Carl Gottlieb Steffens
1750-1825 Danzig

Carolina Dorothea Weichbrodt
1768-1829, Muggen

According to Aflhard Kowallek (deceased), Emilie Henriette Wilhelmine Steffens [1794-1877], daughter of Carl and Carolina Weichbrodt, was an accomplished artist and is very likely the artist who painted these portraits of her parents.

William Pickering, Esq, Counsil to Mecklenburg [my 4x Great Grandfather] married Caroline Amalie Friedrieke Steffens, and his brother, Peter Pickering, married her sister, Emilie Henriette Wilhelmine Steffens. Thus, two important and wealthy families united in marriage and for business.

Colonel Von Kameke Excerpt from Peter Pickering’s journal: “… A few weeks after this had taken place, my Brother [William] returned from Danzig to Liverpool; and after having asked me, how I stood with Miss Hulley and I have explained the same to him; he said its well, and he rejoced it had been so; as he was authorized by Miss Emilie Steffens and her Parents to inform me if my wishes remained as the formerly were; there would now be no longer any difficulty made to our Union on my arrival in Danzig; as then our Nuptuals mine and Miss Emilie Steffens could take place, on the same Day as the Nuptuals, of the younger Daughter of Mr. Steffens with F… Colonell von Kamecke the Commandant of Danzig which was the wish of the Bride of Collonel von Kamecke Commandant of Danzig [photo].

“In consiquence of this communication from Miss Steffens and her Parents, I immediately, departed from Liverpool and arrived in Danzig about the 1st March 1818 and was married to Miss Emilie Steffens on the 18th of April 1818.“

… “I soon saw the drift of all the Collonels enquiries, and as soon as I had informed him; which I pointedly did, what had brought me to the Cambleton [Campbeltown, England] and that my Brother [William] had married Miss Steffens oldest Daughter of one of the richest Merchants of Danzig; and that the youngest Daughter of Mr. Steffens, was betrothed to Collonel von Kamecke, the Commandant of Danzig; he, Collonel McFallester became more friendly towards me.”

William & Caroline Page

Peter & Emilie Page

Danzig / Gdansk, Prussia – The Steffens House, called the “Golden House”, is considered one of the most beautiful patrician houses on Long Market as the front elevation of the 400 year old house was adorned with gold. The Renaissance building commissioned by the rich corn merchant Hans Speymann acquired its nickname due to the rich gold decoration applied by the Rostock artist Hans Voigt. The house was later occupied by the wealthy merchant Steffens family. Read more in an article in this 1939 National Geographic Magazine.

	Read more about the famous home the Steffens lived in Danzig Prussia. It remains today has an historic site.
	Brothers, William and Peter Pickering married two Steffens sisters with the blessings of both sets of wealthy merchant families!
	Our German cousins offer a wealth of family photos and valuable information about our ancestors and the descendants of Peter Pickering
	Read this incredible journal written by Peter Pickering telling, in part, of his connection to the Steffens family ca. 1810!
	Read a wedding poem written as a wedding gift by William Pickering to his bride Frederica Steffens
	This book contains a little poem written by Paul Heinrich Weichbrodt for his sister Caroline on her wedding day. (pdf)

CARL GOTTLIEB STEFFENS (15 November 1749 Prabuty – 8 November 1825 Gdańsk), a merchant. Bookbinder’s son Jacob (9 VIII 1715 Prabuty – 9 X 1797 Gd). Initially, a partner in the firm of Johann Wilhelm Uphagen q, et seq. owner of the wholesale trade in cereals [grains] Carl Steffens und Söhne.

In 1808, the ship had mor. grain of capacity. 180 lasts (about 400 tons). Since 1792 the owner of the house at Langer Markt 41 (Long Market) – Golden House, where he was for 150 years the family business currency. During the great fire destroyed Granaries q 5 of its granaries. He was the owner of the village Przywidz (Mariensee) and the surrounding estates. Survived by sons Carl Gustav Wilhelm (1790-1861), Ferdinand Eduard Ludwig and Friedrich Adolph Eugen (1798-1832).

Translated from: Encyklopedia Gdanska

Letter from Steffens cousin?

From: Michael Steffens
by accident I found your Pickering/Steffens website. With great interest I learn that your chronology of this family stopped at the end of the 18th century. You mentioned the “Steffens-House” in Danzig. My father and my grandpa, Walter Steffens sen., his first son Walter Steffens jun. and my father Karl-Heinz Steffens, were residents of Danzig until the end of second world war. They escaped to West Germany. There are any further connections of the Pickering/Steffens family perhaps leading to my grandpa Walter Steffens? My father told me, that the Steffens family were in former times succesful merchants.

Steffens Genealogy

Johann Steffens – b: 185/Riesenburg – 1762

…. +Dorothea Kownatzki (?- 1762)

6 Children of Johann Steffens and Dorothea Kownatzki

1 Jacob Steffens

….. b: 09 Aug 1715 Wisenburg
….. d: 8 Oct 1797, Danzig (age 82)

…. + Maria Magdalena Steinmetz

…… b: 15 May 1726
…… d. Apr 1797

Children of Jacob Steffens and Magdalena Steinmetz

2 Carl Gottlieb Steffens

………. b: 07 Nov 1750 Danzig, Prussia
………. d. Aug 11 1825 in Danzig (age 61)

+ Carolina Dorothea Weichbrodt

………. b: 29 Nov 1768 Muggen
………. d. Jan 23 1829

……2 Caroline Concordia Steffens 1752-1841 m. Hesse
……2 Frederich Steffens 1757-1815
……2 Christoph Steffens 1757-1757
……2 Regine Elisabeth Steffens m. von Savursky and Friedrich Jeschke

………….3 Carl Steffens 1789-1790

………….3 Eduard Ludwig Ferdinand Steffens

………………b: 13 Sep 1791
………………m. Adeline du Bois. 1804-1836 b: 07 Feb 1804
……………… d: 1875

………….3 Friedrich Adolph Eugen Steffens
……………… b: 1792
…………….. m. Adeline von Wittke
………………… son: Gustav Steffens 188-1892
………………… son: Ferdinand Steffens 1829-1881
………………… son: Eugen Steffens 1831-

………….3 Marianna Sophia Paulina Steffens
………………m. Paul William Hennig von Kamacke

………….3 Caroline Amalie Friedrieke Steffens
……………… b: 01 Sep 1788, Danzig, Prussia
………..…… d: 16 Apr 1864 Wallasey, Cheshire, England (age 76)
…………………… m. WILLIAM PICKERING, 16 July 1812
……………………..b: 05 Oct 1782, Frodsham, Bradley, England

………….3 Carl Wilhelm Gustav Steffens
……………….. b: 01 Apr 1790, Danzig, Prussia
……………….. d: 2 June 1861 (age 71)
…………………m: Maria Friederike Gotz 1808-1848
…………………….. dau: Maria Elisabeth Steffens 1835-1920

………….3 Emilie Henriette Wilhelmine Steffens
……………….. b: 13 Feb 1794, Danzig, Germany
……………….. d: 1794
…………………… m. PETER PICKEIRNG
…………………… b: 27 Jul 1785 Aston, Sutton, Chester
…………………… d: 12 Jun 1865, Wonneberg, Danzig, Germany

STEFFENS / PICKERING estate of MUGGAU near Danzig

The ancestral home of the Weichbrodt family was located about a mile from Danzig in Muggau. Peter Pickering and Emilie Steffens bought this estate from Emilie’s grandfather, David Weichbrodt, father of Caroline Weichbrodt on the November 1, 1822. David Weichbrodt owned this estate since 1773. Several children of Peter and Emilie were accomplished artists and many lovely watercolors and sketches still exist.

Muggau estate by Marie Pickering, daughter of Peter Pickering and Emilie Steffens

“Workmans Cottages on Part of Grandfathers Estate of Muggau” by Marie Pickering

Cottages on estate by Marie Pickering

Watercolor by Ida Pickering

Watercolor by Johanna Pickering

Notes for Marie Pauline Pickering: Two sketchbooks, 89 and 42 leaves with ~ 140 image-wise executed, some double-page pen and pencil drawings, this mostly watercolors, mostly titled and mostly dated, mainly seascapes and vistas of the island of Usedom Heringsdorf and Ahlbeck and resin scenery and views to Gdansk, sheet size up 24 x 16.5 cm, 1878-1885 4501 Many of the finely executed drawings showing views of the seaside resort Heringsdorf and Ahlbeck with palatial villas and beach games, the exact labels can be localized to the views and give an impression of this rare seaside resorts to frühwilheminischen time Marie Pauline Pickering was the second child of Mr and Mrs Peter Pickering (1785 – 1865) and Emilie Henriette Steffens (1794 – 1877), born Peter Pickering came from a distinguished English artist Dynasty and Emilie Henriette came from the significant and rich Danzig merchant family Steffens (Steffen house Gdansk), 1822 the family moved to the estate Müggau in Gdansk.

Ref: http://www.beyars.com/partner-objekt_265111_pickering-marie-pauline-danzig-1820-1901-danzig-.html

EDUARD LUDWIG FERDINAND STEFFENS 1791 Gdańsk – 27 October 1875 Gdańsk), merchant. From 1826, a partner in the family company CG Steffens und Söhne, specializing in the wholesale trade of grain and wood, based in the family house at Langer Markt 41 (Golden House) In 1874, a co-owner of the company registered again in the commercial court (due to changes in the composition) of this grain and wood wholesale company (under the name Carl Gottlieb Steffens und Söhne). Member of the ► Merchants’ Corporation since its establishment in 1822, a shareholder of the Gdańsk Joint Stock Savings Bank (Danziger Aktien-Sparkasse, see ► banking). In 1827, a member of the ► City Council , in the years 1828–1840 a freelance counselor, a member of the City Board. From 1839 he lived at 32 Langgasse (ul. Długa). In 1846, member of the ► Friends of Art Society .

On 25 April 1822, in the ► Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, he married Adelina (February 7, 1804 – February 7, 1836), daughter of Johann Hermann du Bois. Father of sons: merchant and lawyer ► Carl Otton , Walter (1828–1904), merchant and owner of the property in Przywidz, Robert (1837–1864) and daughter Rosalia (1825–1913), wife of the painter ► Franz Wilhelm Steffens , who was her cousin .

OTTO STEFFENS (born Apr 7, 1826, Gdansk, died Aug 2 1904, Gdansk) – lawyer, entrepreneur, chairman of the Gdansk City Council. He studied law in Berlin and Heidelberg. In Gdansk he worked as a judge and legal advisor. He was co-owner of the grain and wood trade company Carl Gottlieb Steffens und Sohne, shareholder of danziger Privat-Actien-Bank, vice-chairman of the supervisory board of the Malbork-Mlawa railway (Marienburg-Mlawka-Bahn) (1885), and a a member of the board of the Gdansk Merchants Corporation. In 1864 he became a member of the City Council. In the years 1871-1880 he was the fice-chairman, and in the years 1881-1898 the chairman. He supported the activities of Mayor Leopold von Winter in his quest to create a modern city from Gdansk. In 1896 he was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Gdansk. The park located in Gdansk at the current Aniolki housing estate was named after him. The park was created in the years 1896-1897 in place of the cemetery of the poor. Funds for the purchase of land and plants and plantation works came from the donation of Franz Steffens – for this purpose he donated 50,000 thalers.