Schlagwort-Archiv: Weston-super-Mare

200. Geburtstag von Friedrich Wilhelm Baedeker

Deutschland, Geschichte, Großbritannien, Offene Brüder, , , , , , , , , , ,
baedeker
Friedrich Wilhelm Baedeker (1823–1906)

Heute vor 200 Jahren wurde der Evangelist Friedrich Wilhelm Bae­deker im westfälischen Witten an der Ruhr geboren. Mit Witten wird sein Name freilich heute kaum noch assoziiert, sondern vielmehr mit England (wo er ab 1859 seinen Hauptwohnsitz hatte und zum Glauben kam) und vor allem mit Russland (wo er ab 1876 unermüdlich evangelisierte). Die erste Biografie, die bereits im Jahr nach seinem Tod erschien, trug daher auch den Titel Dr. Baedeker and his Apostolic Work in Russia,1 und die jüngste Buchveröffentlichung über ihn, herausgegeben zum 100. Todestag 2006, stellt im Untertitel ebenfalls den Russlandmissionar heraus.2

Lebensbeschreibungen Baedekers liegen auch online in ausreichend großer Zahl vor. Ich nenne in chronologischer Reihenfolge:

Auf einen eigenen biografischen Aufguss kann ich hier daher wohl verzichten; nützlicher erscheint mir die Veröffentlichung einiger bisher unbekannter Zeitungstexte, die ich vor einigen Jahren bei meinen Recherchen im British Newspaper Archive gefunden habe.

Baedeker in englischen Zeitungen

1887 sprach Baedeker gemeinsam mit Julius Rohrbach (1852–1935)3 in seiner Heimatgemeinde Weston-super-Mare über die Evangelisationsarbeit in Deutschland:

1887-04-20 Weston-super-Mare Gazette 2 (Rohrbach, Baedeker)
Weston-super-Mare Gazette, 20. April 1887, S. 2

1898 berichtete das North Devon Journal ausführlich über einen Vortrag Baedekers in Barnstaple und verschaffte den Lesern damit einen recht guten Einblick in seine Arbeit (wegen der Länge gebe ich den Artikel in Transkription wieder):

DR. BAEDEKER AT BARNSTAPLE.

In connection with the Plymouth Brethren cause, Dr. T. [sic] W. Baedeker (a well-known Christian traveller) preached most acceptably at the Grosvenor-street Chapel, Barnstaple, on Sunday. His address in the afternoon on work in the Russian prisons and among the persecuted Stundists in Siberia was anticipated with special interest, and there was a large congregation present. At the outset Dr. Baedeker (who is about sixty five years of age4) pointed out that Russia was one-sixth part of the inhabitable world, and that it contained 146 millions of people, who spoke 128 different languages. It was a large mission field, and nearly all nations were represented among the inhabitants. There were many there who had never heard the Word of God, and there were many millions who read the Word of God and had no intelligence for it. They were bound by an outward form of religion and ceremonies, with no power to keep them from sin at all. That was just the field into which God, in His great lovingkindness, had led him during the past twenty-one years. During the first ten years he visited various parts of Russia, preaching the Gospel, as well as he was able, wherever he found willing ears. About eleven years ago he went to Finland, where there was more religious liberty than in any other part of Russia, and visited all the prisons there. He afterwards obtained permission to visit all the prisons in the Russian Empire, and to give each prisoner a Testament in his own language. The British and Foreign Bible Society issued Testaments in 180 different languages, and they sold him the books at one-quarter the price for the prisoners. In visiting Moscow he lost his pocket-book and money, but there was light in the darkness, for he obtained fresh permission to visit the prisons, whilst friends helped him financially from St. Petersburg. Since then he had visited Siberia altogether four times, and he instanced an act of noble generosity on the part of a steamboat director in allowing him to travel free of cost. He wanted people in England to have a share in this work of God. There were open doors for the Gospel among the Stundists, and with Bible reading in various languages, the Word was the power of God unto salvation. As there were thousands of wolves and bears in the country, and travelling was otherwise dangerous, he had been advised to carry a revolver for protection; but he had never done this, and had never seen a wolf or been injured in any way. It was a great joy and privilege to be allowed to speak to the prisoners. In St. Petersburg there were 1,100 prisoners, each one in his own cage; and as he spoke to each separately, it took him five days to go through the gaol. All through the way had been very marvellously and wisely opened up, and he did not know that he had done with Russia yet. The prison doors were all open, and whilst he was away friends behind were still carrying on the work. Siberia, a country only just beginning to be peopled, was very rich, and full of treasures yet to be found. The crime of the Stundists, who were simple people, consisted in not conforming to the Greek Church, which, as he had said before, was full of ceremonies without any Gospel, although it allowed the New Testament to be freely distributed. But religion, apart from the Lord, was a dead thing. There was no religion, no church, except the Lord’s. He showed that the Stundists were subjected to much persecution through faith in the New Testament. In Roumania there were two colonies of Stundists who had escaped from punishment, and they were working for the Lord, their testimony being a great power in the land. He appealed to his hearers to pray for them, and to stand by them in prayer. – The address was interspersed with many incidents and anecdotes, not the least interesting being those which showed how his prayers in his difficult work had been answered, and the wonderful dream which resulted in his being enabled to visit prisoners who had been banished on an island for life.5

Gut acht Jahre später war Baedekers Arbeit leider zu Ende. Nachdem er sich auf einer Konferenz in Clifton eine Erkältung zugezogen hatte, die zu einer Lungenentzündung führte, starb er am 9. Oktober 1906 in seinem Haus in Weston-super-Mare, 83 Jahre alt.6 Der Zeitungsbericht über die Konferenz in der Western Daily Press lässt noch nichts davon ahnen:

1906-10-03 The Western Daily Press 5 Items of Local News (Clifton conference)
The Western Daily Press, 3. Oktober 1906, S. 5, Items of Local News

Acht Tage danach musste die Zeitung jedoch Baedekers Tod melden (das angegebene Geburtsjahr ist natürlich falsch):

1906-10-11 The Western Daily Press 3 (Baedeker)
The Western Daily Press, 11. Oktober 1906, S. 3

Der Manchester Courier fasste die Nachricht etwas kürzer:

1906-10-11 The Manchester Courier 8 Obituary (Baedeker)
The Manchester Courier, 11. Oktober 1906, S. 8, Obituary

Die Bath Chronicle schließlich brachte folgenden freundlichen Nachruf:

1906-10-18 The Bath Chronicle 5 (Baedeker)
The Bath Chronicle, 18. Oktober 1906, S. 5

Einen Monat später wusste die Western Daily Press sogar noch den Wert von Baedekers Nachlass zu berichten:

1906-11-22 The Western Daily Press 6 Local Wills (Baedeker)
The Western Daily Press, 22. November 1906, S. 6, Local Wills

Nach heutiger Kaufkraft entspräche dies immerhin £ 194.800 oder mehr.7

Baedeker in Deutschland

Aus deutscher Sicht interessant (und wenig bekannt) sind noch die zahlreichen Berichte in der Missionszeitschrift Echoes of Service über Baedekers Deutschlandreisen. Auf dem Weg von England nach Russland und zurück war Deutschland eine nahezu unvermeidliche Zwischenstation, aber Baedeker besuchte wiederholt auch Städte, die abseits der üblichen Route lagen, oder unternahm regelrechte Rundreisen. Im Einzelnen werden erwähnt:8

  • 1877: Berlin
  • 1878: Karlsruhe
  • 1880: Hückeswagen, Wermelskirchen
  • 1881: Berlin, Lübeck, Hamburg, Schleswig, Düsseldorf, Dresden
  • 1883–1886: fünfmal Berlin
  • 1888: Karlsruhe, Wiesbaden, Berlin, Hattingen, Witten, Blankenburg, [Bad] Homburg9
  • 1889: Berlin
  • 1890: Düsseldorf, Wiesbaden, Berlin
  • 1891: Berlin, Frankfurt, [Bad] Homburg
  • 1893: Süddeutschland
  • 1894: Berlin, Frankfurt und andere Städte
  • 1895: Berlin, Frankfurt, [Bad] Homburg, Darmstadt, Heidelberg, Stuttgart
  • 1896: Berlin, Leipzig, Blankenburg, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Neukirchen
  • 1897: Blankenburg, Gotha, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Berlin
  • 1898: Berlin, Blankenburg, Dortmund, Düsseldorf
  • 1900: Berlin, Blankenburg, Baden, Wiesbaden, Frankfurt
  • 1901: Hamburg, Berlin, Görlitz
  • 1903: Süddeutschland, Blankenburg
  • 1905: Süddeutschland

Alle diese Berichte können in der Anthologie Early Open Brethren in the German-Speaking Countries nachgelesen werden, die ich 2018 für bruederbewegung.de zusammengestellt habe.

200. Geburtstag von Lord Cavan

Geschichte, Großbritannien, Offene Brüder, , , , , , , ,
Frederick John William Lambart, 8th Earl of Cavan

Frederick John William Lambart, der 8. Earl of Cavan, gehört ähnlich wie George Frederic Trench oder Henry Heath zu den hierzulande weniger bekannten „Chief Men“ der britisch-irischen Offenen Brüder. Er wurde heute vor 200 Jahren in Fawley (Hampshire) an der Südküste Englands geboren.

Lambarts Eltern waren George Lambart, Viscount Kilcoursie, der älteste überlebende Sohn des 7. Earl of Cavan, und seine Frau Sarah geb. Coppin. Beide starben früh – die Mutter 1823 und der Vater 1828 –, sodass Frederick bereits mit 13 Jahren Vollwaise war. Von 1829 bis 1833 besuchte er die bekannte Eliteschule in Eton, anschließend trat er ins 7. Dragonerregiment ein, das damals in Irland stationiert war. In Dublin besorgte er sich 1835 zum ersten Mal in seinem Leben eine Bibel.

1837 starb Fredericks Großvater Richard Lambart, der 7. Earl of Cavan. Da sein Sohn George, der eigentliche Anwärter auf den Titel des 8. Earl,1 ebenfalls schon verstorben war, ging der Titel direkt auf den knapp 22-jährigen Enkel Frederick über. Acht Monate später heiratete dieser in London die 21-jährige Caroline Augusta Littleton, eine Tochter des Politikers Edward John Littleton, 1. Baron Hatherton.2 Die beiden bekamen mindestens acht Kinder, von denen allerdings drei früh starben.3

Von 1839 bis 1844 hielten sich die Cavans vorwiegend auf dem europäischen Kontinent auf; einen Winter verbrachten sie in Frankfurt, einen Sommer in Bad Ems, danach zwei Jahre in München. Hier begann Lord Cavan, angeregt u.a. durch einen Brief seines Schwagers Charles Evelyn Pierrepont, Viscount Newark, mit einem systematischen Studium der Bibel. Zurück in England, schloss er sich den „Brüdern“ an, denen er bis zu seinem Lebensende verbunden blieb (nach 1848 den Offenen Brüdern). 1846 war er an der Gründung der Evangelischen Allianz beteiligt.

Ab 1864 sah sich Lord Cavan zunehmend in den Predigt- und Evangelisationsdienst berufen. Sein Biograf in Chief Men among the Brethren beschreibt seinen Predigtstil wie folgt:

Quiet in manner, with little action, and no attempt to seem a striking preacher, with his Bible in one hand and his eyeglass in the other, confidence in the Lord gave power to what he spoke. “I am,” he would say, “only a plain man; but I speak what I know.” He might begin without giving the impression of much power; but after a little, with his heart yearning over those he addressed, his tender manner became full of energy, his tones earnest, and his words very solemn. The true end of preaching was reached; his hearers felt that, whether for life of death, Lord Cavan’ s testimony was a message from God.4

1866 lud Lord Cavan, der seit 1860 in Weston-super-Mare wohnte, den Evangelisten Lord Radstock (1833–1913) zum Predigen dorthin ein. Es entstand eine kleine Erweckung, bei der u.a. Friedrich Wilhelm Baedeker (1823–1906) zum Glauben kam. Besonders am Herzen lag dem Ehepaar Cavan auch der Nachbarort Milton (heute ein Stadtteil von Weston); hier kümmerten sie sich finanziell um die Armen, und Lord Cavan ließ einen Missionssaal errichten, in dem er selbst oft predigte. Karitativ engagierte er sich ferner auf der irischen Insel Achill, wo er ein Anwesen besaß.

Am 16. Dezember 1887, genau zwei Wochen vor seinem 72. Geburtstag, erlag Lord Cavan in seinem Haus in Weston-super-Mare einer Bronchitis. Über seine Beerdigung am 22. Dezember berichtete der Taunton Courier:

The mortal remains of the late Lord Cavan were interred in the Weston-super-Mare cemetery on Thursday, in the presence of a large concourse of spectators. At 11.30 a.m a short service was held in the Lodge – the residence of deceased – at the conclusion of which the cortège was formed in the following order: – First came the coffin – which was of polished oak with handsome bras [sic] fittings – on which were deposited several handsome floral tributes. Then followed, on foot, the subjoined mourners: Lord Kilcoursie, M.P. (eldest son), Col. the Hon. Oliver Lambert (brother of deceased), Capt. the Hon. A. Lambert (youngest son), Col. Slanden (son.in-law [sic]), the Hon. R. Lambert (Lord Kilcoursie’s eldest son), Col. the Hon. E. Littleton and the Hon. W. Littleton (nephews of the Countess Cavan), Mr Bowens, London (nephew of Lord Cavan), Capt. Broughton (Ampthill), and Mr Nisbet solicitor, London). Next in the procession came several ladies and the servants of the Lodge, all carrying choice wreaths, and these were followed by a large number of the clergy and gentlemen of the town and neighbourhood. In the cemetery chapel a short service was held, in which Mr T. Newbery and Mr A. Rainey took part. Subsequently, at the graveside, Dr Baedeker, Mr Newbury, and the Rev. Colin Campbell (vicar of Christ church), concluded the service, among the spectators of the mournful ceremony being the tenantry of the deceased from Glastonbury and Cannington, Rev. Preb, [sic] Stephenson (Lympsham), Rev. W. H. Turner (Banwell), Mr W. Hurman [Mayor of Bridgwa er [sic]), Mr F. J. Thomson (Bridgwater), Mr B. P. Thomas (Clifton), Capt. West (Clifton), Bev. [sic] J. Ormiston (Bristol), &c. The site of the interment is alongside the graves of three of deceased’s sons, all of whom died in their youth[.] As a mark of respect to the memory of deceased, the prinioal [sic] places of business throughout the town were partially closed during the hour of interment; the Uuion [sic] Jack was flcated [sic] at half-mast on the tower of the parish church, and a muffled peal was rung on the bells of the same parochial edifice.5

Das Lebensbild Lord Cavans aus Chief Men among the Brethren ist online zugänglich, enthält allerdings mehr fromme Redewendungen als konkrete Fakten; informativer ist der Artikel in der englischsprachigen Wikipedia.