the later Armycommander of the German Vth Army.

[Mike Dwyer]

Tom, you are correct. The elderly man at the top is, of course, Kaiser Wilhelm I, on the left is Kaiser Friedrich III, on the right, Kaiser Wilhelm II, and the babe on the bottom is Crown Prince Wilhelm.

If I recall correctly Kaiser Friedrich III's health problem was throat cancer, not his lungs.

Edited September 6, 2006 by Mike Dwyer

[Hauptmann]

Hi Tom,

Yes indeed, you are correct. On all but one point... Frederick III died from throat cancer after ruling for a very short period of time:

Wilhelm I (1871—1888);

Friedrich III (1888), who ruled for 99 days;

Wilhelm II (1888—1918), during whose reign the monarchy in Germany ended after World War I.

Hence the year 1888 was known as The year of the three Kaisers.

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Here is a brief description of what killed him from Wikipedia:

By the time his father died in 1888, the heavy smoker Frederick had developed incurable cancer of the larynx, which was misdiagnosed on 12 November 1887 by the English doctor Morell Mackenzie (later knighted by Queen Victoria). Due to a rivalry between German doctors of the local Charit? and the British doctors favoured by his wife, the misdiagnosis was sustained and surgery that might have cured the cancer was cancelled. When the error was caught, it was too late to operate. Later swelling by the tumor caused the prince to begin to suffocate, and so on 9 February 1888, a tracheotomy was performed and a silver tube was put into the prince's wind pipe. Frederick was unable to speak for the remainder of his life, and communicated through writing. His attitude is described by "Lerne leiden, ohne zu klagen!" ("Learn to suffer without complaining").

He was already in this state when his father died, leaving Frederick a very ill emperor, though only 56 years old. Frederick ruled for only 99 days before his own death.

Dan

[Tom]

Interesting story on Frederick, thank you.

[Hauptmann]

Interesting story on Frederick, thank you.

Hi Tom,

I really felt sorry for the man. He and his Mrs. had alot of great plans... but as with so much of history it just wasn't meant to be. There's no telling how different things might have been had he lived.

Dan

[Avitas]

"Friedrich III (1888), who ruled for 99 days;"

Hi Dan,

Nice little photograph there, I wonder if it was meant as a tourist item at that time for travelling Englishmen and whatnot. I just thought I would add this little veterans medal to this mix as it is from Kaiser Friedrich's short 99 day reign (April 8, 1888 Very late in his life I believe). This is probably one of the last medals awarded during his time as Kaiser. Interesting story, and yes they are sporting some serious medals there!

Cheers,

Pat

[Avitas]

And the reverse of the medal with the date..

Cheers,

Pat

[Mike Dwyer]

(April 8, 1888 Very late in his life I believe)

Yes, very late, he died on 15 June 1888.

[Hauptmann]

Very nice Pat. Hope you can find the ribbon for it at some point... always hate seeing such things "undressed" as it were.

And Mike, many thanks for popping in the date... as soon as I saw this piece that was my thought but then I realized I didn't have the "exact" dates listed in the information I'd previously posted. Silly me! I guess it's like always trying to post the back of things as someone will indeed ask to see it... but my brain has been elsewhere these last few days. Appreciate you "filling the breach" so to speak.

Dan