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Religion-Culture |
| EEKHOFF
& ECKHOFF Family History Site |
Religion & Culture
Ostfriesland
nach Amerika |
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Our
Eekhoff ancestors lived in and around Emden in East Friesland, (Ostfriesland)
Germany. Although they were German, their lives and culture were
closely related to those of their counterparts across the Ems River
in Groningen Province, the Netherlands (Holland). They were basically
farmers, although our direct ancestor, Peter G. Eekhoff (b.1823)
also had a residence in town. His home was in Wolthusen, at that
time a suburb of Emden, outside that medieval city’s walls.
According to the information in his property auction notices (See
below), he owned farm properties to the south of the city, along
the Fehntjer Tief Canal. |
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If
we were to have a photograph of his farming property, it would likely
be indistinguishable from dairy farms across the Lowlands, including
Holland, such as the one at the right.
Given the extent of his property and his urban residence, I have concluded that Peter G. Eekhoff owned substantial property and livestock and was a reasonably well-to-do family man. That someone of his means would “sell out” and emigrate to an unknown future in an unknown land was a perplexing puzzle for me. |
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solely on the factors that I have briefly discussed, I could not imagine
a reasonable explanation for his moving his family to America. After
all, at that time the journey across the Atlantic was for many a horrific
experience. Do to crowded and unsanitary conditions, many immigrants
contracted serious diseases – tuberculosis was common (see below)
– and not a few died during the voyage. As I investigated further and studied the conditions of the times, I came across a milestone historical development that made the accumulated pieces of the puzzle – and many more – fit perfectly together. Recall what I said above, that there was a common culture across the Lowlands of Holland and Germany. That culture was glued together by a common language, Plattdeutsch (essentially Low German). Although modified by dialectical variations, it served the entire Lowlands region as a day-to-day means of communication. Modern Dutch has many elements drawn from Plattdeutsch. Similarly, religious beliefs and practices had many common features throughout the area, transcending the intervening boundary between Holland and Germany. |
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| By
the beginning of the 19th Century the State Churches had liberalized
considerably from their beginnings in the period of the Luther-Calvin
Reformation. It appeared that the population in general, especially
the more urban segments, was accommodating to this shift. However,
there was a small group that believed that the State Churches had
lost their way, apostatizing as it were. This “conservative” group voiced a need to return to the church’s roots – in doctrine and practice. This movement originated, not in the more wealthy urban parishes, but rather in the poorer, rural settings. As one might surmise, the ecclesiastical elite did not look kindly at their country cousins and their attempt to upset the religious establishment’s apple cart. One of the most effective proponents of the conservative group’s position was Hendrik de Cock (pronounced “d’Cook”), a Dutch Reformed Church pastor. He is often called “The Father of the Reformation of 1835”. Ultimately, de Cock and a small number of congregations seceded from the State Churches. Also, small groups of reformists met together in ad hoc settings. There was pressure applied by the State Churches, and governments soon followed suit with economic, legal and social sanctions. |
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The
reformists were outcasts. Many, if not most, had difficulty earning
a living. Farmers could not readily sell their farm products due
to the social ostracism (See: Wikipedia's
article, or for a more passionate description, read
PRCA's write-up). That period in recent Dutch history is totally
inconsistent with that country’s reputation for religious
tolerance, although there was related political
turbulence in Holland at the time. The
governmental sanctions eased some decades later, and shortly after
Peter G. Eeckhoff and his familly emigrated the dissenting groups
merged to form the Christian Reformed Church. |
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Recently
I came across some material on the Internet that complemented the
pieces of information that I already had gathered. A church congregation
that was established at the time of the breakway, the Altreformiert
Gemeinde (Old/Original Reformed Congregation) of Emden has a web
site, altreformiert-
emden.com/. The pastor, Rev. Beuker, has posted transcriptions
and some images from the earliest extant congregational records
– from ledgers beginning in 1860 – on the website: altreformiert.de/beuker/emd-gl-b.htm. |
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This
date is consistent with the date of sale of Peter G. Eekhoff’s
property in and near Wolthusen. My third cousin, Jan Eekhoff Olsen,
found copies of newspaper advertisements for the auction sale of
Peter G. Eekhoff’s multiple parcels and other items, such
a farm equipment and livestock. The date of auction was published
as January 30, 1867. |
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| David W. Eckhoff | ||
| May 20, 2008 | ||
Still Under Construction
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