View source for Bernhard Amsberg (1827-1902)

'''Bernhard Amsberg (c. 1827 - 19 October 1902)''' was a merchant from Hamburg who ran a successful import/export business in Adelaide and was the Consul in South Australia for both the Free City of Hamburg and the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg.

{{Infobox person
 | name          = Bernhard Amsberg
 | image         = <!--[[File:’File_name’.jpg|200px|center]]-->
 | alt           = <!-- descriptive text for use by speech synthesis (text-to-speech) software -->
 | caption       = <!-- caption for image-->
 | birth_name    = <!-- name at birth or baptism as recorded on official documents-->
 | birth_date    = c. 1827
 | birth_place   = Malchin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg
 | death_date    = 19 October 1902
 | death_place   = Adelaide, South Australia
 | nationality   = {{unbulleted list|Mecklenburger|Hamburger|British|}}
 | other_names   = {{unbulleted list|Benjamin Amsberg}}
 | occupation    = {{unbulleted list|Merchant|Consul}}
 | resting_place   = Jewish Section, West Terrace Cemetery, Adelaide, South Australia
 | spouse          = {{unbulleted list|1. [[Elizabeth Amsberg(1846-1893)|Elizabeth (1846-1893)]]}}
}}
==Biography==
Created by [[Benjamin Hollister]] and made available under [[wikipedia:Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_Attribution-ShareAlike_3.0_Unported_License|Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0]].

Bernhard was one of five members of the [[Amsberg family|Amsbergs]] to migrate to South Australia. During his time in South Australia he created the successful B. Amsberg and Co company, acting as freight and passage agents as well as importing and exporting directly, and was appointed the firstly the consul for Hamburg and the for the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg, positions he held until German unification in 1871. 

=== In Germany ===
Little is know of the the Amsbergs in Hamburg or Mecklenburg. Bernhard, or more likely Benjamin, was born in about 1827 to a Jewish family in Malchin in Mecklenburg, and had at least one brother living and working in Hamburg, Julius, who acted as an agent for B. Amsberg and Co, as well as at least three sisters in Hamburg.<ref name=":0">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195937267 |title=SUPREME COURT—CIVIL SIDE. |newspaper=[[South Australian Gazette And Mining Journal]]  |volume=IV, |issue=202  |location=South Australia |date=10 March 1849 |accessdate=11 October 2023 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195939952 |title=Tuesday, May 15, 1850. |newspaper=[[South Australian Gazette And Mining Journal]]  |volume=V, |issue=324  |location=South Australia |date=16 May 1850 |accessdate=11 October 2023 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38459409 |title=Advertising |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]]  |volume=XVII, |issue=2052  |location=South Australia |date=13 April 1853 |accessdate=11 October 2023 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> A Julius is listed in the Hamburg address-books for during the 1840s as are an H.S., J.P.J and K.J. Amsberg.<ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |date=1848 |title=Hamburgisches Adress-Buch für 1848 |url=https://agora.sub.uni-hamburg.de/subhh-adress/digbib/biblio?did=c1:485926&sdid=c1:485966&p=84 |url-status= |location=Hamburg |publisher=Hermann |isbn= |archive-url=https://agora.sub.uni-hamburg.de |archive-date=2015|page=Personen- und Firmenverzeichnis Alphabetteil Alexander, pg. 4.}}</ref> In 1848,  Benjamin travelled with his sisters Rose and Frederica to South Australia aboard the [[Victoria (barque)|Victoria]], leaving Hamburg on 15th June 1848. <ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48726443 |title=Advertising |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]]  |volume=XII, |issue=889  |location=South Australia |date=22 November 1848 |accessdate=11 October 2023 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

=== In Australia ===
The siblings landed at Port Adelaide on 6 November 1848, after a voyage of almost 5 months, and by mid December Benjamin had established the business B. Amsberg and Co, opening a millinery and haberdashery shop in Rundle Street, indicating he had migrated with significant resources, and probably in partnership with his families businesses in Hamburg. <ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48727452 |title=Advertising |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]]  |volume=XII, |issue=894  |location=South Australia |date=9 December 1848 |accessdate=11 October 2023 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The trio of siblings soon found their family in Australia and Hamburg being discussed in public in relation to a civil suit brought by a a fellow Hamburg merchant and passenger on the Victoria by the name of Abraham in February 1849.<ref name=":0" /> Involving a convoluted transaction between Benjamin's brother Julius acting as a guarantor for goods being sent by Abraham to Adelaide, and the apparent refusal of the three Amsberg siblings to release the goods to Abraham's stepfather in Adelaide, the case cost Benjamin £35. Further pressure was placed on the new business in July 1849 when the absconding of James Newbery, insolvent grocer of Rundle Street, left Benjamin as a creditor to the sum of £45/7/7, followed by . Neither of these financial setbacks appear to have significantly affected Benjamin's business, and advertisements for his establishment, known as Hamburg House, on the northern side of Rundle Street between Stephens Place and King William Street, offered a larger and larger array of goods imported from Germany, England, France and elsewhere. <ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article195938827 |title=Advertising |newspaper=[[South Australian Gazette And Mining Journal]]  |volume=V, |issue=272  |location=South Australia |date=15 November 1849 |accessdate=11 October 2023 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71625036 |title=Advertising |newspaper=[[South Australian]]  |volume=XII, |issue=1096  |location=South Australia |date=9 November 1849 |accessdate=11 October 2023 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>  

Benjamin continued his drapery business at Hamburg House until 1851 when his sister Frederica married Julius Michael Amsberg, a fellow Hamburger and probable cousin, in April and Benjamin and Rose returned to Europe in May, resulting in a whole new civil case regarding seaworthiness of ships and recovery of fees paid. Hamburg House was formally passed to L. Roach in September 1851and Benjamin, now known as Bernhard or Bernard, returned to South Australia aboard the [[Alfred (barque)|Alfred]] in October 1852.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38434422 |title=Advertising |newspaper=[[South Australian Register]]  |volume=XV, |issue=1534  |location=South Australia |date=16 September 1851 |accessdate=11 October 2023 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

==== B. Amsberg & Co ====

==== Honorary Consul ====
During his time in Europe when accompanying his sister Rose home, Bernhard appears to have approached the government of Hamburg to act act as their Consul in South Australia. This was formalised by the acceptance of the appointment by the British Government in March 1853, with the appointment documented in South Australia in August of the same year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article158094597 |title=CONSUL FOR HAMBURG. |newspaper=[[Adelaide Observer]]  |volume=XI, |issue=528  |location=South Australia |date=6 August 1853 |accessdate=12 October 2023 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In August 1855, it was further published that Bernard had been appointed the Consul for the Garnd Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, his country of birth.

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==Family==

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==Published Obituary==

<!-- From the Advertiser, Wednesday 4 September 1907:
<blockquote> Personal<p>
The death occurred at Cologne recently of Mr. Otto Boettger, the well-known Adelaide , optician and instrument-maker. The deceased, who was 65 years of age, was born in Elberfeldt, Germany, and came out to Australia in 1877. He had previously conducted a large business in St. Petersburg, but the venture not proving successful he determined to emigrate to Adelaide. His first engagement was with Mr. Dobbie cleaning old keys and repairing machinery. Starting in business for himself, his great knowledge of surveying and engineering instruments led the Government to place all their work in this department in his hands, and the results proved eminently satisfactory. About 10 years ago the business in Flinders-street was transferred to Mr. G. C. Kohler,  who was an apprentice of Mr. Boettger's at one time, and had been with him nearly 30 years. Mr. and Mrs. Boettger then returned to Germany to spend the remainder of their lives in retirement. The deceased left no family. <ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article5089989 |title=PERSONAL. |newspaper=[[The Advertiser]]  |volume=L, |issue=15,251  |location=South Australia |date=4 September 1907 |accessdate=27 September 2023 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref></blockquote> -->


 <!-- From the Observer, Saturday 7 September 1907:<p><blockquote> Obituaries of the Week<p>
Mr. Otto Boettger<p>
Mr. Otto Boettger,-the well-known optician and scientific instrument .maker, of Flinders street, died, recently at Cologne. Born at Elberfeldt, Rhine, Germany, in 1842, he entered the technical school of that city at the age of 10, and when 14 was apprenticed to an instrument maker, with whom he remained for four years. He then went to Berlin, and in 1863 joined the artillery branch of the Prussian Army from which he was transferred to the engineers corps. Three years later he secured a position as foreman in an establishment at St. Petersburg, and retained the post for five years. When the Franco-Prussian war broke out in 1870 he was called upon to fight in the Prussian Army. At the close of the war he returned to Russia, whence, in 1872, he proceeded to Berlin and Hamburg. From the latter city he came to South Australia, and arrived at Port Adelaide on June 25, 1877. After he had spent some time in the employment of Mr. Dobbie, he began business on his own-account, and advanced rapidly. Owing to his thorough and practical acquaintance with surveying and engineering instruments the Government gave him all its fine scientific instrument work, and Mr. Boettger also executed many orders for intricate scientific mechanism for savants in the other States and New Zealand. At one time he was the recognised instrument maker to the Queensland Meteorological Department. About 10 years ago Mr. Boettger sold the business in Flinders street, which has since been carried on under the old denomination, and returned with his wife to the Fatherland to spend his declining years. <ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article163168256 |title=OBITUARIES OF THE WEEK |newspaper=[[Observer]]  |volume=LXIV, |issue=3,440  |location=South Australia |date=7 September 1907 |accessdate=27 September 2023 |page=38 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref></blockquote> -->

==Photo gallery==
<gallery mode="nolines" widths="250" heights="250">
<!—-File:Boettger's SLSA B-1804.jpeg|Boettger's Observatory House [SLSA B-1804]—->
<!—-File:Boettger's SLSA B-2719.jpeg|Boettger's Observatory House [SLSA B-2719]—->
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amsberg, Bernhard}}
[[Category:Individual]]
[[Category:South Adelaide residents]]
[[Category:Jewish]]
[[Category:Draper]]
[[Category:Consul]]
[[Category:1848 Victoria voyage]]
[[Category:Hamburg citizens]]
[[Category:Mecklenburg-Schwerin citizens]]
[[Category:United Ancient Order of Druids]]
[[Category:Alfred 1852 voyage]]