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Frisian Roundtafcle
Table of contents from autumn 1975 through Vol.**, No.8, 1980
A. General Subjects
Introduction
v Frisians in Early New York
Purpose of FRT
Friesland
Frisian Values,Jens Ualden and his Son,by Henry
Was it Adventure, was it Opportunity?
Vj/lin Silun Feer
Good News from Home, the Dikes held
The North Frisian Island of Heligoland, by Henry Barts
Incertum Quo Fata Ferunt
^Frisians in the History of the US, by Dr.. F. Paultfen
The Cautious and the Careless
Between the 3rd Golden Age and the Gold Rush
Here and there, Danger lurket everywhere
£o"l rien Confirmation in St. Joh^nnis ?7
Y Age and Origin of the Frisian Islands 33
Order or Disorder with the Sword? 37
Martini, a Day of Clearance 3®
Julf Christmas 39
Help and Gratitude 39
Christmas Season on Heligoland, by Henry Barts ^0
The beautifully decorated Christmas Tree H
A frightning Radio Report ^2
Biiker's Inj 50
Simple Navigation ^ 53
Spring is in the Making * 5^
Thoughts on Mother's Day . 56
Borigsem Borig, Lembecksburg 61,70,77t88
A Skeleton in the Ojr^o&rd 63
Mare Frisium "3
Harro Harring,the Dream and the Man, by Henry Barts 71t75f&3v85
How Times have changed 73
The Foehingers in Retrospect, by Qelte Behrsnds ?°
Greetings from Oomram 89
Frisians, Ethnicity, and America, by Dr. 0> Droege ?O?i97rlO94115;i2O,
12
Who says Pidder Lung is Dead? by Jans Shristensen 95
A. General Subjects
An Appraisal of Friesland and the Frisian People 101
Florida and Little Florida 103
They never came back 112
The Month of February Q<£&
The Time is Right, the Time is Ripe 119
Our Part in a Protest against Hi-Risers 141
A warm Welcome, and a moving Fare-well 146
An extra-ordinary Silver Wedding for an ordinary Couple 147
Three valid Reasons for Celebrating 154
The History of our Islander's Club 155
Legends and Facts 158,160,173
The Snowstorm turned out to be a Blessing 164
Bits of Island News l82
^Introducing the Frisians, by Henry Barts 179
Death Statistics of 1774 from the St. Nickolai church 182
The Kui l85
Min Eilun Sol, my Island Sylt 189
Flying High and Fast *93
B. Stories about Individuals (Their Names in Parenthesis)
( Conrad Boysen) *°
Another Immigrant's Experience (Ruulew Flor) 16
( Jong Goentje) 21
( Detlef Bronk) 22
A Letter from Petaluma ( Dine Fetersen.nee Feddersen ) 24
Jake the Cowboy ( Jacob Martens ) 35t 176
An Honorary Subscription ( Tim Parker ) „ .46
Holiday on Ice ( Susan Chasteen ) , 78
Jens is doing well ( Jens Jacob Eschels ) 50
The Steamship "OevenunT ( Andresen and Ernst Ketels ) 53
Her Dream came true ( Susan Chasteen ) 78
Visiting Relatives in Chicago ( Hein Simonsen ) 80
A Letter from Rev. Nissen ( Conrad Nissen ) 85
He denied his Own a Burial at Sea (Riewert Ketel{^V.^Quedens } 92
Sierks Lane ( John Sierks) 93t94
Three Generations on a Pilgrimage ( George Faltings ) 98
The Great Commander ( Cpt. Boy Petersen ) 11Ur
He was not among them ( Tjiddl or Ketel Harken ) I26
B. Storios about Individuals' " '
Reliving the last 100 Years ( With Goentje Flor ) 127
An unforgettable Journey ( Hans Christian Andersen ) 132
A Letter to his Son in America ( Julius Roluffs ) 137
A Rank and Honor well deserved ( Eddy Petersen ) I'M)
More about the Froddens ^
Experiences of a Frisian in South America (Fritz Kersten) 151
From the Memoirs of ( Nickels Gerret Ricklefs ) 156, 162, 168
Family Reunion in Chicago ( Simonsen-Behrends ) ^
Goos Cemetery, Goosport, Goos Mill ( Cpt. Daniel Goos ) 170
An Unexpected Visitor ( Dr. and Mrs. F. Paulsen ) 175
The "Peking" ( Henry Hinrichsen and Ernst Ketels ) 177
American-born Visitors (Mr. and Mrs.George halting with
daughter and granddaughter,Carl & Elsa Braren) 182
1 R^
More on the Froddens in Chile
At the Edge of a Tornado ( Rita Hansen ) 18?
Return of Happy Wanderers (Chris Arfsten, Susan Lorenzen.
Ingwert Juergens ; loo
rC.
Special Editions
Hark Olufs
Mutiny on the "Braganza" *
Experiences of Newton Peters in America
The Frisian Congress of 1979
D. Our Own little Hall of Fame
Volkert Bohn
Boh Nickelsen, Cornelius Kroon, Haye Laurens ^5
Lucky Matthias, Matthias Petersen , 7
116
Oluf Braren
E. Bright Savings from our own Youngsters 122, 159,
F. Poems
Nu faar wel, min leew stal taarep 2"
As't ens me mi forbi
Woss. Nu wurd a eekern waller green
Der Konig und der Kapitan
Ju maad ei muar
G. flnlden Wedding Anniversaries
John Detlefsen and Julie, nee Ketelsen 10°
^Christian Simonsen and Inge, nee Nickelsen 10°
1 Henry Behrends and Ida, nee Rindfleisch 10°
Max Frudden and Ingke, nee Roeloffs 136
H. Obituaries
Henry Petersen
Bernhard Rickmers
Boy Bohn ^
Ocke Braren
Peter Paulsen
62
Broder Braren
63
Simon A. Jacobs
r Frodden
Carlos Frodden Lorenzen, Chile
Hinrich Hinrichsen
Dr. Lorenz Hansen *"'
103
Goentje Braren, nee Ketelsen
103
Ingwert Juergens
Dr. Asmus Schmidt-Petersen
108
Christian Simonsen
Rev. Conrad Nissen
Eric Kristensen
120
Christian Riewerts,jun.
Jose Roeloffs, nee Matzen
Roerd C. Matzen
Max Rath3e .
John P. Ketelsen • *
Bernhard R. Rickmers
JFRISIAN ROUNDTABLE
3&k Mhedekoatum ofithjp.£fhiMani S&aarn.
BY AND FOR FRISIANS AND FRIENDS OF FRIESLAND
Autumn, 1975
The Frisian Roundtable - our modest little newsletter - makes
with this issue its first strides into the world. Hopefully
it will for us, who live outside and often completely cut off
from Friesland and from each other, become the meeting place
where we can chat with each other in a friendly, honest, straight
forward way about things and thoughts close to our heart and
inner self, which we would have otherwise to bottle up inside,
there just isn't anybody to talk to.
Even at home, Frisians were driven by circumstances and force,
first geographically and consequently mentally, into isolation,
but nevertheless, in spite of oftentimes severe pressures from
alien centralized governments, we have clung to our customs and
manners.
However, customs and manners are not the source for the human
frame of mind, but its expression. And yet, even with such limi
tations, the unique atmosphere of living, wherever there is a
concentration of Frisians, the harmony, the *iharm, the tolerance,
justice and reason, has brought many a non-Frisian as a friend
into the Frisian family. Thus proving to us, that the values in
our heritage are by no means of a minor order.
But in the long run identity cannot survive, if the awareness
of one's own self is not based on knowledge. Amiable sentiments
f^are fine - and may even be durable - if there would be no outside
"~ world to interfere, pressuring us into the conformity of un
distinguished masses, Unfortunately there is, and the demands
we are confronted with to withstand these pressures are threefold.
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First we have, like Lazarus, to rise from our psychological
ck-bed of loosing identity. (A process which has already made
some progress)• Secondly we have to learn not only to live with
a Frisian identity, that has been done before, but to change it
from a sort of liability lacking social status, to an asset by
making it the basis for personal success and a meaningful life.
Even in isolation and as a single individual we must not be
afraid to rise above pressuring masses, just as the string of
Frisian Islands is not afraid to rise above the raging North Sea.
This, of coursef requires a deep-rooted faith in the worldfs
unceasing need for many of the values embedded in our heritage,
something that cannot be revived and stay alive without a thorough
knowledge of history, particularly the events which formed our
soul and consequently our national character, whose very existence
we find today already more often denied than acknowledged.
But only knowing is not enough, also to recognize its value is
not enough - to live it - and to pass it on to our children -
even in isolation - that is the Frisian Legacy,
Frisians in Early New York: Tens of thousands of motorists enter
Manhattan daily over the Third Avenue Bridge or leave it over the
Willis Avenue Bridge. Very few of them are aware of the fact that
they are crossing the site of the first European settlement north
of the Harlem River. It is also the site of Jonas Bronckfs farm,
which he named Emmaus, after the village where, according to the
Bible, the risen Christ first appeared to His disciples. The farm
house, east of the Third Avenue Bridge at trie foot of Lincoln
Avenue, bore the Bronck family motto, "Yield not to evil.1'
Jonas Bronck was a remarkable man. The son of a Danish Lutheran
pastor, he was born in Copenhagen but spent most of his youth in
the Faroe Islands, to which his father had been transferred.
Later Jonas became influential in shipping circles in Holland, and
was able to acquire ownership of a shipping vessel.
The name choosen for his farm, his. family motto, and the selection
of a name for his ship are indicative of the nature of this man.
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He named his ship De Brand van Trogen reminiscent of the Fire of
ov. It may be recalled that after the fall of ancient Troy
survivors sailed westward and founded the city of Rome.
Mindful of his mission, the establishment of a new settlement in
the New World, Bronck, too, sailed westward, not with survivors of
a fire but with survivors of a devastating tide.
It was the tide, so well known in Frisian history, that destroyed
Old Nordstrand in 163*+ with a loss of lives estimated at 7000-8000.
Dr. Frederick Paulsen, Alkersum/Foehr, has traced the passengers of
De Brand van Trogen to the Frisian mainland in the area of Husum
where most of the survivors of that tide had found refuge.
Our Roundtable has been designed mainly for Frisians overseas
particularly those living in the U.S.A. Many Frisian-Americans
have expressed the need for such a publication. We hope it will
Jfering about an awareness of our participation in the development of
v .iis country. Our contributions may have been insignificant, yet,
some of the well known American families can trace their ancestry
back to Frisian immigrants. Each of the three parts of Greater
Friesland has had, at least, one of its members in high government
positions\ Peter Stuyvesant, Governor of New Amsterdam, a West
Frisian? U.S. Senator Arfst Fruedden, a North Frisian; U.S.
Senator Everet Dirkson, an East Frisian.
The timing for the issuing of this first bulletin coincides very
appropiatly with the approaching Bicentennial "celebrations. Our
ever so small ethnic group has ample reason Ho join.
The relatively massive immigration of our people to the U.S. started
with the Gold Rush in 18*4-8. Many of these newcomers have gone thru
interesting experiences, pleasant or unpleasant. With our next issue
we shall begin printing stories about them. If a reader has any
such story, we would appreciate having them sent to: Henry Barts,
Chestnut Street, East Orange, New Jersey 0?018; or« R.C. Ketelsen,
2885 Roosevelt Avenue, Bronx, N.Y. 10*4-65.
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FRISIAN ROUNDTABLE
BY AND FFOR FRISIANS AND FRIENDS OF FRIESLAND
Late Autumn* 1975
/
Frieslandi/ The theory of an ancient Friesland, extending distantly
into the a^ea now covered by the North Sea, may be fairly far-fetched
even though traces of towns have been discovered in the shallow waters
close to contemporary coastlines. Perhaps beneath its treacherous waves
and powerful» turbulent currents the North Sea is preserving evidence
of other settlements for future discovery.
There is no single, unified nation by the name of Friesland des
pite an -effort to maintain a Frisian identity and character. Each of
the three areas now known as Friesland (West Friesland, East Friesland,
and North Friesland) has had its own experience on the chessboard of
^t
European politics.
West Friesland, the largest of the three areas, was reduced to
province status in the Netherlands in the sixteenth century. East
Friesland lost its independence as a duchy in the eighteenth century
when the government of Prussia placed the duchy under its "protection11
duririg the absence of a male heir, and to "avert the resultant unrest.11
North Friesland has Shown the greatest unwillingness to cooperate
with centralized governments. Its time of greatest independence was
when it was known as the Uthlande. Laws coming from Copenhagen or
Schleswig were less strigently enforced here than ih other places.
The Pledge of the Seven Hards (Siebenhardenbeliebung) in the St* Nikolai
church in Bualigsem-Feer in 1426 was directed against yielding any of
the special rights granted to North Friesland in the past. New kings
and queens often tried to take those privileges away by drafting men
into the army or by raising taxes. This was resented by the freedom-
loving Frisians.
After some juggling which preceded the War of 1864, Prussia
annexed North Freisland and later incorporated it into the German
Empire.
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Even tiny Haliglun (Helgoland), the beautiful rock island 60 km.
_from the mainland, could not evade the struggling European powers.
Jenmark, dominating the North Sea for many centuries, counted Helgoland
among its possessions until England took Helgoland over during the Anglo-
Danish conflict of 1806. Another growing seapower, Germany, in 1890
received Helgoland from England in exchange for Zanzibar, off the coast
of Southeast Africa.
Frisians in Earlv New York (cont.): The Brand van Troeen arrived in
Manhattan in I639 with a very interesting cargo. It was indeed unusual
for the owner to be on board. He was, of course, Jonas Bronck, whose
original name probably was Jens Mortensen Bronck.
Being a member of an intellectual family, or, perhaps, having ex
tensive training himself* he was aware of the importance of educational
guidance for his mission, the establishment of a settlement in a foreign
land. Therefore, he arranged to bring a library (consisting of fifty
books) the selection of which is noteworthy* A Bible and several other
theological books, books on agriculture, navigation, on construction of
windmill's» a book for children in Danish, a book on Danish law, ohe on
nish history, and a Danish calender. Other books were in Dutchj in
German, and in Latin.
The ship carried building material and, equally important, skilled
men for construction.
Bronck had not overlooked the importance of chimney sweeping.
Therefore, he accepted a chimney-sweep for his journey. He was Peter
Andressen.
Peter, like many other immigrants, saw opportunities here which the
old country could not offer. While continuing to practice his trade as
a chimney-sweep he also became the owner of "a'tavern as well as the
proprietor of a farm. His farm was located to the east of the Jonas
Bronck farm in the area now known as Mott Haven.
South-west of the Bronck farm, on the Manhattan side of the Harlem
River, we find the goat farm of Jochen Pietersen-Kuyter, the captain of
the Brand van Trocen.
The fate of the remaining members of that group is not recorded
^but we do find numerous very familiar names as property owners during
f that time1 Jens Jensen, Volkert Jensen, Jan Petersen Slot, Nicolas
de Meyer (who became mayor of New York in I676), Hans Hansen, Arfst
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