Heinrich Adolf, the fourth son of Painter Weidenbach, was born in Naumburg an der Saale on the 20th November, 1820. In 1840 he was working in Naumburg as a journeyman printer.

In June 1843 he went to Egypt, presumably to visit Ernst and Max who were working there as artists for the Lepsius Expedition. In November 1847 he was back in Naumburg where he was working as a lithographer.

Three years later, in 1850, (at Naumburg?), he was convicted of a crime (as yet unknown) and sentenced to one year imprisonment.
He left Naumburg (which was then in Prussis) in March 1851, bound for North America, but on reaching Bremen (outside Prussia) he changed his mind and commenced work as an assistant to a lithographer.

Four and a half years later, after he left his work "suddenly" in Bremen and returned to Naumburg, his Bremen employer accused him of embezzlement. He was subsequently arrested and returned to Bremen where he was convicted and sentenced to just 14 days imprisonment. This appears to be a nominal sentence for a related misdemeanour rather than for the serious crime of embezzlement.

According to Hanover police records, he is presumed to have travelled to England in March 1856 without valid travel papers.

A1. The following data has been extracted from the Naumburg "Inhabitants Book" by Dr Siegfried Wagner, Director of Naumburg Stadtmuseum and Frau Susanne Kröner, Head of Naumburg Town Archives.

Einwohnerbuch Naumburg T-Z 1826-1840; 1841-1850; 1851

Lfd. Nr. 434: Weidenbach, Heinrich Adolph, (Sohn vn 429): *20.11.1820 in Naumburg. Wohnung 1826: 18, Umzug 5.4.1827 nach 790. "30.9.1836: Umzug nach 502"; "den 5.4.1840 auf Wanderschaft". Lfd. NI. 2182: Buchdruckergeselle, Wohnung 19.8.1840 Haus 790; 1842: 790; "den 6.12.1843 nach Ägypten". 29.11.1847: 779; Lithograph. 19.9.1850: 779; "Ein Jahr Festungsarrest verbüßt"; März 1851 nach Amerika? 

A3. Excerpts from criminal records of the Kingdoms of Prussia and Hanover have been obtained from:
Deutschen Forschungskartothek, Lerchenweg 16, D-24811 Owschlag, defoka@web.de ,as introduced on the German website http://home.foni.net/~herumstreifer/verbrech20.htm .      They have been translated by Ingo Weidenbach.

A3.1. December 1855 arrest warrant issued by the Royal Prussian Police.

"Koeniglich Preussisches Central-Polizei-Blatt
Berlin, den 5. Dezember 1855

Steckbriefe
Fuer Personen, welche an die verfolgende Behoerde auszuliefern sind, wenn nicht ausdruecklich anders bestimmt worden ist.

22. (Weidenbach.) Der Steindrucker, Adolph Weidenbach, aus Naumburg, hat sich heimlich von hier entfernt und ist der Unterschlagung von Geldern und des betruegerischen Schuldenmachens dringend verdaechtig. Alter 36 Jahre, Statur mittel, untersetzt, Groesse ca. 5 Fuss 8 Zoll nach Bremer Mass, Haare schwarz, in der Mitte des Kopfes sehr duenn, Augen dunkelbraun, Nase lang und spitz, Zaehne gut, dunkelbrauner Schnurr- und Kinnbart, spricht saechsischen Dialekt. Kennzeichen: Narbe auf dem Oberkopf.

Bremen, 1. Dezember 1855 Polizeidirektion"

Translation:

"Royal Prussian Central Police Sheet
Berlin, 5. December 1855

Arrest Warrants

For persons who are to be delivered to the police, expressly when there in another requirement.

22. (Weidenbach) The Lithographer, Adolf Weidenbach, from Naumburg , secretly vanished from here is suspected of embezzlement and fraudulent debts.. 36 years old, medium build, stocky, 5 Fuss 8 Zoll tall (Bremer measurement), thinning black hair, especially in the centre, dark brown eyes, long and pointy nose, good teeth, dark brown moustache and dark goatee and speaks with a Saxonian Dialect. Scar on top of head.

Bremen, 1th of December 1855 Police direction"

A3.2. On the 29th October, 1857 the Royal Hanover Police issued the following alert. At this time they believed that Heinrich Adolph had left for England in March 1856 and that he had returned again lived clandestinely in Hanover from August to December 1856. They wanted to question him about these presumed activities. The notice is interesting because it summarises the results of Police surveillance of Heinrich Adolph since he left Naumburg in 1851. Although charged with embezzlement after "suddenly" leaving his Bremen employer in 1855, his token 14 days prison sentence suggests that be was not judged to be guilty of this serious charge of embezzlement.

"Personen, deren Verhaeltnisse zu ermitteln sind.

(28828) Weidenbach, Heinrich Adolph, Lithograph, aus Naumburg an der Saale, Sohn des dortigen Malers und Zeichenlehrers August Weidenbach, bereits aktenkundig in IX. Nr. (23938) und (24187) wurde im Jahre 1850 von dem Magistrat seines Heimatorts unter polizeiliche Aufsicht gestellt, weil seine bisherige schlechte Auffuehrung diese Massname notwendig machte.
Im Maerz 1851 erwirkte er bei der Regierung zu Merseburg seine Entlassung aus dem preussischen Untertanenverband, um nach Nordamerika auszuwandern. Er reiste darauf am 22. Maerz 1851 nach Bremen ab. Hier aenderte er seinen Entschluss und trat dort bei einem Lithographen als Gehilfe in Arbeit.

Im Juni 1855 ersuchte er von Bremen aus den Magistrat zu Naumburg, ihm ein Sittenzeugnis (polizeiliches Fuehrungszeugnis) auszustellen, dessen Vorlage bei seiner bevorstehenden Einbuergerung in Bremen notwendig war. Er verzichtete jedoch auf seinen Antrag, da die Behoerde ihm erwiderte , dass das verlangte Zeugnis in Anbetracht seines frueheren schlechten Lebenswandels, nicht guenstig ausfallen werde.

Ende November 1855 verliess er ploetzlich Bremen, nachdem er verdaechtigt wurde, dem Meister bei dem er gearbeitet hatte, Gelder unterschlagen zu haben. Daraufhin wurde ein Steckbrief gegen ihn erlassen. Er wollte von Bremen nach Naumburg reisen, begab sich jedoch zunaechst nach Berlin. Dort besuchte er seinen Bruder, einen hier wohnenden Kunstmaler.
Als er einige Tage spaeter in Naumburg eintraf, wurde er verhaftet und am 12.Dezember nach Bremen ausgeliefert.
In der gegen ihn laufenden Anklage wurde er schuldig gesprochen und zu 14 Tagen Gefaengnis mit anschliessendem Landesverweis verurteilt.
Nach Verbuessung der Gefaengnisstrafe wurde er von der Polizeidirektion Bremen am 6. Januar 1856 mittels Zwangspasses nach Naumburg ausgewiesen, wo er jedoch bis jetzt nicht eingetroffen ist.

Es wird vermutet, dass er ohne gueltige Reisepapiere nach England gereist ist, doch ist er wohl wieder auf den Kontinent zurueckgekehrt und hat sich besonders in der Zeit von August bis Dezember 1856 im Bereich von Hannover aufgehalten. Es ist von besonderem Interesse genauere Informationen ueber den Aufenthalt und das Treiben des unten beschriebenen Weidenbach’s in der fraglichen Zeit zu erhalten, sowie ueber seinen jetzigen Aufenthalt.

Personenbeschreibung: Alter 37 Jahre, Groesse 5 Fuss 4 Zoll preussisches Mass, Haare und Augenbrauen schwarz, Augen dunkel, Nase lang, Mund gewoehnlich, Bart braun, Gesicht oval.
Naehere Angaben an die zustaendige Behoerde: Polizeidirektion Hannover (Sievert)
29.Oktober 1857."

Translation:

"Royal Hanover Police
Persons whose conditions have to be determined.

(28828) Weidenbach, Heinrich Adolph, lithographer, from Naumburg on the Saale, son of the painter and drawing teacher August Weidenbach, already on record IX.Nr. 23938 and 24187, was in 1850 put under police surveillance by his hometown magistrate, because of his previous misdeeds.
In March 1851 he effected his release by the government of Merseburg from the Prussian tributary alliance, to immigrate to North America. March 22nd 1851 he travelled to Bremen. Here he changed his mind and worked as an assistant to a lithographer.
In June 1855 he requested the Naumburg magistrate for a certificate of good conduct, because he wanted to become a resident of Bremen. He withdrew his application, because the magistrate advised him that the certificate would not be favourable, because of his shady past.

He suddenly left Bremen at the end of November 1855 after he was suspected of embezzling funds of his master. A ‘suspect wanted’ poster for him was then circulated. He wanted to travel from Bremen to Naumburg, but first travelled to Berlin to seek out his brother, who was a resident painter.
A few days after he arrived in Naumburg he was arrested and was send to Bremen on December 12th, 1855.
After an initial criminal investigation he was found guilty and sentenced to 14 days in prison, after which he was exiled. After serving his sentence the police forced him to return to Naumburg, where, to this day, he never turned up. It is presumed, that in March 1856 he travelled without valid documents to England. Even if that were true, he probably returned to the Continent and in the time from August to December 1856 he resided predominately in Hannover. It would be interesting to have news of his stay and goings-on in this time and also about his present stay.

Personal details: Age 37 years, 5 Fuss 4 Zoll tall (Prussian measurement), hair and eyebrows black, eyes dark, nose long, mouth normal, beard brown, face oval.

Information to the responsible authority: police direction Hannover (Sievert) October, 29th 1857." 

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