SOUTH-AFRICA-L Archives

Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 1998-09 > 0905331366-01


From: Desre Sjoberg <>
Subject: Re: German Soldiers: WAHL, VAN EYSSEN, SMALBERGER (and LUDOLFF?)
Date: Wed, 09 Sep 1998 08:56:06 +0000


Hi Keith
I have the same problem with my many German ancestors - not a part of
my school history curricullum (and I'm a South African!). We're are
having a lecture on the German settlers in Johannesburg on 12th Sept.
If you are interested, please nag me and I will try and forward you a
copy of the info so that you can have a better background. Most of the
German Settlers came out here as part of the British-German Legion in
1857-8 with Baron von Stutterheim after the Crimean War. The whole of
the Eastern Cape has towns with names like Berlin, Stutterheim, etc.
Should you require a good map of Germany, the site http://encarta.com
is excellent. I have found towns named after family which have not
appeared on any maps I could lay my hands on.
Your "German Soldier" dates are somewhat earlier. I would imagine that
they were shipped here under the auspices of the Dutch East India
Company (VOC). Has someone been able to clarify this?

Regards
Desre Sjoberg

----------
> From: Keith Meintjes <>
> To:
> Subject: German Soldiers: WAHL, VAN EYSSEN, SMALBERGER (and
LUDOLFF?)
> Date: Fri, 28 Aug 98 00:23:13 Eastern Daylight Time
>
>Can someone please give me a short history lesson? I have noticed
that a group of my ancestors
>descended from German soldiers who came to the Cape in the 1750's:
SMALBERGER (1751),
>WAHL (1752), and VAN EYSSEN (1758). I suspect LUDOLFF may be the
same situation,
>but I don't know the date and occupation of the Ludolff stamvader.
>
>Why did they come to the Cape? What were conditions like in Germany
at the time? Any explanations
>or references will be greatly appreciated.
>
>(I notice that Jacob KRUGER was also a German soldier, arriving in
1713.)
>
>Keith Meintjes
>Waterford, MI, USA
>
>
>

This thread: