Friedrich August Weidenbach, Painter and Drawing Master of Naumburg an der Saale, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany, had eight sons, four of whom were artists. Several of the Weidenbach sons had distinguished careers which are still recognised today. In the mid-19th century, three sons emigrated to Adelaide, South Australia and two emigrated to Baltimore, Maryland. Also two of his nephews, August and Gustav and his niece Sophie migrated from Naumburg to Australia.
The history of Friedrich August and his sons, as traced in the Naumburg Inhabitants Book (Einwohnerbuch 1826-1851), shipping records and various other records, is summarised on the time line shown below (Table 1). For further details about any family member, including the cousins August Friedrich, Gustav Adolph and Sophie, click on their name link at the top of this page.
Painter Weidenbach’s father was a teacher and verger at St Wenzel Town Church beside the market place in Naumburg.
Naumburg lies on the river Saale, 50 km southwest of Leipzig. This map also marks other towns where family members lived.
Painter Weidenbach was the drawing master at the Cathedral High School (Domgymnasium) in Naumburg and lived beside the cathedral.
Year | Friedrich August Weidenbach | Georg Gustav Weidenbach | Friedrich Moritz Weidenbach | Theodor Ernst Weidenbach | Heinrich Adolf Weidenbach | Maximilian Ferdinand Weidenbach | Karl Augustus Weidenbach | Julius Clemens Weidenbach | Eduard Ludwig Weidenbach | Year |
Artist and Drawing Master | Teacher | Landscape Gardener | Artist / Draughtsman / Egyptologist | Lithographer | Draughtsman / Egyptologist | Early German - American Artist | Landscape Gardener | Portrait painter / Photographer | ||
Father of Family | Remained in Germany | Emigrated to South Australia | Remained in Germany | Final destination unknown | Emigrated to South Australia | Emigrated to U.S.A. | Emigrated to South Australia | Emigrated to U.S.A. | ||
born | 4/4/1790 Naumburg | 1/8/1813 Chemnitz | 24/2/1816 near Dresden | 4/12/1818 Naumburg | 20/11/1820 Naumburg | 6/3/1823 Naumburg | 23/5/1825 Naumburg | 12/3/1829 Naumburg | 22/2/1834 Naumburg | |
1826 | House 732 | with parents | House 18 | House 732 | 1826 | |||||
age | 36yrs old | 13yrs old | 10yrs old | 8yrs old | 6yrs old | 3yrs old | 1yr old | age | ||
1827 | Hs 790 5/4 | Hs 790 5/4 | 1827 | |||||||
1828 | 1828 | |||||||||
1829 | born Naumburg | 1829 | ||||||||
1830 | 1830 | |||||||||
1831 | Matriculated, Domschule Gymnasium Naumburg 1834 | 16/4 to Merseburg | 1831 | |||||||
1832 | Apprenticed to Herr Steubecke, the Curator of the Merseburg Palace Garden. Later he married Steubecke's daughter Diosma. | 1832 | ||||||||
1833 | 1833 | |||||||||
1834 | born Naumburg | 1834 | ||||||||
1835 | 27/1 to Halle University | 1835 | ||||||||
1836 | Hs 502 30/9 | 1836 | ||||||||
1837 | 24/8 to Merseburg | 1837 | ||||||||
1838 | Hs 730 1/10 | 1838 | ||||||||
1839 | Dresden Art Academy | until 6/6 Hs 732 then Hs 502 | Hs790 1/10 | 1839 | ||||||
age | 49yrs old | 26yrs old | 23yrs old | 21yrs old | 19yrs old | 16yrs old | 14yrs old | 10yrs old | 5yrs old | age |
Year | Friedrich August Weidenbach | Georg Gustav Weidenbach | Friedrich Moritz Weidenbach | Theodor Ernst Weidenbach | Heinrich Adolf Weidenbach | Maximilian Ferdinand Weidenbach | Karl Augustus Weidenbach | Julius Clemens Weidenbach | Eduard Ludwig Weidenbach | Year |
1840 | Hs 790 1/10 | on travels 5/4. Hs 790 19/8. Journeyman Book Printer |
on travels 13/1. 1840 in Berlin studying hieroglyphics |
1840 | ||||||
1841 | Later he was a teacher at the City School, Dresden | To Berlin 1841/ early1842? | 1841 | |||||||
1842 | Hs 790 Appointed Drawing Master at Dom Gymnasium |
Married Diosma Steubecke, Merseburg 14/6/42 | To Egypt with Lepsius 8/42 | Hs 790 | To Egypt with Lepsius 8/42 | Hs 790 | 1842 | |||
1843 | Curator of the Schlossgarten, Planitz
(Zwickau). In 1847, listed as Supervisor, Royal gardens & Vintage, Dresden |
Egypt with Lepsius | To Egypt 6/12 | Egypt with Lepsius | 1/7/43 to Zwickau | 1843 | ||||
1844 | Egypt with Lepsius | Egypt with Lepsius | Apprentice Landscape Gardener, Planitz | 1844 | ||||||
1845 | Egypt with lepsius | Egypt with Lepsius | 1845 | |||||||
1846 | 27/10/46 married Erica Steubecke, Merseburg. Artist, Egyptian Museum Berlin until 1848 revolution ended work. |
Artist, at Egyptian (New) Museum Berlin until 1848 revolution ended work. | 1846 | |||||||
1847 | Hs 779 11/4 | married Emilie Theresie Schweitzer 14/2/47 in Dresden. (listed as a theological candidate). | Hs 779 29/11 Lithographer |
Hs 779 13/9 Artist |
Emigrated to South Australia | Hs 779 | 1847 | |||
1848 | Emigrated to South Australia | Exhibited at Berlin Academy | died 6/2/1848, 2 months after arrival (pneumonia) | 1848 | ||||||
1849 | Emigrated to South Australia | 1849 | ||||||||
age | 59yrs old | 36yrs old | 33yrs old | 31yrs old | 29yrs old | 26yrs old | 24yrs old | deceased | 15yrs old | age |
Year | Friedrich August Weidenbach | Georg Gustav Weidenbach | Friedrich Moritz Weidenbach | Theodor Ernst Weidenbach | Heinrich Adolf Weidenbach | Maximilian Ferdinand Weidenbach | Karl Augustus Weidenbach | Julius Clemens Weidenbach | Eduard Ludwig Weidenbach | Year |
1850 | Hs 779 19/9 One year prison. |
1850 | ||||||||
1851 | Hs 777 | With Max to the Castlemaine gold rush 1851
and 1852/53 ? Nurseryman, orchardist and pioneer winegrower. |
3/51 to 11/55 Assistant Lithographer in Bremen | Castlemaine, Vic. alluvial
gold rush. Nov, Dec 1851 & Oct 52 - Mar 53 |
Emigrated to U.S.A. in early 1850's | Hs 777 767 962 Painter |
1851 | |||
1852 | 1852 | |||||||||
1853 | Freelance Artist Berlin until 1865 | 1853-1859 Travelled and painted in North California, Yosemite park, Virginia, West Virginia & Maryland |
1853 | |||||||
1854 | Pioneer winegrower. After Moritz's death in 1858 Max assisted Moritz's wife Diosma with management of the family business and property. |
1854 | ||||||||
1855 | 1855 | |||||||||
1856 | Presumed to have travelled to England in 1856 | 1856 | ||||||||
1857 | 1857 | |||||||||
1858 | Died 29/1/1858 | 1858 | ||||||||
1859 | 1859 | |||||||||
1860 | Hs 777 until death on 22/11/1860 | 1865 - 1881 Artist New Museum Berlin. | 1860 Took over his father's job as Drawing Master, Dom Gymnasium | 1860 | ||||||
1861 | 1861 | |||||||||
1862 | 1862 | |||||||||
1863 | 1863 | |||||||||
1864 | 1864 Prof. of Drwg & Painting, Baltimore | 1864 | ||||||||
1865 | New Museum. | 1865 | ||||||||
1866 | 2nd Lepsius Egypt expedition | Portrait painter and photographer | 1866 | |||||||
later | 1868, teacher at The City School, Dresden. | Retired 17/4/81 after a stroke and moved to Merseburg | 1882 was brought to Berlin for Lepsius reunion | 1870 was resident of Baltimore 1876 painted a portrait of George Washington. |
14/8/66 emigrated to Baltimore USA 1870 resident Baltimore 9/91 artist, Philadelphia. |
later | ||||
died | 22/11/60 Naumburg | 11/1/81 Westlich, Dresden | 29/1/58 Adelaide | 14/9/84 Merseburg | Not known | 24/8/90 Adelaide | sometime between 1876 & 1890 | 6/2/48 Adelaide | sometime after 1891 | died |