| Home | Groth and Tarnow page | Family Page |
German genealogy of the Groth and Tarnow ancestors of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany
Johann Gottfried Groth "Kammerdiener und Aussehers die Gemäldegallerie und Kunstkammer" to the Duke of Mecklenburg Photo from Staatliches Museum Schwerin
| Johann Gottfried Groth & Margarete Von Zweydorff Groth of Schwerin, Mecklenburg: great -great-great-grandparentsJohann Gottfried Groth (1726-1806) was married to Margaretha (or Margarete) Elizabeth von Zweydorff, the daughter ("kaufmannstochter") of Schwerin goldsmith, Johann Caspar von Zweydorff (born in Brunswick) and her mother was Sophia Dorothea Ploezky. And this is as far back in time in genealogy for this Groth line as I have gotten. Thanks to John Duke Groth and his contacts with Dr. Gero Seelig, Dept. of Paintings, Staatliches Museum, Schwerin we have learned more about our Great Great Great Grandfather, Johann Gottfried Groth. Johann Gottfried Groth was a "Aufseher über die Gemäldegallerie und Kunstkammer" to the Duke of Mecklenburg in Schwerin. His duty (or one of his duties) was to care about all the art collections of the duke, not only the one in Schwerin (picture of the building shown below at left) but also in the other palaces, residencies and houses being (at least) Ludwigslust, Güstrow, Neustadt-Glewe, Rostock, Hamburg. 1764-1837 Ludwigslust was the ducal residence. According to Dr. Gero Seelig of the Staatliches Museum, Schwerin, Johann Groth had the position for a number of decades. "Groth's most important work is the catalogue of the Duke's art possessions, which he published on his own expense in 1792. Obviously he would have liked the duke to come up for the printing, but the collections then were not public and the duke probably saw no point in printing a catalogue; all he needed was an inventory. Therefore the drawings were not published together with the catalogue as Groth had intended. But they are still there and show us the walls of all the gallery rooms. A descriptive catalogue of a whole gallery of the late 18th century is something rare which gives a wonderful insight into the holdings and presentation of the collection, most of the paintings Groth listed in 1792 are still in the possession of the museum. The image below, in Gt Gt Gt Grandfather Johann Groth's own hand shows one of the drawings of the gallery walls.
Johann Groth's own hand shows one of the drawings of the gallery walls cited at 1798 in publications |
|||
|
The old seal of the Duke of Mecklenburg. |
Das Schweriner Schloss |
|||
|
Mecklenburg had the highest percentage of emigrants of any of the German states. About one-third of Mecklenburg's population in the late 1800s emigated, most to the USA. |
Photo above: Castle in Schwerin the residence for the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, shown in present day. Gr.Gr.grandfather was christened in the Mecklenburg Schwerin Castle castle chapel in December 1774. The palace chapel is an architectural gem. It was built during the years 1560-1563 as the first specifically constructed protestant church in Mecklenburg. The Schwerin castle shown above incorporated parts of the 16th century building when it was remodeled in 1845-57, therefore, it did not look like this at the time of Johann Gottfried Groth. (Photo of Schwerin castle is from Mecklenburg Internet Service System MISS.) More information Schweriner Schloss Castle Wikipedia History Notes: |
|||
 Friedrich Emil Groth (1774-1847) Date 1825 Dukes of Mecklenburg 1713-1883
This Google ebook has detailed descriptions of the Church in Damshagen Kunst- und Geschichts-denkmäler des Grossherzogthums Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Volume 2 (Google eBook) | Friedrich Emil Groth & Louise Meister Groth of Damshagen: Great Great GrandparentsPhoto of painting of Friedrich Emil Groth (1774-1847) of Schwerin and later Damshagen Mecklenburg. Johann Gottfried Groth who lived to be 80 years old, died in 1806, 2 years before Friedrich Emil Groth became a Lutheran pastor in 1808. He "studied in Rostock von Michaelis 1792 to Easter 1795" at this school, from age 18 to 21. Do not know what he did 1795-1808, 13 years of his life, from age 21 to 34. The French troops of Napoeloen occupied Mecklenburg 1806-07. It is believed from family legend he served in the military for part of his life. He was presented as a "chaplain" to the community and "voted unanimously" to become the Lutheran pastor May 1, 1808. He served 1808-1847 at the Damshagen parish. The Lutheran pastors tutored the nobility and provided school for village families. Pictures of the Damshagen church are below. Damshagen is located 7 km north-west of Grevesmühlen, founded as Thomas Hagen, by 1230 it was known as one of the old parishes of the Klutz area. The name Damshagen first appears as Damme Hagen in 1370. Friedrich Emil Groth (born Schwerin, Meck-Schw. 9/27/1774 and died Damshagen, Meck-Schw. 6/26/1847, age 72), baptized in the "Schlosskapel" in Schwerin Dec 28, 1774. On Nov 17, 1817 he married Louise Sophie Dorothea Meister (born 6/8/1785 and died 12/25/1869, age 85), daughter of brewer and grain merchant at Schwerin, ("des Brauers") Wilhelm Christoph Meister (born in Wittenberg, c.1709). But then another source lists the father as Camerarii Meister: "camerarii, i.e. high officials charged with the administration of the royal treasury" and her sister was the wife of Pastor Francke of Neukirchen. They had two sons, Johan Ludwig (see below) and another son we only know as "A. Groth" (who was listed as an "advokat" or "Rechtsanwalt" or lawyer in Schwerin). Previously, the first wife of Friedrich Emil Groth was Christine (Christina) Eleanore (Eleanora) Maaßen (Maassen) (born 3/3/1786 in Klutz died 1/29/1817 Damshagen) on 11 Nov 1808 at Klütz (Bothmer), Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany (the year he became the pastor at Damshagen). Her father was ( Joh.) Friedrich Hieronymus Maaßen, Justitiar u. Komm.rat in Klütz, or Justiziar or general counsel to (Count) Graf Bothmerschen in Klutz. (some spellings appear to be different on records) |
|||
The images below being biography for Friedrich Emil Groth from Unsere Landesgeistlichen von 1810 bis 1888: biographische Skizzen sämmtlicher Mecklenburg-Schwerinschen Geistlichen (Google eBook)
| ||||
|
|
|||
 |
Photos above are of the church at Damshagen where Gr.Gr.grandfather Friedrich Emil Groth was Lutheran pastor. You can see more of Damshagen: Go to Damshagen 1999 photos More on the von Plessen family Damshagen Manor House 'Guthaus' and more about the Family von Plessen the nobility who held many positions of power in Germany during the time Gr.Gr.grandfather Friedrich Emil Groth was in Damshagen. |
|||
Johann Ludwig Emil Groth (born Damshagen, Meck-Schw 2/20/1820 and died Kittendorf 11/6/1884, age 65), pastor at Kittendorf. At age 16 was at school in Wismar East, 1836 to 1841 then at age 21 he studied in Rostock, Berlin and back to Rostock. In 1845, age 25, he served as a tutor in Radegast to 1846, then he went to Damshagen and assisted his father as a preacher, until his father died in 1847 and after that in 1848 he served as tutor at the Baron Dammereez Laffert East. In 1849 he took over the supervision of the high school children of foresters Graevenitz in New Strelitz, and after Easter in 1850 passed the examination to be pastor, elected in June 16, 1850 in Kittendorf. On November he married Emma Johanna Julia Henriette Tarnow (b. Rossow, Meck-Schw 1/17/1828 and died. Frankfurt am Main 2/28/1905, age 77. Emma Tarnow was a cousin of novelist Fritz Reuter Johann Ludwig Emil Groth had a brother "A. Groth" who was listed as an "advokat" or "Rechtsanwalt" or lawyer in Schwerin. |
Johann Ludwig Groth & Emma Tarnow Groth of Kittendorf: Great Grandparents
To the right is the Kittendorf church that was built in 1280. About the Kittendorf Manor House 'Guthaus' or here of the Family von Oertzen
|
|||
The images below being biographic for Johann Ludwig Groth from Unsere Landesgeistlichen von 1810 bis 1888: biographische Skizzen sämmtlicher Mecklenburg-Schwerinschen Geistlichen (Google eBook)
|
||||
One of the daughters was married to a Pastor Lohmann in Frankfurt am Main, where Emma Tarnow Groth died in 1905 age 77. |
|
|||
|
||||
 Schwerin Paulskirche |
|
|||
 |
This a photo of Clara Groth Bard. Clara came to the USA from Germany and became a naturalized citizen in 1890. Clara Groth Bard lived in Detroit and had 5 children, Elizabeth -- born Jan 1891 in Illinois, age on census: 9; Paul -- born Aug 1892 in Michigan, age on census: 7; Balthasar -- born Mar 1895 in Michigan, age on census: 5; Gutta (daughter) -- born Jan 1897 in Michigan, age on census: 3; Magda -- born Mar 1899 in Michigan, age on census: 1 | |||
This photo at right taken in 1905 in Berlin of Groth kin. This is the family of grandfather's brother Hartwig. We have heard that his family progeny moved from Oranienburg to Bielefeld after 1945. In photo is Hartwig Groth (first row, 2nd from left), his 7 children, and Professor Adolph Groth of Nicolassee. He actually could not be a brother since Hartwig did not have a brother named Adolph, however, he could be the son of Hartwig's father's brother, the attorney in Schwerin, the name we do not yet know, who was the other son of Friedrich Emil Groth. |
 |
|||
Resources |
||||
|
Schlösser und Burgen in Mecklenburg Vorpommern Memories of Kittendorf, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany By John Hans Groth Wikipedia on Mecklenburg-Schwerin GenWebsite for Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Germany a website with much information about about Mecklenburg Schwerin, Mecklenburg Strelitz, and Vorpommern
|
If you want to see a fascinating collection of Mecklenburg history, these documents are online:
Our country clergyman 1810-1888: biographical sketches of all the clergy's Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Google eBook)
Art and history monuments of the grand duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Volume 1 (Google eBook)
Art and history monuments of the grand duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Volume2(Google eBook)
Fritz Reuter (November 7, 1810 – July 12, 1874) born at Stavenhagen in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Emma Tarnow was a cousin of novelist Fritz Reuter; books online: Ut de Franzosentid (about the French occupation of Germany and portrays many scenes from Mecklenburg under Napoleon). In English, trans. by C.L. Lewes (1867) In the Year '13: A tale of Mecklenburg An old story of my farming days: (Ut mine stromtid) By Fritz Reuter (Google eBook) Seed-time and harvest: a novel by Fritz Reuter (Google eBook) |
|||
Return to Groth and Tarnow Genealogy Index Page
Return to Groth home page.
World wide web page photos and design ©1995 Emil Groth (My stuff, unless otherwise identified and credited)