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.

Please click on an image below to enlarge it.
Naumburg Marketplace Naumburg Thumb Naumburg 300

Marketplace, Naumburg

Wallace, May 2006

Painter Weidenbach’s father was a teacher and verger at St Wenzel Town Church beside the market place in Naumburg.

Naumburg an der Saale, Sachsen Anhalt

. . .

Naumburg lies on the river Saale, 50 km southwest of Leipzig. This map also marks other towns where family members lived.

Cathedral, Naumburg

Wikicommons, Muns, April 2004

Painter Weidenbach was the drawing master at the Cathedral High School (Domgymnasium) in Naumburg and lived beside the cathedral.

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This website has been compiled from the acknowledged sources by kbwallace@bigpond.com.
We would welcome any informed suggestions for additions, corrections or modifications.
We acknowledge the generous help of Doctor Siegfried Wagner of Naumburg City Museum & Frau Susanne Kröner of Naumburg City Archives who researched and transcribed the Naumburg records for the Weidenbach family. The house numbers in the following table refer to numbers on a 19th century plan of dwellings in Naumburg. Complementary data has been extracted from the records of the Marien Parish (the cathedral parish) in Naumburg for Neil Weidenbach and translated by Werner Horn in about 1989. We are also indebted to those members of the family who have continued to supply information and criticism, especially to Ingo Weidenbach of Langgöns, Germany.  Pamela Illlert has supplied most of the information about cousins August. Gustav and Sophia. Elsa Wilkins has also been a major source of information.
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TIMELINE: KEY EVENTS IN THE LIVES OF THE FAMILY OF PAINTER WEIDENBACH

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