I was born at Schüttendelle, in the year 1800, on November 12. My father was Johann Peter Arns, born at Reinshagen. My mother was Catharina Dorothea, née Döcker, from Bruch. My dear and unforgettable parents entered into holy matrimony on February 24, 1800. Further details about my parents are recorded in my large picture or family Bible.

According to the account of my dear parents, when I was between three and four years old, a severe illness brought me to the brink of death. I developed a serious affliction in my left hand from this illness, and I remember clearly how Doctor Keiser of Solingen operated on my hand. As a result, the middle finger of my left hand never grew any larger, from that time on. After a long period, the wound finally healed, and I became healthy once more.

Between my fifth and sixth years, I attended elementary school at Schüttendelle under Teacher Seeling – from whom, however, there was little to be learned.

From my eighth to ninth year, I attended school together with my brother Hermann under Teacher Schürmann in Remscheid. 

After that, I then went back to school under the new teachers, the brothers Molerus. Because of their indifferent and negligent teaching, I learned very little there as well – so that by the time I was ten years old, I still had no proper understanding of division.

After that, Teacher Diederichs from Ehringshausen was appointed to the Schüttendelle school, and to this worthy and unforgettable man I owe, for a short time, the blessing of a good education.

But to my sorrow, in April 1813, I went to day school for the last time, for from that time onward I had to help my father every day by doing pattern drawing to assist in his work.

In the spring of 1812, the great French army, about one million strong, well-equipped and brave soldiers, marched toward Russia. This great army was forced to retreat because of the world-historic fire in Moscow, a severe winter and lack of provisions; only a few from that vast army ever returned. [NOTE: The entirety of Moscow burned to the ground during French occupation SEP 14-18, 1812.]

During this turbulent and difficult time, in the spring of 1813, a revolution against the French government broke out across the Bergisches Land and, indeed, across all of Germany. Even in Remscheid and its surroundings, the agitation was great and conscripts, in particular, rose up in open resistance against French rule. [NOTE: The Napoleonic Grand Duchy of Berg was a German state created by Napoleon in 1806 from Prussian and Bavarian territories.]

The insurgents, numbering several thousand men, gathered together under the name “Knüppelrussen” [“Club Russians”], shouting “Hurrah!”, and made Elberfeld their rallying point. A certain Perleburger from Hasten played an important role as commander of this corps. Sadly, this revolt ended in defeat. The Knüppelrussen were beaten, captured, and completely dispersed in Elberfeld by 60 lancers from Düsseldorf.

1813 March 17 The organizational order for the Prussian Landwehr arrived. [NOTE: Prussia was conquered by Napoleon in 1806. The Landwehr militia was established to defeat him. ]

1813 October 18 The great battle near Leipzig was fought. The allied armies of Russia, Austria, and Prussia were victorious, and the French were forced to flee quickly and evacuate Germany.

1814 October 18 A great bonfire was lit on the Hollscheidsberg, in celebration and remembrance of the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig, and as a commemoration of Germany’s liberation.

1814 January 1. The allied forces crossed the Rhine.
1814 March 30. The allies entered Paris as victors.

On June 3, 1814, after an illness of eight days, my boyhood friend Carl Braun died. In him, his parents lost their only promising son. This event made a deep impression on my youthful mind and first inspired me with the idea of keeping a diary.

1815 March 20. Napoleon returned to Paris from the island of Elba without a fight and to great rejoicing.

1815 April 25. The Prussian eagle was ceremoniously raised in the marketplace at Remscheid amid great rejoicing. The Act of the Congress of Vienna, signed on July 9, 1815, established that the five great powers of Europe would exercise a common arbitral authority and preserve the peace of the continent.

1815 June 18. A great battle was fought at Waterloo on the French border. Napoleon, at the head of his large and well-equipped army, attacked the allied forces of Prussia, England, Austria, and Russia with great self-confidence, and people were deeply anxious and afraid that they would soon see the French on the Rhine again. But fate was no longer favorable to the great General Napoleon. Through the bravery of the English, and the Prussians especially, Napoleon was completely defeated and put to flight. When the news of the allies’ victory cane, there was great and universal rejoicing.

My father, however, couldn’t take part in that public celebration, because he was suffering from a severe eye disease. He was happily cured with an eye ointment prepared by our neighbor Friedrich Hummeltenberg.

In the Battle of Waterloo, the following men from Remscheid died for king and fatherland:

• Sehringhaus of Stachelhausen
• Gurweg of Fürberg

Both of their names were written on a plaque and hung in the Evangelical Church in honored remembrance.

1815 July 7  The allied powers entered Paris as victors for the second time.
1815, early July Napoleon fell into the hands of the English, and was…
1815, early August taken as a state prisoner to the island of St. Helena.

1815 October 18 The anniversary of the Battle of Leipzig was celebrated in a truly festive manner with a large and beautiful bonfire.

1815–1816 The winter was extremely severe.

1816 May 13 It still snowed, and on the following day there was a hard frost. The entire summer was remarkably wet and cold, and from April 18 to October 8 there were 140 days of rain. The consequence of this was that throughout almost all of Europe there was a general crop failure. This was followed by a sharp rise in the price of food. In that sorrowful year, the average prices were as follows:

• A 7-pound loaf of bread cost 25 to 30 stüber
• 100 pounds of potatoes, 2½ to 3 bergisch kreuzer
• 1 pound of flour, 9 to 10 stüber
• 1 measure of oil, 42 stüber
• 100 pounds of coal, 2½ bergisch kreuzer
  

During this difficult and gloomy time, my father undertook major repairs to our house. We were fortunate that our entire family remained healthy, and that, despite the hard times, we had plenty of work and earned a good living. In general, Remscheid had much work available at good wages. 

1816 May 6 I began again to attend evening school at Schüttendelle, under Teacher Diederichs, and also took part in private lessons in geography, which was given every Wednesday and Saturday, one hour each day.

1816 October 6 I was confirmed or blessed by Pastor Becker. On October 10, 1816, I partook of Holy Communion for the first time.

In 1816, during the summer, a medium-sized bell was cast for the church tower in Remscheid.

In 1817, following the sorrowful year 1816, there was a cold and late spring, so that even in the month of May, one could hardly see any green oats in the fields. The prices of food rose to an alarming and oppressive degree. At that time, among the poor, people even weeds from the oat fields (the so-called “Hederich”) were cooked as vegetables. [NOTE: charlock, aka wild mustard]

1817 June 3 In this hard and distressing year of want the prices were as follows 

• A 7-pound loaf of black bread cost 41½ stüber
• 100 pounds of potatoes cost 5 bergisch kreuzer
• Wheat flour, per pound, 15 Stüber
• Buckwheat flour, 12–15 Stüber
• Oat groats, 11 Stüber
• Oil, per measure, 45 Stüber

Yet, as the saying goes: “When need is greatest, God is nearest.” In June 1817, the weather turned fruitful again, so that, generally, during the day there was beautiful warm sunshine and, at night, there came refreshing, blessing-bringing rains.

To the good fortune and blessing of mankind, the year 1817 became, after all, a very good and fruitful year — indeed, its abundance stood in sharp contrast  to the barrenness of 1816. Memorably and curiously, because of this extraordinary fertility, there were grains of seed that produced eight or nine stalks, and stalks that bore five ears of grain. These were hung up in town halls and churches as tokens of thanksgiving.

1818 After the war and the famine had been endured, a malignant contagious disease broke out in Remscheid, especially in Bliedinghausen – which caused several painful deaths.

On February 19 of that year, Peter Caspar Schmidt of Bliedinghausen was buried, having died of the above-mentioned disease. All the members of his large family lay ill at home, so that none of them could accompany their father’s body to the grave.

1818 April 8 A general day of repentance and prayer was introduced, and the former quarterly prayer days were abolished.

The year 1818 distinguished itself, in the months of January, February, and March, by violent windstorms, which caused much damage both on land and on water. According to the newspaper reports, 400 to 500 ships were wrecked by storms in those months.

Then, a great drought followed in the month of May, bringing on a severe shortage of water, which lasted the entire summer.

There were seven fires that summer in the parish of Remscheid. On May 29, fourteen buildings burned down in Ehringshausen. On October 20, during a fire in Westhausen, a man named Ehlis, lost his life in the flames while trying to retrieve his money.

Otherwise, the year distinguished itself by its fertility; the price of food returned to a reasonable level. It was also a good wine year, and because of its fine quality, this vintage was called “the double eighteen”.

1818 October 21 A merchant named Ferdinand Hasenclever from Ehringhausen took his own life by shooting himself. 

On May 18, 1818, I stopped attending evening school and thereafter took four hours of private instruction each week from teacher Diederichs, in the French language, but I had to discontinue those lessons by the beginning of August that same year, due to lack of time.

1818 May 26 At that time, the formerly flourishing trading house Pet. Joh. Diederichs & Sons in Schüttendelle suspended its payments due to insolvency. My father lost about 300 Bergisch francs.

In May 1818, at home, I received instructive guidance in the art of drawing from the painter Weyersberg of Solingen, chiefly through a pre-drawn head and a sketched perspective cross.

At the Congress of Aachen, held on September 29 and 30, 1818, the monarchs — the King of Prussia, the Emperor of Austria, and the Emperor of Russia — arrived in Aachen with a great entourage, where England and France were likewise represented.

The high powers solemnly vowed that their duty before God and toward the peoples they ruled obliged them to give the world, insofar as it lay within their power, an example of justice, harmony, and moderation.

Louis XVIII of the Bourbon line was recognized by the united European powers as the legitimate King of France. The war had ended, peace was secured, and after three years of occupation, the Russian, Prussian, and Austrian troops withdrew to their homelands. France was required to pay the Allies a compensation sum of 200 million francs.

1818 The University of Bonn on the Rhine was founded.
1818–1819 The winter was very mild.
1819 January 1 Begging at doors was forbidden and additional aid was granted to the poor instead.

1819 March 23 The famous poet [August von] Kotzebue was killed by a dagger thrust from the student Sand.

1819 July 3 My brother Johann Peter Arns was married to Helene Honsberg. That evening, during fine weather, a bright, unfamiliar comet with a long tail was seen.

1819 August 25 Pastor Döring from Elberfeld preached a sermon of repentance and conversion in Remscheid; after his sermon, he distributed so-called “tracts” (Traktätchen) in the public marketplace. [NOTE: This is NOT a reference to Archangel Carl August Döring. He wasn’t yet born.]

1819 September 12 The brave Field Marshal Prince Blücher has died. Shortly before his death, a monument was erected in honor of him, for his great contribution to the liberation of Germany, bearing the following inscription:

“In storm and war,
In fall and victory,
Courageous and great,
He tore us free from the enemy.”

1819 October 17 I saw an elephant for the first time at the Elberfeld fair.

1819 early October A new belfry framework / bell chair was built in the church tower of Remscheid.

1819 early November The schoolteacher Schürmann resigned his position because of a stroke. His son, Daniel Schürmann from Osnabrück, was unanimously elected to take his father’s place as teacher at the Remscheid school. However, the election was revoked because of two inappropriate letters said to have been written by the young Schürmann. At that time, Pastor Becker publicly opposed Schürmann in the Westphalian Gazette [Westphälischer Anzeiger]. There was widespread interest in this dispute. Teacher Schürmann had the sympathy and support of his fellow teachers and friends – and Pastor Becker, in this war of words, was finally forced to withdraw from the field.

1819 November 17 Old Mesenhöller of Buchen died at the age of 94 years.

1819 December 25 A new bridge at Herdecke, built over the Ruhr River, collapsed, whereby the building inspector and 10 to 12 people lost their lives.

At the end of December in 1819, there was a great flood. The overflow of the Rhine, especially in Holland, caused extensive damage. The strong waters destroyed so much, holes up to 25 feet deep were formed, and many people and animals perished.

1820 February 12. The French heir to the throne, the Duke of Berry, was killed by treacherous murder.

1820 early March A conspiracy was discovered in England, the aim of which was to murder the King and his ministers. Five of the conspirators were executed.

1820 March 3 An extraordinarily deep snowfall occurred, such as even the oldest people could not remember. For several days, communication was cut off, so that the roads had to be cleared by hand. The snow lay 8 to 10, even 12 feet deep in places.

1820 April 26 Goods exported to France were subjected to a new and higher import duty

1820 March 10 The foundation stone of the Spanish Constitution was laid. This revolution was carried out with almost unparalleled speed.

1820 The Greek Revolution broke out.

1820 August 2 Teacher P. Hurxthal, who was elected as successor to Daniel Schürmann, was brought from Lüttringhausen to Remscheid. During this procession, in Lennep, a large tumultuous brawl occurred between the Lennep factory workers and those from Remscheid.

1820 September 7 There was a beautiful total solar eclipse, such as had not been seen in Germany for 200 years.

1820 September 19 I had to appear in Lennep for conscription duty, but was declared unfit because of my left hand.

1820 September 24 Minister Bülow from Berlin visited Remscheid. On this occasion, he visited Mr. Halbach in Müngsten, and promised him that the highway from Müngsten to Solingen would be constructed.

1820 September 18–19 The Cathedral in Cologne was robbed. The perpetrator was caught in Münster.

1821 at the beginning of the year A revolution broke out in Naples. The king swore to uphold the new constitution but, after Austrian troops marched in, the new free form of government was dissolved and the king was again restored to his former dignity and rights.

A congress was convened in Laibach [modern-day Ljubljana]. The Greek delegation appeared there to request that the great powers grant them protection and aid in their holy struggle against the Turks. But that was dismissed and, in general, the principle was declared that the sovereign rights of the reigning heads of Europe should be maintained without condition.

1821 April 3 My brother Hermann entered apprenticeship with the master locksmith Kopmann. The apprenticeship lasted two years.

1821 September 27 My brother Fritz entered employment with G. H. Sonntag, his term of apprenticeship lasting four years.

1821–1822 The winter was very mild; up until January, we had neither snow nor frost.

1822 January 13 There was an extraordinarily strong hurricane, which uprooted trees and toppled chimneys. On that date, people had even predicted that the world would end.

1822 April 29 We, as savings from our drawing business, paid back to Peter Müller of Stachelhausen his bond of 500 Bergisch Reichstaler, including interest of 2 Reichstaler and 3 Stüber.

The years from 1817 to 1823 were good and fruitful years. At home we enjoyed good health, and during this period we always had a lot of work in our drafting and drawing business.

1823 The year began very cold and dry. On January 25th, the cold dropped to 23° Réaumur [about –29°C / –20°F]. From March 1822 until February 10, 1823, we had no flood, and the lack of water, especially during the severe winter, was very oppressive.

1823 January 25 My friend Wilhelm Lehnkering departed back to his homeland, Arnhem.

1823 February 27 The tailor Pott was buried without a funeral sermon or ceremony,
which was considered an interesting piece of local news.

1823 May 2 My brother August entered apprenticeship with Mrs. Widow Busch of Stachelhausen.

1823 July 15 During the bird-shooting festival, a bullet struck a merchant named Honsberg in the head, even though he was still a quarter-hour’s walk away from the shooting post. Honsberg, however, was not injured by the bullet.

1823 August 3 The merchant Fonk of Cologne, who was said to have killed his cooper in the cellar with a hoop-knife, was pardoned by our king.

1823 August 14 There was a terribly strong thunderstorm that night – even the oldest people could not remember its equal. However, no damage was caused by it.

In this same year, Consul Gottfried Böker received a large commission from America for 12,000 English cavalry sabres with iron scabbards. The year otherwise ended in an ordinary way.

1824. The year began with thanksgiving to God and with mutual good wishes for the New Year, and was entered upon with health, sufficient work, and contentment.

1824 In January and February, magnetism became almost the universal topic of conversation in Remscheid. A somnambulist [“sleep-walker” / clairvoyant] was brought over from Solingen, in order to cure the mortal, unknown illness of Gottlieb Müller of Stachelhausen, by means of the remedies she prescribed in her clairvoyant state. However, Gottlieb Müller died, and the somnambulist insisted that he had died of a tapeworm.

[NOTE: The son of this Gottlieb Müller married the author’s daughter, Juliane Arns. They are Friederike Ottilie Müller’s parents.]

1824 July 6 Gottfried Böker, together with his wife, moved to New York as director of the Sea Trading Company [Seehandlungsgesellschaft, aka the Prussian State Bank].

1824 November My brother Fritz went to Düsseldorf for his military status. He had volunteered for one year of military service, but did not take his examination, as he was found to be too weak for service.

1824 November 17 There was a very great flood here and in other parts of Europe. On that day, the water level at the gauge in Cologne measured 26 feet. It caused immense damage in the lowlands of the Rhine. In Düsseldorf, a charitable relief society was formed for the flood victims, to which Remscheid contributed 300 to 350 thalers. By February 1, 1825, the Düsseldorf Relief Society had collected 32,000 thalers.

1824 November 19 A great flood also occurred in Russia; in St. Petersburg, it was said that 5,000 to 8,000 people lost their lives. The damage was estimated at 100,000 silver rubles.

1824 The summer of 1824 was dry and fruitful. Throughout the entire year, food was almost unbelievably cheap.

• A 7-pound loaf of black bread cost 6½ to 7 Stüber.
• 28 to 30 pounds of good wheat flour could be bought for 1 Bergisch Reichstaler.
• Peas and beans, 20 and 15 measures respectively, for 1 Bergisch Reichstaler.
• Oil, per measure, 11 to 12 Stüber.
• 100 pounds of potatoes, 36 to 40 Stüber.

1825 The year was begun in my household with health, trust in God and hope.

At the beginning of this year, the Rheinisch-West Indian Company, founded in Elberfeld, reported that since its founding in 1821, it had exported goods worth 948,120 Prussian thalers – consisting of nearly all branches of German manufacture. Of this, iron, steel, and metal goods accounted for 29,140 Prussian thalers.

1825 March 26 Gottlieb Diederichs suggested to my father that he might be willing to let me go to Mexico, in the capacity of agent for this company. My father, however, declined the proposal, as he could not spare me [from his business], being his main support.

1825 February 2 The merchant Hüttemann of Ronsdorf was taken to Düsseldorf, because he had intended to establish a factory near Strasbourg, and had unlawfully tried to entice many workers from here, and it was said that around sixty counterfeit factory marks from the best masters were found in his possession. It was said that Hüttemann was released from custody upon posting bail of 500 francs.

1825 February 4 and 5 There was another great flood in Holland, East Frisia, Hanover, Holstein, and Denmark. The huge tidal floods inundated seventy villages in Holland, so that only the tops of church towers and houses were still visible. East Frisia suffered the most severely in this catastrophe. Charitable societies collected many generous donations, and Elberfeld and Barmen once again distinguished themselves through their great generosity.

1825 March 5 Our dear and unforgettable teacher, Friedrich Wilhelm Diederichs,
of Schüttendelle, died. On March 9, he was buried, and all his pupils followed their beloved, unforgettable teacher to the grave. His death notice read:

“Mr. P. N. Diederichs, teacher at the district school of Schüttendelle in Remscheid died of consumption of the windpipe yesterday. This worthy man deserves public recognition for the conscientious devotion to his calling with which, for many years at our local school, he had, with untiring zeal, sought through sound instruction and religious example to guide his pupils toward independent thought and upright conduct. He had the joy, before his death, of seeing how fruitfully the seed he had sown had taken root in many of his pupils. Therefore, the love and gratitude of his children and their parents follow him now, and his memory will remain honored by all who knew this upright man. May he now enjoy the reward that the Divine Teacher above has promised to His faithful servant – Schüttendelle, March 6, 1825 The School Board.”

I composed the following song to be sung at his grave. Melody: “Besitz ich nur” 

Ye tears, now flow!
Ye flow for one so noble,
Who, even amid his hardest hours of trial,
Was to us teacher, friend, and father.

He is no more!
Oh, this thought of sorrow—
It strikes so heavy, so deep a wound upon the heart,
A pain that only love can truly feel.

Yet rest thou gently,
Thou dear and noble sufferer.
As a Christian, in hope thou hast overcome;
As a man, thou hast walked the pilgrim’s path.

In the land of rest,
God now places in thy hands thy crown.
So fair a light, and sweet harmonies,
Now gladden thee in everlasting bliss.

1825 This year was again marked by great dryness, and there was concern that food prices might rise during the winter. Only at the beginning of November did we at last receive enough water. The weather remained free of snow and frost until Christmas, and the price of provisions stayed at their previously low level.

1823 September The exemption certificate which my brother Fritz received in Düsseldorf was confirmed before the draft commission in Lennep, and my brother Hermann was likewise released from service by the same commission of the Landwehr.

1825 December 19 Gottlieb Diederichs died suddenly and unexpectedly of a stroke at Schüttendelle. That very morning he spoke with me about the making of a pattern card.

1826 This year began for my family with good prospects: health and sufficient work at drawing were graciously granted to us by Heaven! Yet the future often changes much, and I was soon to experience, together with my family, a painful blow of fate such as we had never known before. Then…

1826 November 8 on that sad and memorable day, in the afternoon hours, my dear and deeply beloved father, Johann Peter Arns, died of consumption after a short illness. He closed his industrious life at the age of 62 years, 8 months, and 2 days.

His modest and upright character, and the honest conduct of his life, united with his active spirit and kind heart, will keep the memory of our father among his children in honor and in blessing. (Further details about my parents may be found in my house and family Bible; concerning my brothers and sister, see the appendix of this booklet.)

After my father’s death, I took over the drawing business in our parental home; my mother and brother Reinhard supported me in this, and together we conducted the business for three years, until my marriage in 1830, sharing all profits and expenses among us.

During the years 1827 to 1830, nothing extraordinary occurred, except that in 1828 and 1829 there was a very severe and cold winter. Afterward, the year remained fruitful; the price of food held at a moderate and reasonable level, and the factories in Remscheid generally had good business activity.

1830 September 2 On Thursday, I entered into the holy state of matrimony with Franziska Hütz. The wedding took place in Remscheid, at the home of my dear bride’s mother. The ceremony was performed by Pastor Haver. Heaven granted us beautiful weather, and on that joyful evening we witnessed the magnificent spectacle of a visible lunar eclipse.

1830 September 3 my brother Hermann was married at Schüttendelle to Louise Honsberg.

1830 July 27 to 29 a revolution broke out in Paris and was concluded within those days. King Charles X was forced to leave the country with his family, and the Duke of Orléans was recognized as his successor to the throne, proclaimed under the name Louis Philippe, King of France.

Afterward, in this and in the following year (1831), revolutions broke out in Belgium, Poland, Brunswick, Italy, and Brazil. Holland lost Belgium, and that country was recognized by the other powers as an independent state.

Belgium was recognized as an independent state, and the English Prince Leopold was elected King of Belgium. In this period, the situation in Europe appeared very warlike; yet the just, calm, and prudent conduct of our King, Friedrich Wilhelm III, greatly contributed to the peace and stability of Europe.

1831 in April I moved with my business into the house of my mother-in-law in Remscheid, for until then, since my marriage, I continued to work at Schüttendelle. With good health and sufficient work in my drawing business, I was blessed in my new home.

1830 and 1831 The years were moderately good harvest years, and the prices of food were also moderate—a 7-pound loaf of bread cost between 5 and 6 silbergroschen.

1832 in the month of August The cholera epidemic appeared in Europe for the first time.

1832 June 12 On Tuesday morning, just after Pentecost, on a beautiful spring morning, our dear Julie was born. (Further details about her and my other children may be found in the family Bible.)

1832 August 13 At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, there was a very severe storm with hail in Remscheid – a tempest so violent as had never before been experienced in living memory. The heavy storm came from the west, passing over Solingen, and there it tore down the church tower, then moved onward to Reinshagen.

The house of Gottlieb Bockmühl was, in a brief moment, collapsed by the hurricane.  From Reinshagen, the storm then swept over Güldenwerth, Stachelhausen, Bergderkamp, Lennep, and Hückeswagen, passing mainly along this route. The strongest trees were uprooted; wherever the heavy storm passed, fields and gardens were completely devastated within ten minutes, in the places mentioned, all crops and vegetation were destroyed.

Despite this destructive weather, the prices of foodstuffs that year remained at a moderate level: bread cost at most 5 silbergroschen, and 100 pounds of potatoes cost 18 silbergroschen.

1832 The first mail coach was introduced between Remscheid and other towns – and in 1833 the first steamboat began to navigate the Rhine.

1834 August 1 There was an extraordinarily strong lightning display, which lasted from 9 o’clock in the evening until 3 in the morning — a terrifying yet magnificent spectacle of nature, though without storm or hail.

1835 March 21 My brother Johann Peter Arns died after a three-day illness.

1838 November 29 In November, we experienced a hurricane-like windstorm, during which the recently rebuilt church tower in Solingen was blown down for the second time.

1837 February 15 I was appointed by the family council at the Court of Peace in Lennep as co-guardian for Gottfried Böcker, and I administered this guardianship until 1841.

1837 We experienced a remarkably cold spring: up until March 28, before Easter, there was snow and severe frost. From April 5 to 8, with a cold northeast wind, there fell such a deep snow that it was equal to the snowfall of March 3, 1820. For three days, communication was completely cut off.

1837 October 5 The foundation stone for our community house was laid, at which ceremony Pastor Haver delivered a speech. On June 14, 1838, the elderly master carpenter Becker, while working on the community house, fell and injured himself so severely that he died of his wounds on June 30.

1838 also had a very cold spring—not only in the month of May, but even on June 8 and 9, snow still fell.

1839 The year again was marked by a late and cold spring. 

1840 May 22 A heavy snowfall fell, which pressed the grain in the fields completely to the ground.

1839 In October and November, there was a rapid and sharp fall in the value of money. From April 16 until January 1, 1840, foreign silver coins (pistoles) fell in value from 20 silbergroschen to 5⅓ silbergroschen.

1839 Our Lutheran church in Remscheid was renovated.

On December 18, 1839, at noon, my dear brother-in-law Johann Carl Hütz passed peacefully into eternity after a short illness. In fraternal love, I laid these written words into his coffin:

With faith and diligence,
To the glory of your Creator,
You strove toward your goal.
After toil and labor,
Your Savior now rewards you—
You who lived piously and virtuously.

1840 June 7 Our King Friedrich Wilhelm III, nearly 70 years old, died in Berlin, on Whit Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock. This king, known by the title “The Just,” ruled our Rhenish Province well for 25 years. Through his just and prudent government, he preserved peace for his land ever since the Peace of Paris.1840 His eldest son, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, inherited the Prussian crown.

1840 October 15  On the King’s birthday, his ceremonial homage took place in Königsberg with great festivity.

1840 November 29 I was elected as a Representative [Repräsentant, elected representative of the local parish.]

1841 August 8 Pastor Haver delivered his farewell sermon, and on August 9, he moved away to Radevormwald.

1841 September 28 Pastor Wülfing of Wald was elected as pastor of Remscheid, receiving 48 votes, to whom I also gave my vote. There was a lot of agitation in the congregation at this time, for a large portion of Remscheid had wished to elect Pastor Hengstenberg instead; he received 19 votes in the election.

Then, on November 12, Pastor Wülfing accepted the call to Remscheid.

1842 February 1 I was elected by the representatives to the Presbytery, in the role of Deacon.1842 February 20 Pastor Wülfing formally took office in Remscheid, and on February 23, he delivered his inaugural sermon before the congregation, which was received with general approval.

From 1830 to 1844, the springs were often cold and late. Yet during this period, we still had moderately good and fertile years, so that the prices of foodstuffs remained at a fairly steady, moderate level.

In the years 1843 and 1844, we experienced a previously unknown phenomenon: the planted potatoes in the fields often failed to sprout at all. However, this did not result in a general crop failure, for the harvest that did grow was on the whole still sufficient.

In 1844, I became an agent of the Colonia Fire Insurance Company of Cologne, taking over from T. von der Heydt. Because of competition from the local agents of the Leipzig and Elberfeld insurance companies, I could find no real profit in this line of work and therefore gave up the agency again the following year.

In August 1845, the notable and grievous potato disease appeared. The illness first showed itself through black spots on the leaves; after a short time, the stalks turned entirely black and died, and soon thereafter a strong decay appeared in the potatoes themselves, so that the tubers grown here and in the surrounding area emitted a strong, foul odor and because of their immature nature, they were barely edible. That year, the potato harvest here averaged only about one-quarter of the usual yield. This grievous disease soon appeared throughout all of Europe, and in the following year it was reported also in America.

[NOTE: You would probably know this blight as The Great Famine in Ireland but it reached well into Europe as well. For a long list of governance reasons, it did not have the same impact there.]

The autumn of 1845 was very wet, so that although rye and wheat had otherwise turned out fairly well, they nevertheless suffered greatly from the damp weather. Many potatoes were imported here from Hesse.

In autumn, the prices were: 100 pounds cost 1 thaler 5 silbergroschen, rising later to 1 thaler 15 silbergroschen. In the spring of 1846, a 7-pound loaf of bread cost 8½ silbergroschen, and bread generally held steady at that price.

The year 1846 was marked by great drought, and the shortage of water lasted until the month of November.

The winter of 1845–1846 was very mild, which was a great relief for the poor, as they were often able to search the fields for the remaining potatoes, and, contrary to expectation, many of the rotted potatoes in the soil had kept surprisingly well. Furthermore, through voluntary contributions, a sum of 1,000 thalers was collected, from which potatoes were purchased and distributed as a large aid to the poor. In addition, Messrs. J. P. Hasenclever, P. A. Kleeke, and Rob. Böker formed a private charitable association, through which more potatoes were bought and these potatoes were sold to the poor at cost price, so that by May 1846, the price was, at most, 1 thaler per 100 pounds.

The year 1846 was marked by severe drought. It became particularly significant because of the crop failure of the rye, which was caused by a rust disease that affected the plants. As a result, bread prices rose sharply— from 6 to 8 silbergroschen in autumn,  to as much as 9 silbergroschen 6 pfennige by April 1847. Potatoes reached 2 thalers per 100 pounds, wheat flour cost 2½ silbergroschen per pound, and red grits about 2¼ pfennige per pound.

The shortages and high prices caused by these crop failures were even greater in Ireland, England, Holland, Belgium, France, and Switzerland than in Germany. In poor Ireland, according to newspaper reports, the distress had become so extreme that 30,000 people had died of starvation. The papers reported a horrifying and dreadful crime:  a young man of 17, driven mad by terrible hunger, murdered his 3-year-old brother and along with the rest of the household, ate the flesh to stave off starvation. During the period from June 1, 1845, to June 1, 1847, the extraordinary import of rye and wheat from America to Europe was said to have said to have reached 160,000,000 dollars.

On August 26, 1846, from 11 o’clock in the morning until 7 in the evening, there was a great fire in Büchen, in which 38 families lost their homes, and many also lost their furniture, clothing, and other belongings. My newly repaired house in Büchen, which I purchased from my parental estate, was also completely destroyed. A collection was raised for victims of the fire – 600 thalers from our congregation alone.

1846 September 1, the Sunday drawing school came to an end. I had conducted it since September 1, 1838, in cooperation with my brother Reinhard, and each of us received an annual income of 30 thalers from this work.

From November 1846 until May 1847, out of compassion and sympathy for the poor, honest victims of the fire, Gottlieb Breuer and Caspar Sause, I built a new house for them in Büchen, a project that demanded much of my time and effort.

1847 April 11 Our King Friedrich Wilhelm IV opened the United Legislative Assembly [Diet] in Berlin, in accordance with a constitutional charter that he had granted to his subjects. Of the 600 deputies in the assembly, the constitution was debated in parliamentary fashion; however, people were not satisfied with the results.

1847 August Factory trademarks (Fabrikzeichen) were granted legal protection of ownership and rights by official decree.

1847 November 28 I purchased my neighbor J. G. Dusel’s house and garden.

1847 December 29 My dear and unforgettable mother-in-law, Mrs. Petronella Arnold Hütz, died at the age of nearly 84 years. The funeral took place on the last day of the old year, and Pastor Wülfing delivered a beautiful graveside address.

1848 February 22–24 A revolution broke out in Paris and was concluded within three days. King Louis Philippe was forced, together with his entire family, to flee from France to England, and the Republic was proclaimed.

1848 February 26 Our son Carl Arnold was born.

The French Revolution spread like wildfire through all of Germany. In Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Kassel, Magdeburg, Berlin, and Vienna, there were major popular uprisings, and the spirit of unrest among the people was widespread. The military almost everywhere refused to use weapons against the people and ruling princes, emperors, and kings were therefore compelled to grant the people rights and free institutions.

1848 March 6, 7, and 8 The reserve troops from the district of Lennep were ordered to march to their regiments.

1848 March 16 and 17 In Solingen, four foundries were completely destroyed by factory workers. Likewise, on March 15 and 17 of that tumultuous year, the large iron foundry and factory complex at Burgthal was entirely demolished, mainly by workers from Solingen. Following this, Director Burlage and his wife left the country and emigrated to America.

1848, 18th and 19th of March Amid the general unrest in our town, I took part in maintaining the local security watch.

1848, March 18 and 19 A revolutionary battle took place in Berlin, between the people and the royal troops, in which the people emerged victorious. The King dismissed the old ministry, promised to be a constitutional monarch, to grant the nation a free and popular constitution, and to convene the General Assembly (Landtag) on Sunday, April 2, 1848.

In the battle in Berlin, 280 citizens and about 600 soldiers were killed. The Prince of Prussia was forced to flee to England, and his palace was declared the property of the nation.

In Vienna, around the same time, a similar revolution broke out, in which the people were again victorious. The old Prince Metternich, who for fifty years as Prime Minister had held the helm of state for nearly all of Europe, was compelled to flee from Vienna in haste as a refugee.

1848 April 5 On Wednesday, there was disorder and commotion in our town which, by evening, escalated into a riotous popular uprising, so that around 10 o’clock at night, the alarm bell was rung. In this troubled time, a citizens’ association (Bürgerverein) was formed. Armed with clubs, it acted energetically against the violent mob, and put an end to the riot and the scandalous disturbance.

On April 8, a rumor spread that 600 file makers (Feilenhauer) were marching on Remscheid to create unrest, which caused considerable alarm among the inhabitants. At 8 o’clock that evening, 100 infantry soldiers arrived in Remscheid to protect the town and maintain public order, thereby bringing an end to all disorder.

1848 May 1 Primary elections were held by the people throughout the entire Prussian monarchy—indeed, throughout all of Germany.  These electors were then to choose the deputies who would sit in the National Assembly (Reichsparlament) at Frankfurt am Main.

1848 May 4 The following were elected in Lennep as deputies for the district of Lennep:

• For Frankfurt, Pastor Hülsmann of Lennep;
• For Berlin, Judge Pelzer of Remscheid and Carl Lockhaus of Remscheid.
  

1848 May 7 During this very turbulent time, our two dear daughters, Julie and Fanny, were confirmed by Pastor Wülfing.

In Berlin, the elected representatives did not succeed in achieving any legal or constitutional reform in accordance with the new constitution. Consequently, on December 5, 1848, the King imposed his own constitution and the Berlin National Assembly was dissolved.

1849 February New elections were again held throughout the Prussian state, to choose new deputies for the first and second chambers. In our electoral district, our Justice of the Peace, Pelzer of Lennep, was once again elected as deputy to Berlin.

1849 February 26 The second opening of The National Assembly met again, composed of the newly elected deputies. At its opening, the King delivered a conciliatory address. Through the increased number of moderate-minded men, who recognized the constitution granted by the King as lawful and suitable for the country, the debates took on a calmer and more conservative tone, and trust gradually returned between the government and the people.

1849 March 28 In the Paul’s Church (Pauls­kirche) in Frankfurt am Main, our King was, to the great jubilation of Prussia, elected German Emperor, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, by a vote of 290 to 198. However, in accordance with the stipulations of the Imperial Constitution, our King declined the German imperial crown. This caused dissatisfaction and unrest in Westphalia, the Rhineland, and southern Germany.

Upon the mobilization of the Landwehr (militia), an open rebellion broke out on May 9, 1849, in Gräfrath, Solingen, Elberfeld, Hagen, and Iserlohn. The Landwehr refused to march, and the arsenal in Gräfrath was stormed. Elberfeld was barricaded for eight days,
so that communication by wagons and mail coaches between Elberfeld and the entire surrounding region were completely isolated during this time.

1849 May 16 The King and his Ministry declared the districts of Iserlohn, Hagen, Elberfeld, and Solingen to be in a state of siege, and General von der Gröben was given command over the area.

1849 May 17 and 18 The Democratic insurgents withdrew from Elberfeld after negotiations, and the barricades were cleared away.

1849 May 18 Iserlohn was taken by storm by Royal Prussian troops.

1849 May 19 2,500 Prussian soldiers entered Elberfeld to secure the city’s protection.

The eventful, sorrowful, and fateful years of 1848 and 1849 brought many hardships, and above all had a severely damaging effect on trade and industry. The fear of a general war had undermined all confidence, and thus the normal course of business in the factories was almost completely paralyzed. It was rare for any Remscheid manufacturer to have steady work. Only in the armory trades was some production still carried on, since throughout Germany the citizens’ militias (Bürgerwehr) were being organized. During this distressed time, about 10,000 thalers were collected in Remscheid
through voluntary contributions to support unemployed workers so that poor people could find work and wages on newly constructed municipal roads.

During this time, many poor people fetched coal from Elberfeld on handcarts. I was in charge of distributing the coal vouchers to them within the Remscheid school district. In 1848 and 1849, I often made weapon drawings for Solingen, so that during this period I was never short of work.

1848, 1849, and 1850 were good harvest years, and the prices of foodstuffs remained moderate and affordable.

1850 At Pentecost, the newly built Catholic church had its bells rung for the first time.

1850 December 14 Our Julie went to Lohmühle near Orsoy, to continue her education under teacher Carl Koch, whom I accompanied her to.

1851 January 26 Our Fanny began a three-year apprenticeship with Gustav Eickardt, in a German trade business.

1851 May The great London Industrial Exhibition was opened. Several leading Remscheid trading houses and manufacturers took part. My brother August also sent a sample card of chisels and socket irons there.

1851 September 7 Julie returned home from Orsoy. We then sent our Fanny there, so that she might take Julie’s place with teacher Koch, and Julie returned home with me.

1851 September 28 Through the kind arrangement of our cousin F. H. Karthaus in Amsterdam, I traveled with Julie to the Belgian Institute at Vilvorde near Brussels.
Julie remained there for nine months, and through her diligence and good conduct,
she brought great joy to her parents and to her teachers.

1852 March 13 I went to fetch our Fanny again from Orsoy. I traveled with her by steamboat and railway to Amsterdam, and we arrived there safely the following day at the home of our dear relatives. We were very kindly received, warmly welcomed, and I spent six very pleasant days in Amsterdam. Fanny quickly felt at home and remained there. After six days, I returned home safely.

1851 and 1852 At Hasten-Büchel, the second Protestant church in Remscheid was built,
under the name “Filialkirche.”On December 2, 1852, our son Friedrich Arnold Eugen was born – see Bible.

1852 Through the arrangement of our cousin F. H. Karthaus in Amsterdam, I made my first two small shipments to Soerabaya.

1853 July 1 I went to fetch our Julie from Vilvorde, where she had stayed for nine months. On the day of my arrival, I traveled with Julie by railway to Antwerp. The next morning, at four o’clock, we continued our journey by post coach via Breda and Gorinchem to Utrecht, and from there by rail to Arnhem, where we arrived in the evening at three o’clock at the home of our cousin Karthaus and Fanny. We were most kindly received and hospitably entertained, and remained in Arnhem until the Friday before the Remscheid fair,
returning home the following day to the great joy of all.

1853 Toward the end of September I made another journey with Julie to Arnhem for rest and enjoyment, where we were again welcomed with much friendship and hospitality. That summer, Mrs. Karthaus had unfortunately fallen into a melancholy, and was at that time under medical treatment with Dr. Hertz in Bonn.

1853 An Industrial and Art Exhibition for the Rhine Province and Westphalia was held in Düsseldorf, to which, in October of that same year, a show of agricultural products and livestock was added.

1853 October 16 At five o’clock in the morning, our son Julius departed for Henri-Chapelle, for the purpose of continuing his scientific education. However, because of the strictly orthodox Catholic environment there, Julius was able to remain only fourteen days. After that time, he traveled directly to Tournai in Belgium, where he was immediately admitted to the Institut Athénée Royal, and there found good teachers and a tolerant atmosphere.

1853 November 27 I fell ill for the first time with a chest ailment. The crisis of the illness increased within fourteen days to such a degree that Doctor Greuling Jr. forbade me to speak. Through his careful treatment, and by the help of God, I was at last restored to health.

1853 Christmas morning I was able to leave my sickroom again and rejoin my dear family downstairs, to their great joy. It was, however, another three months before I fully regained my former strength, and I then became completely well once more.

From 1849 to 1853 Apart from the potato blight, the years were good and fruitful, and the prices of foodstuffs remained moderate and low. The years 1850 to 1854 can also be described as good business years for Remscheid.

1851 to 1856 However, my drawing business gradually declined, so that at times I went one, two, or even three months without receiving any commissions.

1854 June 4 Julius returned home safely from Tournai, bringing with him a good report.

1854 June 28 Julie and Otto Müller were married in our house. Over Psalm 103, verses 1 and 2 — “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” — Pastor Wülfing delivered a beautiful wedding sermon.

My son-in-law Otto Müller and our Julie took their first apartment upstairs in our house after their wedding.

1855 January 2 I had to appear as a sworn juror at the Royal Assize Court in the new district court building in Elberfeld. The session lasted two weeks. Johann Drescher stood accused of perjury and usury; at the same time, Heinrich Brugmann also stood before the court, charged with perjury.

As a juror, I had to give my verdict in this session. The proceedings lasted two days; after a unanimous decision by the jury, Johann Drescher was sentenced to eight years in prison and 500 thalers in court costs, while Heinrich Brugmann received two years of imprisonment and 100 thalers in costs. My fellow jurors from Remscheid were Heinrich Mannesmann of Bliedinghausen and Walter Hasenclever of Ehringhausen. During these two weeks, I enjoyed a pleasant and hospitable stay with my cousin, Mr. Johann Peter Besenbruch, at Neuenteich in Elberfeld.

1854 Gustav Röder established the first small steam grinding works.

1855 A steam-powered grinding facility owned by Robert and Heinrich Böker was put into operation with significant power. Because of this competition, G. Röder’s steam works soon went out of business.

1855 June 2 Our Julius took his examination in Düsseldorf for voluntary one-year military service.

1855 October 1 Julius entered service with the 13th Infantry Regiment in Wesel. At Christmas 1855, Julius was home for nearly 4 1/2 days.

1854 During the autumn and winter, the price of foodstuffs began to rise again noticeably, so that bread in the autumn once more cost 6 silbergroschen, and potatoes climbed again to 1 thaler 20 silbergroschen per hundredweight. The outbreak of the Russo-Turkish War had a marked effect on the prices of food as well as on trade in general, particularly trade with Russia.

1855 This world-historical war against Russia was carried on with full energy by Turkey and its allies — France, England, and Sardinia. During the campaign in the Crimea, many of the most momentous battles of world history were fought, the most important of which I list here:

• 1854 September 4 25,000 French troops and 8,000 Turks embarked for Varna.
• 1854 September 9: The English fleet, carrying 25,000 men, united near Snake Island with the French-Turkish fleet.
• 1854 September 14: Landing at Eupatoria near the old fort, without resistance; the disembarkation lasted five hours.
• 1854 September 20: Battle of the Alma.
• 1854 September 21: The heights of Balaclava and the town itself were occupied by the allied forces.
• 1854 September 29: Reconnaissance of Sebastopol.
• 1854 October 9: Opening of the trenches, 700 meters from the city.
• 1854 October 17: Battle of Balaclava.
• 1854 November 6: Battle of Inkermann.
• 1855 May 22: Capture of the Kirchhof fort near Sebastopol.
• 1855 June 18: Unsuccessful assault against the Malakoff.
• 1855 August 16: Battle of the Tchernaya.
• 1855 September 8: Capture of the Malakoff fort.
• 1855 September 9: Evacuation of the southern side of Sebastopol.

Since the opening of the trenches on October 9, 1854, the troops spent 330 days under enemy fire.

1855 September 29 Our daughter Fanny, after a two-year absence in Arnhem, delighted us with a pleasant visit. She stayed fourteen days, and I accompanied her back as far as Düsseldorf.

The great and devastating Russo-Turkish War, which claimed a million lives through battle, climate, and contagious disease, was followed, in July and August 1855, by many destructive natural events. Severe earthquakes caused widespread devastation in southern Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. In the vicinity of Remscheid, particularly around Wermelskirchen, Thun, and Dabringhausen, there was on August 3rd, about 10 o’clock in the evening, a violent hailstorm, which caused heavy damage. Still more severe was the hailstorm of August 21st, which struck the northern part of Remscheid, especially Lüttringhausen, and wrought great destruction.

Ronsdorf and Lennep were struck hard. Field and garden crops were almost completely destroyed. Moreover, from the very thick hail — some of the hailstones being as large as hens’ eggs — window panes and roof tiles were often completely shattered, causing great damage to those affected.

For the victims in Wermelskirchen, Thun, and Dabringhausen, a total of 400 thalers in voluntary contributions was collected in Remscheid. However, for those affected by the hailstorm in the northern part of Remscheid, and especially in Lüttringhausen, the collection in Remscheid was not as generous.

The prices of food rose steadily because of these destructive natural events, a generally mediocre harvest across Europe, the tremendous demand from large armies in the Crimea and the Baltic Sea, as well as a moratorium on the export of grain in Russia, Poland, Turkey and Egypt.

By autumn 1855, prices stood as follows:

• Bread: 7–8 silbergroschen
• Potatoes (per 100 pounds, ordinary quality): 1 thaler 12 silbergroschen
• Wheat flour (per pound): 23–24 pfennige
• Oil (per measure): 14 silbergroschen
• Coal (per 100 pounds): 9–10 silbergroschen
• At the same time, ordinary wrought iron had reached the high price of 60 thaler per 1,000 pounds.

Because of the war, direct trade with Russia had come completely to a standstill;
and even trade with America had greatly slowed down. Among many Remscheid manufacturers—especially makers of watch pincers, glue and hand screws, compasses, and bolt latches—there was a severe shortage of work.

To these bitter calamities—war, high prices, and frequent unemployment—there was added, in the summer months of this fateful year 1855, the return of cholera throughout Europe. In various cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Cologne, and Berlin, the terrible disease carried off many people; but in Spain it raged most violently, to the point that entire small towns were depopulated.

“Yet do not despair when darkness
lies upon life’s path.
God is good; He will guide us —
It is His joy to do us good.”

February 1856 Amid the Russo-Turkish War, there arose hopes of peace. The need for peace grew ever stronger in the face of that great and devastating conflict, until finally, on

1856 February 29 A peace conference was convened in Paris, attended by the envoys of France, England, Russia, Turkey, Sardinia, and Austria. A truce was agreed upon until March 31, 1856.

1856 April 1 Julius was transferred with his infantry regiment from Wesel to Münster, and after a difficult march of three days, he arrived there safely.

Although England still showed a hostile attitude toward Russia and Prussia at the Paris Conference, the need for peace ultimately prevailed after that great and devastating war Prussia, as a neutral great power of Europe, was invited to the conference in Paris, and soon after, our Minister-President, Baron von Manteuffel, also arrived there. On March 17, he was honorably introduced and received in the conference hall. On the very day of his arrival, a son was born to Emperor Louis Napoleon in Paris, and amid great celebration and ceremony, the child was given the title Napoleon III, King of Algiers.

1856 March 30 At half past twelve noon, peace was formally concluded, ending the memorable struggle of the Oriental War between Russia and Turkey, and likewise with Turkey’s allies—France, England, Sardinia, and Austria— with the consent of neutral Prussia. This event brought great and universal rejoicing throughout Europe.

The results of the peace were as follows:

1. Free navigation of the Danube for all nations.
2. Free navigation of the Black Sea for all nations.
3. Protection and equal rights for all Christians within the Ottoman Empire, under the protectorate of the Great Powers of Europe.
4. Russia pledged itself not to rebuild the fortresses and naval ports of Sevastopol, Bomarsund, and Schwasborg and in general not to maintain a war fleet in the Black Sea.

[NOTE: probably Schlüsselburg / Schlisselburg, near St. Petersburg]

1856 April 27 At three o’clock in the afternoon, the exchange of ratifications of the peace treaty took place in Paris. The plenipotentiaries appeared in full ceremonial costume. Austria was represented by Baron von Hübner; Prussia by Count von Hatzfeld; France by Count Walewski and Monsieur de Bourqueney; England by Lord Cowley; Russia by Count Orloff and Baron von Brunnow; Sardinia by Count Villamarina; and the Turks by Aali Pasha and Mohammed Djemil Bey.

From the year 1843 to the end of 1855, 3,404,871 persons had emigrated from Europe to North America.

According to a ministerial decree of April 15, 1856, from that date forward, the trademarks of steel and iron goods in Westphalia and the Rhine Province could be registered with the Industrial Court in Hagen and entered in the Trade Registers of Solingen and Remscheid.

1856 October 2 My son Julius returned home safely and in good spirits from Münster, having completed his one-year voluntary military service with good reports.

1856 October 4 , I joined my friend Gottlieb Müller, through notarized contract, as a partner in his manufacturing and trading business, which now operates under the name Müller & Arns.

1856 October 5 Gottlieb Müller of Stachelhausen purchased from Ferdinand Schloeter of Güldenwerth the Tyrolean Hammer for 7,000 thalers, for the new firm Müller & Arns.

1856. After returning from Münster, Julius dedicated himself to work in the business of Gottlieb Müller Jr., in order to prepare himself for the coming year, 1857, to take part in the operations of the new firm Müller & Arns.

1856 November 15 Otto Müller set out on his first business journey to Russia. The trip was undertaken on behalf of the new firm Müller & Arns. Otto returned safely in mid-February 1857, and the first journey was satisfactorily successful for the firm.

1856 December There was fear that a war might break out between Prussia and Switzerland over Neuenburg [Principality of Neuchâtel]. Mobilization of the standing army was ordered by our government; the reserves and the first levy of the Landwehr [militia] would have been called up immediately had a formal declaration of war been made, and then our Julius, as a reservist, would have had to re-enter service. Fortunately, Switzerland extended its hand in peace, and through the peace-loving nature of our good King Friedrich Wilhelm, and with the mediation of Emperor Napoleon, peace was concluded in Paris in the spring, to the general joy of the country.

1856 Year’s end The three years of high prices—when, in 1855, bread cost up to 9 silbergroschen, and potatoes 1 thaler 16 silbergroschen to 2 thalers—came to a close. The year 1856 brought a moderately good harvest, and by the end of the year the price of bread had fallen to about 5 silbergroschen 7 pfennige. Potatoes became 15 to 20 silbergroschen cheaper, dropping to around 1 thaler 5 silbergroschen per hundredweight. Flour fell by 12 to 15 pfennige per pound. Iron, steel, brass, tin, and coal, however, continued to rise in price through the end of 1856.

In the years 1848 and 1849, iron cost 35 thalers per 1,000 pounds; by the end of 1856, the price had risen to 60 thalers per 1,000 pounds. The price of coal had increased by 2 to 3 silbergroschen per 100 pounds. With the good pace of the factories, wages for factory workers rose from 9–10 silbergroschen up to 15–20 silbergroschen per day, and day laborers in the file factories were earning between 25 silbergroschen and 1 thaler a day.

1856 November 15 Otto Müller undertook the first business journey for the firm Müller & Arns to Russia (see previous page).

The year 1857 began, for me and my family, thank God, in health and well-being.

1857 January The manufacturing and trading business under the firm Müller & Arns was opened at its premises in Stachelhausen.

1857 The year was marked early on by drought, so that by March and April the lack of water was already being felt.

1857 May 19 Our cousin Mr. F. T. Kartaus died suddenly and unexpectedly of a stroke at his country estate Rheinstein near Arnhem, in the arms of our daughter Fanny.

1857 March Construction of the file factory in Tyrol for the firm Müller & Arns was begun by the master builder Schaller and, by the end of November 1857—still during a dry autumn—the roof was completed.

1857 The year was marked by exceptionally warm and dry weather. The lack of water was already noticeable by May, and the drought continued through the entire summer and autumn, so that even at the beginning of December 1857, with mild autumn weather, there still had been no flooding.

This dry year—whose prolonged duration the oldest people could not remember ever having been equaled—had a very adverse effect on our Remscheid factories. The production of steel, saws, files, chisels, etc., was greatly hindered, causing considerable losses to Remscheid.

Nevertheless, the warm, dry summer and autumn of 1857 brought a blessed and fruitful year for wine, rye, wheat, potatoes, and fruit.

• Potatoes, which that year did not suffer from rot, were mealy and of good flavor, and their price fell in autumn to 25 silbergroschen per 100 pounds.
• Seven-pound bread cost 7⅓ silbergroschen in October, and fell to 4½ silbergroschen by March 1858.
• Wheat and buckwheat flour cost 15–17 pfennige per pound.
• The finest apples were 1 thaler 15 silbergroschen per 100 pounds.
• Oil fell to 10–11 silbergroschen per measure.

Because of the continued drought, however, the fodder and grain crops—such as hay, oats, buckwheat, straw, and barley—did not turn out well. In the autumn of 1857,

• hay cost 2 thalers per 100 pounds
• straw 1 thaler per 100 pounds, and
• butter in December 1857 was 10–11 silbergroschen per pound.

1857 From September 2 until the beginning of October, I made a 15-day journey in fine weather to Rheinstein to visit our dear Fanny. We had not seen each other in two years, and I found her healthy and well, while her husband, Mr. F. T. Karthaus, was in a physically ailing and mentally weak condition.

1857 November 26 Otto Müller undertook his second journey to Russia.

1857 From the middle of May onward I carried out repairs to our house. Up until November of that year, five new windows were installed in the two large rooms; the lower room was enlarged; new beams were laid in the ceiling; a new double door was added between the two lower rooms; a connecting door was made between the two small rooms facing the street; and a vaulted cellar, among other improvements, was constructed. During the frequent work and time spent with the craftsmen, especially the carpenters, I also had the house painted.

That year, the work on the house was not completed. Just as the warm, dry summer had been favorable for building, the high prices of building materials—oak and pine timber, bricks, and the greatly increased wages for construction labor—proved disadvantageous. The daily wages for masons and carpenters were 24 silbergroschen.

1857 The unprecedented commercial crisis that broke out between October and December in North America had a very harmful effect on trade and industry in Europe as well. Hamburg was especially hard hit, so that during this period around 390 commercial houses there suspended payments. The crisis also had a very damaging effect on Sweden and Norway, where nearly all trade came to a halt, and Remscheid’s traveling merchants who had set out for those regions returned home at the beginning of 1858 without having done any business. At that time, confidence in trade and commerce was severely shaken and recovered only slowly for, up to May 1858, very little had been exported to America, and none at all of Remscheid’s usual manufactured goods.

1858 The end of the past year, as well as the beginning of the new year 1858, I was thankful to God to have the good fortune In this year I was able, thank God, to live happily and in good health together with all the members of my family.

1858 In January, Otto returned home safely and in good health from his second journey to Russia.

1858 January 14 A conspiracy broke out in Paris — a plot led by Orsini, Pierri, and Rudio. They hurled newly invented explosive grenades (manufactured in England) at Emperor Napoleon III, the Empress, and their large entourage. The Emperor and his consort fortunately escaped the catastrophe without serious injury. Twenty-five people were killed and around one hundred wounded, and this dark event caused a great sensation not only in France but throughout all of Europe. The conspirators Orsini, Pierri, and Rudio were immediately apprehended, sentenced to death before the assizes, and executed in March. Rudio, however, was granted clemency by Emperor Napoleon and had his sentence commuted to life at hard labor.

1858 March 8 A violent storm with heavy snow squalls raged from 4 to 8 o’clock in the morning, causing great damage to many roofs, chimneys, and windows.

1858 March 14 Despite the deep snow that had made the road to Elberfeld barely passable, my son Friedrich Julius set out on his first business journey for our firm and factory, Müller & Arns, in southern Germany, Switzerland, and the Austrian states. He returned home safe and well on June 17.

1858 mid-May. Production began at our new file and large-saw works in Tyrol, under the supervision of master builder Schaller.

1858 July 2 My dear Julie moved with her three children to Tyrol to join her husband.
“May God bless their departure and their return alike.”

1858 July 18, Sunday My wife and our son Julius set out in fine summer weather on a trip to Arnhem to visit our daughter Fanny and her husband, Mr. Karthaus. Julius returned after a pleasant stay on July 28, and his mother arrived home safely on the evening of Friday, August 26.

1858 August 5 In the Hasten [NOTE: an historic district in Remscheid], during a house fire (at Trinpop’s house), two people lost their lives in a most tragic and scarcely comprehensible manner. Both were completely burned. The older one was named Enk, a father of three children; the younger, Döhl, was a young man of twenty years.

1858 August 27 News arrived from London of the great and successful laying of the transatlantic telegraph cable. The first message of this momentous historic event read: “Glory to God in the highest! Peace on earth, and goodwill toward men!”

The close of this year, as well as the beginning of the new year 1859, brought no significant or extraordinary events. The health of my family was satisfactory. Business continued in its usual way and was moderate. The prices of foodstuffs remained generally low. The winter was mild, and there was very little snow. The two-year shortage of water was, to everyone’s joy, entirely remedied in March 1859 by a complete flood.

The political horizon, however, darkened the outlook for the nine years of peace we had enjoyed since 1850. Unfortunately, tensions increased to such an extent that on April 29, 1859, Emperor Napoleon III, in alliance with Victor Emmanuel, King of Sardinia, declared war against Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. The battles in Italy (Lombardy) between Austria and the allied forces of France and Sardinia—at Vercelli, Magenta, and Solferino—all ended to the disadvantage of the Austrians, and the French and Sardinians were victorious in every engagement. On July 7, an armistice was concluded between Emperor Napoleon III and Emperor Franz Joseph, and on July 11 at Villafranca, peace was formally signed.

1859 June My son Julius returned from his journey through southern Germany and had to report to Wesel for a six-week training exercise as a one-year volunteer, to prepare for service as a Landwehr officer. After seventeen days, Julius returned from Wesel, but, owing to the mobilization of Prussia, he had to march out on Sunday, July 3, in very hot weather, as a Landwehr sergeant and battalion quartermaster in the 2nd Company of the 40th Landwehr Infantry Regiment, departing from Gräfrath for Saarlouis.

1859 July 30 Saturday afternoon, I went to the Elberfeld railway station to meet our daughter Jenny, who was returning home after an absence of four years. She was in good health, and we arrived safely in Remscheid that evening around nine o’clock.

1859 August 4 Our son Julius returned safely home from Trier, having completed his march back as a Landwehr sergeant.

On Thursday, August 18, our daughter Fanny, together with her sister Hulde, set out in the morning at six o’clock via Elberfeld to return to Rheinstein, accompanied by Julius as far as Elberfeld. That evening, around seven o’clock, Fanny and Hulde arrived safely at Rheinstein.

1859 August 27 The district court assessor from Honnef near Bonn was formally installed in Remscheid as mayor.

Because of the mobilization of the Prussian army into seven army corps, fears of a possible war, and widespread unemployment, the Remscheid marksmen’s festival was not held in 1859.

1859 October 3 The newly built permanent Rhine Bridge was inaugurated with great ceremony and opened to public traffic after three years of construction. The festival was attended by our Prince Regent as well as most of the ministers from Berlin. With around 10,000 visitors, the celebration took place in fine weather.

The harvest of grains and wine was favorable again this year, though the potato yield was, on average, one-third less than the previous year.

1859 May 8 My son Julius received his summons for a six-week training exercise in Wesel as a one-year volunteer sergeant. During this time, Julius was traveling in southern Germany and, after his return, he entered service at Wesel on June 5, 1859. After two weeks of training, Julius and August Hürxthal, the only one-year volunteers from Remscheid, were discharged from Wesel. Both were required to report again on June 23 as Landwehr sergeants of the First Reserve at Gräfrath.

1859 June 15 A telegram from Berlin announced the mobilization of eight army corps of the Prussian army.

1859 June 8 Between 3 and 4 in the afternoon, a strong hailstorm struck here in Remscheid, which in gardens and fields caused much damage.

1859 June 10 There followed an exceptionally strong thunderstorm that struck several houses in Remscheid, at Bergderkamp and elsewhere, though without igniting any fires, and fortunately no one was harmed. During this storm—and again during the thunderstorm that followed the next afternoon—there was an extraordinarily heavy rainfall that resulted in flooding.

1859 November 12 I celebrated my fifty-ninth birthday in good health and happiness, quietly and pleasantly in the company of my dear family and good friends on the following Sunday afternoon.

At the end of February 1859, I began to suffer from hemorrhoidal and urinary ailments. Through regular use of the herbal tea and powders of Le Roy, along with daily drinking of fresh cold water, cold-water enemas (which I had administered every evening for fourteen days), and cold-water sitz baths, while following a strict diet in eating and drinking—so strict that for four months I took neither coffee nor any kind of spirits, drinking instead herbal infusions as tea and in the afternoons I generally drank water and milk. During this period, I also avoided sour preserved vegetables, pork, and all bloating foods. By strictly and consistently following this regimen and lifestyle, I was—thank God—completely cured of this painful affliction.

1859 November 1 My dear granddaughter, Friederike Antonie Müller, passed gently away to the Lord after a short illness.

1859 November 15 My son-in-law Otto Müller departed on his fourth journey to Russia and returned safely toward the end of January 1860.

The harvest of 1859 was moderate, and the prices of foodstuffs were likewise moderate—for example: 100 pounds of potatoes cost 28 to 30 silbergroschen in the spring of 1860, 100 pounds cost 1 thaler 20 silbergroschen; bread 5½ to 6 silbergroschen; butter 8 to 9 silbergroschen per pound.

The industrial condition of our community of Remscheid was far from satisfactory in the year 1859, and the spring of 1860. The operation of our factories and businesses, after nearly three years of commercial crisis, had not yet recovered. Our principal products—files, saws, chisels, and plane irons—the manufacturers generally lacked profitable orders. Confidence in the business world was shaken; fears that peace might again be disturbed from abroad—especially by France—and that Germany, and particularly Prussia, might be threatened with war, weakened and paralyzed trade and commerce.

Despite the fact that the factories were not prospering, by May 1860 there had been 42–43 new houses and workshops registered for construction at the mayor’s office in Remscheid. The daily wages of workers—carpenters, joiners, and masons—averaged 24–25 silbergroschen. Building materials were expensive, so that a new house cost 25–30 percent more than five years earlier. The value of land and houses had risen sharply, with building plots selling for 10, 20, or even 30 thaler per Ruthen [a local measure of area].

The spring of 1860 was quite cold and accompanied by much rain. On Whit Monday and Tuesday, May 28 and 29, a severe storm struck England, Holland, Belgium, and Germany, bringing cold rain and causing great destruction. According to English reports, 150 ships were wrecked and many people lost their lives.

In May 1860 Julius Müller entered the factory operated by the firm Müller & Arns in Tyrol, moving into the newly built house there.

1860 May 4 I brought my daughter Hulda to Blankenstein, to the girls’ institute of Pastor Sweers. The weather was fine and my youngest daughter accompanied us on the journey. We received a friendly welcome there and pleasant, gracious hospitality.

On June 16 and 17, 1860, our universally respected and beloved Prince Regent, together with the King of Hanover, the King of Bavaria, the Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and others, met with Emperor Napoleon III at Baden-Baden in the company of the Grand Duke. People hoped that this meeting of the German sovereigns with Napoleon would have good results—that peace between France and Germany would remain secure, that confidence throughout Germany would be restored and strengthened, and that industrial and commercial activity would once again prosper.

For military expenditures, the recently assembled representatives of the Landtag in Berlin, in late April 1860, granted the state government 9 million thalers.

1860 July 28 Our esteemed and beloved Prince Regent met with Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria in Teplitz, and it was hoped that through the friendly alliance of these two great powers, peace in Germany would be secured. Confidence in the stability of Europe was strengthened, and a safeguard was thus set against the conquest-driven and warlike ambitions of Emperor Napoleon III toward Germany.

1860 August 1 Our firm Müller & Arns moved its office from Stachelhausen to our factory location in Tyrol.

1860 November 17 My son-in-law Otto Müller departed on his fifth journey to Russia.

1860 November 29 My dear brother Fritz passed away in Cologne after a long illness. On December 3, 1860, I traveled to Cologne together with my brothers Hermann, August, and Reinhard, and the four of us attended the funeral of our beloved brother Fritz there.

1860 November 12 I celebrated my 60th birthday in good health and well-being. At this significant milestone in my life, in quiet devotion, I offered my praise and thanks to my gracious Creator and Preserver of life, surrounded by my dear family. At 60 years of age, I could still write and draw with a steady hand, read and work without spectacles, hear well, and—thanks to sound teeth—eat well. For my age, I rejoiced in the blessing of continued good health.

1860 The summer was on the whole very wet and cold, so that we had very few truly warm days to enjoy. The frequent rain had a harmful effect on the harvest; the potato crop in particular failed badly this year throughout the Rhine Province and the Bergisches Land. By importing the needed supply from the Upper Rhine and from Westphalia, the price of potatoes in the autumn of 1860 rose to between 1 thaler 10 silbergroschen and 2 thaler 10 silbergroschen per 100 pounds.

• A seven-pound loaf of bread cost about 6 silbergroschen, on average.
• Buckwheat and wheat flour cost 20 to 24 pfennige per pound.
• Oil per measure cost 9½ to 10 silbergroschen, and so on.

1860 The condition of our factories this year was far from satisfactory. The unsettled political climate—especially the Italian revolution and the persistent fears of war—had a dampening effect on commerce. Yet, despite these uncertainties, the year 1860 came to a peaceful close for Germany.

1860 November 29 My dear brother Friedrich Arns passed away in Cologne after a long illness of the stomach. On December 3, 1860, I traveled to Cologne with my three brothers—Hermann, August, and Reinhard—and we attended the funeral of our beloved brother there.

1861 January 2 Our King, Friedrich Wilhelm IV, passed away after a long illness of 3 years. He was succeeded on the throne by his brother, who for the past 2 years had already governed as Prince Regent to the satisfaction of the entire nation—now King Wilhelm I.

December 1860 and January 1861 We experienced a severe winter. With deep snow came intense frost, and the Rhine, Moselle, Saar, Waal, Ijssel, and other rivers were almost completely frozen over. The temperature often fell to 16–18 degrees [NOTE: Réaumur scale, equivalent to –4° F to –8° F].

Toward the end of January, the weather gradually began to thaw. In Holland, however, the ice in the lowlands held fast, causing the water to rise to almost unprecedented levels. When two dikes in Gelderland near Bommel gave way, 19 or 20 villages were completely inundated, leaving about 20,000 people homeless and unable to save their belongings. Between February 1 and 9, further pressure from the ice and the rising waters caused two or three additional breaches along the Waal and the IJssel, flooding as many as 25 more villages as far as Nijmegen, where many people and animals perished. The misfortune of those who suffered from the flooding was extraordinarily great, and many generous donations were made in Holland—as well as in Germany—for the victims of the disaster.

1861 April 7 Our youngest daughter, Eugenie, was confirmed by Pastor Hassenclever in fine weather.

1861 April 11 The cornerstone for a new poorhouse in Lochbach was laid, with the Catholic pastor Langersdorf delivering the address—since, quite notably, our Protestant pastors Hassenclever and Wülfing both sent their regrets and were unable to attend. The building fund for the poorhouse was a gift to the community of Remscheid from Carl Halbach of Cologne, who retained for himself, for the remainder of his life, an annual interest of four percent on the capital sum of 17,000 thalers.

1861 July 3 After the completion of her year at the boarding school, we—father and mother—brought our daughter Hulda home from Blankenstein. The weather was very cold and in the afternoon turned to heavy rain. Hulda had conducted herself with propriety and diligence during her time in Blankenstein and earned a good report from Pastor Sweers.

1861 July 14 During a morning walk in Baden-Baden, our much-beloved King Wilhelm I was shot at by a student, Oscar Becker—a native of Odessa and, most recently, a resident of Leipzig—who fired a double-barreled pistol. By God’s gracious protection, the King was only slightly wounded in the neck and soon made a full recovery. On September 23, 1861, Becker was tried before the jury court in Bruchsal and sentenced to twenty years of hard labor followed by expulsion from the country. He received the sentence with a smile.

1861 September 11 Our King returned from the seaside resort of Ostend to Benrath Palace near Düsseldorf, where he, along with his consort, the Crown Prince, and nearly all the princes of the royal house, attended the grand military maneuvers held along the Rhine near Düsseldorf, Wewelinghofen, Krefeld, and Cologne. Many high-ranking officers from France and England praised the performance of the Prussian troops and the hospitality they received. The maneuvers lasted for fourteen days.

1861, August 20 – September 3 We had the pleasure of another two-week visit from our daughter Fanny. Upon her departure, Fanny took our youngest daughter, Eugenie, with her to Rheinstein. Julius accompanied his two sisters as far as Düsseldorf, from where he began a business trip through southern Germany and Switzerland that lasted about seven weeks.

1861 September 28 My wife also departed for Rheinstein in fine autumn weather, arrived there safely, and enjoyed pleasant, warm days. After three weeks, she returned home with Eugenie on October 19, both in good health and spirits.

On September 6 and 7, 1861, our King Wilhelm I paid a friendly visit to Emperor Napoleon III in Compiègne, where he was received with great honor and splendid hospitality.

1861 October 18 The inauguration ceremony of our King Wilhelm I took place in Königsberg with much pomp and display under beautiful, warm autumn skies. On October 22, the royal couple and the entire court made their ceremonial entry into Berlin with great festivity. The Duke of Magenta, envoy of Emperor Napoleon III, gave a grand ball in honor of our King, marked by extraordinary luxury and splendor, which greatly delighted the King and the royal family.

The month of October that year was distinguished by its beautiful, warm, and dry weather.

1861 At nearly sixty-one years of age, I purchased my first pair of spectacles out of necessity. For thirty years, I had made it a daily habit—whenever I was at home—to wash my eyes three times with March water, and I believe that this practice helped me preserve my eyesight for so long.

1861 The year ended peacefully in Germany. Business, however, left much to be desired, and the state of our Remscheid factories was generally unsatisfactory. The harvest that year was also not particularly good; rye and wheat were of average quality, while the potato crop failed throughout the Rhineland and Westphalia.

Thanks to increased supply from the Upper Rhine and East Prussia, the price of potatoes still settled at 1 thaler 15 to 20 silver groschen per 100 pounds, with fine red varieties reaching up to 2 thalers 10 silver groschen. Seven-pound bread cost 6 to 6½ silver groschen, flour 2 silver groschen per pound, and oil 10 silver groschen per measure. Because of the poor growing season, all fruit was expensive—good apples costing 12 to 15 pfennige per pound.

1862 I began the year with my dear family in the usual way and, thank God, in good health. At the beginning of 1862, the telegraph line was established in Remscheid.

A heavy blow, however, struck me and my family that February. After a fourteen-day illness of severe nervous fever, our dear, unforgettable Hulda — despite all medical help and care — passed peacefully to the Lord at the age of 18 years and 7 months. (See more details in the appendix of the family Bible.)

The spring of 1862 distinguished itself through exceptionally beautiful and warm weather in the months of February, March, and April.

1862 April 27 The Sunday after Easter, my son Carl Arns was confirmed by Pastor Hasenclever. Yet at the end of April and the beginning of May, cold days and night frosts returned, so that many blossoms on cherry, pear, and apple trees — as well as the blossoms of the bilberries (as in the previous year) — were struck by frost, destroying all hope for a good fruit harvest.

In 1862, the Chamber of Deputies, assembled in Berlin in February, was dissolved by our King on March 10. The nine million thalers again requested by our government for the military budget were, immediately beforehand, rejected by the chamber with a decisive majority on the motion put forward by Hagen. At the same time, the chamber petitioned the government for the abolition of the 25 percent supplementary tax. These were the motives for the dissolution of the chamber. The ministry was not changed in accordance with the will of the country, and the political parties in the land stood in sharp opposition to one another.

A new election of deputies was promptly ordered by the King for the country. The primary elections were, on average, attended by the eligible voters with greater interest, and the electors—generally in the spirit of opposition throughout the land—re-elected the former deputies.

Thereupon, the King and his ministry issued a cabinet order abolishing the 25% supplementary tax (which had been so unpopular among the people) and announced certain concessions for the military class.

The newly elected deputies had to reconvene in Berlin on May 21 of that year, and the new chamber assembled, now with less opposition to the government. The trade and navigation treaty concluded by our government with France was approved by the chamber of deputies on July 25, 1862 — almost unanimously.

1862 June 7 The Saturday before Pentecost, I made a journey to Rheinstein with my two children, Eugenie and Carl. We found our Fanny there in good health and spirits; I spent fourteen pleasant days there with my three children at my niece’s house. After a two-week stay, I left Eugenie there and returned home with Carl.

1862. From Pentecost onward, we had six weeks of heavy rain, accompanied by a penetrating cold. Around the beginning of summer, it was so chilly that one had to heat the rooms even while sitting quietly at work. The growth of grass was particularly hindered, so that butter averaged a price of 9 silbergroschen.

1862 Peace in our fatherland was not disturbed. Trade and industry maintained a moderately good course. The fertility of the year was satisfactory. Potatoes were on average 20 silbergroschen per 100 pounds cheaper than the previous year, and almost no trace of rot was observed. The prices of foodstuffs remained at a moderate level.

1862 October 13 Our King Wilhelm I dissolved the House of Deputies, yet the peace of the country, despite the unfavorable impression among the people, remained undisturbed.

The winter of 1862–1863 was very mild, so that we had little frost and little snow.

1862 December 2 After a brief illness, our dear and unforgettable grandson Otto Müller died at the age of nearly three years. The severe croup disease was the cause of his death, and the treatment by two physicians could not save the darling of the whole family.

1862 November 5 Our dear Eugenie, together with her brother Julius, left for Sobernheim to attend boarding school.

The death of our dearly beloved and unforgettable Hulda and the death of our dear grandchild Otto Müller, this past year, by God’s unfathomable decree, has struck deep wounds into our hearts.

1863 January 1 The factory and trading business under the firm Müller & Arns, after five years of operation, was transferred in equal parts to Otto Müller, his brother Julius Müller, and my son Friedrich Julius Arns. The details are set forth in the business contract (sales agreement).

1863 January 11 My son Julius undertook his first journey to Russia. He accomplished the voyage with courage and good health, returning after a duration of seven weeks.

The revolution which broke out in Poland at the end of January that year, together with the severely paralyzed commercial crisis prevailing in Russia, allowed no hope of satisfactory business.

1863 January 20 The Chamber was reopened in the name of the King by the Minister President, with the existing representatives of the Land assembled once more. Since the State Government had continued to rule arbitrarily, without a budget approved by the Chamber for the year 1862—the budget, notably the military question, as well as the responsibility of the ministers before the House of Deputies, being matters to be discussed—there was, throughout the whole country, great suspense regarding the outcome of this parliamentary session. The agitation of minds was still further heightened by the minister appointed by the King – Bismarck-Schönhausen – and left a wholly unsatisfactory impression upon every educated and otherwise well-disposed patriotic Prussian. The Upper House took the side of the King and his Ministry. The Chamber, under its much-respected and dignified President Grabow, maintained, in accordance with the Constitution, its right to deliberate openly and consistently upon the State budget, the military question, and the convention concluded by the government with Russia. The sympathy of the nation stood firmly with the deputies, who held a large majority; yet the King, with his Ministry, persisted in his principles of government.
The very dissatisfied mood prevailing throughout the country continued during the protracted sitting of the Chamber.

1863 February 8th Prussia and Russia, on account of the insurrection that had broken out in Poland, concluded—under Bismarck-Schönhausen—a convention which likewise produced no good feeling in the land.

1863 March 17 The Veterans’ Festival was also celebrated in Remscheid, with the ringing of bells, the firing of salutes, and a Landwehr procession through the town with music and banners, as well as a festive midday meal, despite the rainy weather. The celebration recalled the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of King Frederick William III, “To My People” on March 17, 1813, which drove the founding of the Landwehr and the Iron Cross in that memorable time in Prussia. With great enthusiasm, in the years 1813, 1814, and 1815, the allied powers—Russia, Prussia, Austria, and England—defeated Napoleon; he had to renounce his throne and died in exile on St. Helena. Europe, and especially Germany and Prussia, emerged from this war of liberation as glorious victors! By command of our King William I this celebration was ordered for the whole Prussian monarchy, and it, too, was observed with considerable patriotism throughout the land.

At this celebration, Remscheid still counted twenty-five veterans of the War of Liberation which lasted 4 years. The veterans present were sumptuously entertained, and from the communal treasury each was gifted ten thalers.

1863 March 17 Our dear sister-in-law, the widow Friedrich Wilhelm Karthaus, after a recurring illness—of pneumonia—passed gently away at nearly sixty-five years of age.

1863 April 2 Our dear daughter Fanny returned home happily to her parents’ house in Remscheid on Maundy Thursday, after an absence of eleven years, accompanied by Otto Wüller from Amsterdam.

1863 June 19 Our King William I dissolved the sitting Chamber of Deputies in Berlin, since no agreement on the State Budget could be reached under the Ministry of Bismarck-Schönhausen.

1863 October 28 The King and his Ministry ordered a new election of deputies for the whole land within the Prussian monarchy, which resulted in favor of the liberal party.

1863, September 2 to 5 We parents made a Rhine journey to Sobernheim and fetched our dear daughter Eugenie, healthy and well, from the girls’ institute at Pastor Am Ende’s. We made the journey in fine weather and good health, enjoying many interesting sights, and returned home safely on Saturday evening at nine o’clock by post-coach from Solingen via Tyrol.

1863 September 30 Our dear sons Julius and Carl departed for Liège at five o’clock in the morning. They spent that day in Cologne, saw many interesting things there, and on the following day Julius introduced his brother Carl at the institute in Liège.

1863 October 18 The memorial celebration of the great Battle of Leipzig was also held in Remscheid. The festival consisted of a procession of the Landwehr Association with the veterans and military music at its head, gymnastic displays by the school youth, fireworks in the evening, and a great bonfire on the shooting field; supper at Alberty, and a festive gathering at the innkeeper Schneider’s.

1863 October 24 Gas lighting was inaugurated in Remscheid, both in the streets and in the houses.

1863 December 28 Our dear Carl arrived home unexpectedly from Liège and spent the Christmas holidays with us until January 6, 1864, to our joy, pleasantly and cheerfully, and on January 6 returned safely alone to Liège.

1863 Christmas Day Our dear and unforgettable Julie visited her parents and siblings in Remscheid for the last time. Her grievous illness showed itself in a rheumatic paralysis of the feet, which brought about her early and deeply lamented death on February 27, 1864. Further particulars are to be found in the appendix to the great house and family Bible.

1863 This year was distinguished by a late autumn marked by dryness. The year was fruitful, especially in the potato harvest, and the prices of the necessaries of life remained moderate.

1864 At the beginning of January and throughout the whole month we had severe cold, so that on some days it reached 11–12 degrees below freezing. In Russia, whither our son Julius had traveled, he experienced 22 degrees of frost. He completed the journey in health and good fortune, for his business, for the second time. In February we had heavy snowfall, which lay on average about three feet deep.

1864 At the end of January the German Confederation declared war upon Denmark for the protection and liberation of the duchies of Holstein and Schleswig. The reservists, as well as the Landwehr men of the first levy, together with artillery and train, were mobilized from several regiments of the Prussian army and had to march into Holstein-Schleswig.

1864 In January Holstein was occupied by the Federal Execution Troops — Saxons and Hanoverians — and, upon the voluntary evacuation by the Danes, was taken possession of. Schleswig was attacked by the united German great powers, Prussia and Austria. At Apenrade and Missunde there were fierce engagements in which the Germans remained victorious. Under the command of Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia, the crossing over the Schlei was effected with vigor. The Danes, disheartened by Prussian bravery, speed, and accurate marksmanship with their needle-guns, were so discouraged that the famous Danish Dannevirke was taken without a fight, and the defeated Danes withdrew rapidly. In a short time Schleswig was conquered by the German troops, Prussians and Austrians, and by the rapid advance of the Prussians they pushed as far as Kolding in Jutland. The supreme command of the united German army was held by the eighty-year-old Prussian Field Marshal von Wrangel, who, despite his great age, severe frost, and deep snow, displayed youthful vigor and presence of mind.

1864 April 18 The famously strong Danish defenses Nos. 1 to 10 were taken by storm within two hours by the Prussian troops with distinguished bravery.

1864 April 20 The conference in London concerning the German-Danish dispute was opened by the ruling powers — Prussia, Austria, France, England, Denmark, Russia, Sweden — and the envoy to the Federal Diet (von Beust).

1864 May 12 A four-week armistice was concluded in London between the belligerent powers, Prussia and Austria on the one hand and Denmark on the other.

1864 After a six-week truce, no result for peace was achieved, owing to Denmark’s obstinacy. On June 26 hostilities in the German-Danish war began anew.

1864 June 29 By a heroic night crossing of the sound at two o’clock in the morning, the island of Alsen was brilliantly taken by storm by the Prussians in only a few hours. The Danish loss was about four thousand men, and the victors made over two thousand prisoners and great war booty in guns, standards, and military stores, as well as provisions. The Prussians were greeted with enthusiastic fervor by the islanders of Alsen as their liberators from the harsh Danish rule.

1864 August 2 After a six-week armistice, the preliminaries of peace were concluded in Vienna between Prussia and Austria on the one side, and Denmark on the other – thereafter the prisoners were mutually exchanged.

1864 October 30 Peace was concluded in Vienna between Prussia and Austria on the one side and Denmark on the other. Denmark lost entirely the duchies of Lauenburg, Schleswig & Holstein; yet the duchies had to bear, in favor of Denmark, war costs amounting to twenty-nine million.

1864 August 14,Sunday Our dear Carl returned home from the pension at Liège, having completed his annual course in health and with a good report.

1864 October 5 In the afternoon, a new and beautiful organ was dedicated in our Evangelical church here in Remscheid. The builder was Ibach & Sons in Barmen [NOTE: It existed there until 2007].

1864 October 18 The returning Remscheid soldiers were festively received and regaled with a banquet in the Schützenhalle [NOTE: literally, ‘riflemen’s hall’]. The ringing of bells and a church service consecrated the celebration; the houses were adorned, cannons thundered, and afterward the banquet in the Schützenhalle concluded the festivities amid great participation.

1864 By mid-November the winter set in early with snow and frost; shortly before Christmas until the New Year there was fine sleighing, which was very favorable for our skate manufacturers. The winter in the new year continued until the end of March, almost uniformly severe, so that for a long time, with daily snowfall, we had deep snow lying, and it extended throughout Germany and into Russia. On March 22, 1865, we had the bitter cold of 10–12 degrees [NOTE: Réaumur scale, roughly 5 – 10 °F], so that in March no work could be done in the fields and gardens, and especially nothing on home construction. The month of April brought us the long-awaited spring weather. At the beginning of April there was rain; from the 6th onward we had fine warm spring days. Snow and frost disappeared, and people revived with new hope and courage.

1864 From mid-1864 onward, an abdominal illness kept me confined at home as an invalid until 1865 — a period of about five months. Fever, night sweats, and swollen feet were, at my age of sixty-four years, troubling symptoms in my weakened condition. Under the care of Dr. Greuling and with diligent, loving nursing, I improved – though slowly, through God’s help; and on April 10, after five months, I had the happiness of being able once more to enjoy, for an hour at midday, the fresh, warm spring air.

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all the good He has done for you.

[Carl Arnold Arns died on the 7th of August 1865, in Remscheid – just 4 months after his joyful hour in the spring air on April 10th, 9 months after the onset of his illness. There is no further entry from Carl on his life, but his daybook closes with 4 pages of extracts from a book called “Weisheit meine Führerin”, published in 1821 by Wilhelm David Fuhrmann]

Extracts from the book “Wisdom, My Guide”

With a quiet spirit I would plead to Thee,
Wisdom! look down from Thy heights,
look gently down upon me!
Guide me through the dark vale of earth,
Fount of Light! with Thy gentle ray,
send Thy light down upon me!

—

He alone is wise who knows, in thrift, how to enjoy, and in enjoyment, how to be thrifty.

—

Let not thy Christianity be without reason, nor thy reason be without faith!

—

That thou mayest think of death with calmness and a cheerful heart, strive after the consciousness of a well-conducted life.

—

May God grant us reason and gentleness to love Him with all our soul! To love Him, the Infinite One, with all our soul and strength. And this — the first of all duties, exalted above all through love of one’s neighbor — this is humanity’s highest law. This is religion.

—

In fortune, be temperate;
In storm, do not despair;
Bear the inevitable with dignity;
Do what is right, delight in what is fair;
Love life – and do not fear death;
Stand firm in faith in God and a better future, that is what it is to live.
That, O man, is what it is to rob death of its bitterness!

—

Think clearly, speak rightly, act swiftly — make thyself a man!

—

To all men, to all,
no man can be pleasing;
but to please God,
to wish good to all —
thus can the Christian be of use,
if he is upright of heart.

—

He who hastens to thy aid in accident, distress, or pain dmust ever be as dear to thee as thine own brother.

—

O Father, who dost feed and guard me,
I know so little what is good for me
that I scarce dare to ask for aught.
On Thee alone I rest my trust,
Thou Lord and Ruler of my days.
One blessing only do I see:
grant me the strength ever to be good,
then am I safe wherever I may be.
All else shall come
as best may serve —
for this, my Father, Thou wilt care!

—

Be cautious in speech!
The word is thine so long as thou keep’st it;
but once it has fled thy mouth,
it returns to thee nevermore.
Swiftly it grows and breeds,
joined with passion,
strife and contention and theft,
hatred, persecution, and murder.

—

If love does not fill thy heart,
then, though thou possess the greatest gifts,
though thou have the understanding of angels,
before God thou art but sounding brass.

—

He who greets a friend with sincerity,
shows respect to his kindred,
courtesy to women,
gift and goodwill to the poor,
humility to the proud,
gentle instruction to the erring,
and tenderness to the weak —
he is the kindly man.

—

He who speaks, sows;
he who listens, reaps.

—

What whispers to us in our sorrow:
Endure, my heart — soon peace shall shine!
What bears with us life’s grief and pain,
with steadfast courage and a strong arm?
What goes, when all else breaks and falls,
with us into that brighter world?
O word full of heavenly melody —
it is friendship, yes, friendship alone!

—

Believe not all that thou hearest,
so shalt thou not be deceived.
Say not all that thou knowest,
(nor speak all that thou thinkest).
Love not all that thou beholdest,
it might prove perilous to thee;
do not all that thou desirest,
it might bring thee trouble.

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Upon the human heart nothing has so great an influence as the voice of a friend, of whom one knows that he ever speaks only for our good.

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Men, be humane — that is your first duty!

—

Let all that thou doest be right;
yet, my friend, let that suffice.
And beware, I pray thee,
of doing everything that is right.

—

Two paths there are by which man ascends to virtue:
the fortunate attain it through action,
the suffering through endurance.
Happy is he whose destiny, in love, has led him upon both.

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Diligence, trust in God, and hope will never bring us to shame.

—

Hope, faith, and love are the guiding spirits of man, who, in love, draw him onward and strong through life.

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Live as you will wish to have lived when you die.

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From misfortune flow consecrated joys; apparent happiness is often but the source of sorrow. Consider this, and rejoice that God rules thee; be obedient, even when He leads thee through thorns.

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After a brief trial of days eternity awaits us!
There—there sorrow is transformed into divine contentment.
Here virtue practices her zeal, and yonder world bestows her reward.