Joachim Matthias Wendt (1830-1917)

Joachim Matthias Wendt, born in the Duchy of Holstein, was was an important jeweller, goldsmith and watchmaker in South Australia.

Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Eggers
Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Eggers
Born	Karl Friedrich Wilhelm Eggers 1815 Duchy of Brunswick
Died	30 January 1882 Adelaide, South Australia
Resting place	West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia
Nationality	Brunswicker (1815-1851 British(1851-1882
Occupation	Printer, Journalist
Spouse(s)	Henriette Roennfeldt (married 1850 Adelaide, South Australia

Biography

Author: Rita Bogna and Ben Hollister

(A version was originally published in 2018 at Burial and Cremation in South Australia. Used by permission of the author. All text and images are copyright unless otherwise indicated)

Joachim Matthias Wendt was born in 1830 at Dägeling, near Itzehoe, in the Duchy of Holstein. His father was a smith and his mother died when Wendt was 9 years old. Following his mother's death, Wendt was raised by his two sisters and his father and was apprenticed as a silversmith and watchmaker.

In South Australia

Excited by the news of the Australian gold rushes, and unhappy with the political upheaval in his homeland, he migrated to Adelaide in 1854, and soon opened his first jewelers shop in Pirie Street, although the Adelaide Council Assessment Books do not record him there . He was ambitious and skillful, and soon moved his premises to a more prominent position in Rundle Street in 1856, first at number 68, then 84 in 1861 and finally number 70 in 1874, a site that the firm would occupy for over a century.

Wendt produced not only jewelry, but ornate table centerpieces and desk accessories. His intricate silverwork included many natural Australian scenes, which often incorporated emu eggs in their design. He produced silver presentation caskets for Prince Alfred and the Duke of York (later King George V), and was appointed “Jeweler to His Royal Highness”. His work was first shown overseas in London in 1862, and was exhibited world-wide by the end of the century, earning him many awards. For a period of time his chief designer was Julius Schomburgk.

His business expanded steadily, until it became one of the largest and best known in Australia. In 1869 he opened a branch in Mount Gambier, and with the rise of the Broken Hill silver fields, another branch was opened there. An astute businessman, he was part of the syndicate which developed the Adelaide Arcade (which he eventually owned), and the Theatre Royal in Hindley Street.

Wendt retired in 1903, and management of the business was taken over by his son Julius Wendt, and stepson Hermann Koeppen-Wendt. He often claimed that he was Danish rather than German as, until 1848, Holstein had been directly ruled by the King of Denmark who was also the Duke of Holstein. In fact the country was a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation from 1471 – 1806, and the German Confederation from 1815 – 1864. Holsteiners were ethnically German, speaking a dialect of Plattdeutsch or Low German.

Joachim Matthias Wendt died on 7 September 1917 at the age of 87, and was buried in Plot 2187, Path 7 North. Under the care of his family, his business thrived for almost 80 years after his death.

Family

Wendt married married the widow Johanna Maria Caroline Koeppen, née Ohlmeyer. They had the following children:

• Julius Matthias (1 March 1871 – )
• Alice Louise Emilie (25 May 1873 – )
• Margarethe Hermine (28 April 1875 -

In addition Wendt adopted the 4 children of his wife's first marriage:

• Clara Emilie (15 April 1858 - )
• Carl Hermann (known as Hermann or Hermann Carl)(24 July 1860 - )

Residences in the City

Dates	Place	Current Address	Co-ordinates

Work in the City

Dates	Place	Current Address	Co-ordinates

Published Obituary

From Australische Zeitung Tuesday 31 January 1882:

Todesfall

Herr W. Eggers, früherer langjähriger Besitzer und Herausgeber der "Adelaider Deutschen Zeitung", starb nach längerem Krankheit am Schlagflusse Sonntag Nacht. Gott tröste die Hinterlassenen! Friede sei mit ihm!

[Death - Mr. W. Eggers, formerly the longstanding owner and editor of the "Adelaide German News", died of a stroke on Sunday night after a long illness. God comfort those left behind! Peace be with him!]

From The Advertiser Friday 3 February 1882:

News of the Fortnight

It is with regret we announce the death of Mr. William Eggers, who was for some years editor and proprietor of the South Australian Deutsche Zeitung, and was since then a contributor up to the time of his death to the English press of Adelaide. He was a colonist of thirty-two years' standing, and during almost his whole career in South Australia was connected with newspaper work, having been employed on the Register for some years before be started the Zeitung. The deceased gentleman was a man of considerable attainments, and was held in great esteem by his countrymen and by all who knew him.

He leaves a widow, a widowed daughter, and a grandchild. His death was caused by a paralytic stroke, which was not the first from which he had suffered.

From The Adelaide Observer Saturday 4 February 1882:

DEATH OF MR. K. F. W. EGGERS

We regret to notify the death of Mr. Wm. K. F. Eggers .the well-known German journalist. Mr. Eggers has been connected with the Press in one capacity or another ever since he arrived in the colony from London in the year 1848. While resident in London he was employed on German works in the establishments of Messrs. Clowes and Gilbert and Rivington's; and soon after his arrival in Adelaide was engaged in Mr. Dehane's printing-office, King William-street, which he left about the time of the discovery of gold in Victoria, joining the mechanical department of the Register and Observer offices, where he remained until he started the Sud Australische Deutsche Zeitung, the first newspaper printed in German in the colony. Of this he was for some years the sole proprietor, but afterwards took as a partner Mr. Eimer, subsequently retiring from the firm himself. Mr. Eggers was born in Brunswick in 1815, and was the son of a medical man. He received a University education and was a man of literary tastes and culture, has since contributed largely to the columns of the English Press of this colony, chiefly on Continental matters, and has printed the Kirchenbote., a religious Publication issued in the interests of the Lutheran Church, besides editing and publishing the "Deutsche Kalendar." Although of late years Mr. Eggers has ceased to take an active interest m public affairs, he formerly associated himself with others. In all matters connected with his German fellow colonists, by whom, as well as by all who knew him, he was greatly respected for his honourable and genuine character. He was a thorough German at heart, and often defended his fatherland against attacks appearing in the press. Mr. Eggers had been the subject of two paralytic strokes in times past, and died from the effects of a third early on Monday. He leaves a widow and one married daughter, Mrs. J. Loessel, also a widow, and one grandchild. The funeral took place in the West-terrace Cemetery on Tuesday afternoon, and was followed, by a large number of the leading citizens and colonists, German and English, with whom the deceased gentleman had established terms of friendship during his long, useful career. Among those who attended the funeral were Messrs. C. Eggers (nephew of deceased), G. Eimer, F. Basedow, M.P., A. von Treuer, J.P., C. Putt mann, A. Kauffmann, R. Homburg, A. Witt, A. Tilemann, C. L. Meyer, J. W. Sudholz, F. Sudholz, H. Heuzenroeder, W. Vosz, F. Sonnemann, B. Noltenius, S. Schmidt, W. von Trotha, J. J. May, W. and H. Kindermann, H. Schmidt, E. Pustkuchen, W. Nitschke, F. Gaetjens, D. Mahncke, G. C. Schedlich, J. M. Wendt, Dr. Schomburgk, also Messrs. R. K. Thomas and C. Day (proprietors of the Register), T. W. Harris, W. Bednall, George Wilson, S. J. Skipper, H. Hele, and S. J. Whitmore. The service was conducted by the Rev. A. Strempel in German.

External links

1. Eggers, Karl Friedrich Wilhelm (1815–1882), Australian Dictionary of Biography