34 Postcards: Who are Richard and Gretel?
Episode II
Last time at Unanswered, we met Richard Kuhnt, a young soldier from Berlin, stationed at the Western Front of World War I. We met Richard through a postcard he sent on April 12, 1917, to a woman named Gretel at Schäferstraße 8, apartment II, in Berlin.
This card is the oldest of 34 German postcards I found at an antique store in Palm Springs. The remaining 33 are written over more than 50 years and offer us tiny glimpses into Richard’s and Gretel’s life. Who are Richard and Gretel, and who are they to each other? What happens in the 50 years during which Richard, the young soldier turns into Richard, the elderly man? Who are the people that keep sending them postcards over several decades? And how did these 34 German postcards end up at an antique store in Palm Springs, almost 6000 miles away from the city they were once sent to?
I spent the last few weeks looking into some of these unanswered questions, and here’s what I found:
The first question I wanted to answer was: how are Richard and Gretel related?
The postcard Richard sends back in April 1917 is addressed to Mrs. Marg. Kuhnt and signed with Gefreiter Kuhnt, so Richard and Gretel share the same last name and are most likely related. Richard refers to Marg. as Gretel, which is probably short for Margarethe or Margaretha and conveys a sense of intimacy between them. Now, Gretel could be Richard’s sister, but the card is addressed to Frau/Mrs. Marg. Kuhnt, rather than to Fräulein/Miss. Marg Kuhnt, which indicates that Gretel is married, so Kuhnt is most likely not her maiden name.
I assumed that Richard and Gretel are husband and wife, but I had no evidence until ScanianMoose, over at the Genealogy subreddit, shared a helpful clue: an old marriage certificate.
Nr. 271
Berlin, am achten April tausend neunhundert zehn.
Vor dem unterzeichneten Standesbeamten erschienen heute zum Zweck der Eheschließung:
Der Expedient Paul Richard Kuhnt, der Persönlichkeit nach durch Aufgebot 36 anerkannt, evangelischer Religion, geboren am dreißigsten November des Jahres tausend acht hundert fünf und achtzig zu Berlin, wohnhaft in Reinickendorf, Kreis*** Niederbarnim*** Scharnweberstraße 117, Sohn der Eheleute Tischlermeister Hermann Adolf Kuhnt, verstorben, zuletzt wohnhaft in Berlin, und Caroline Eleonore, geborene Seide, wohnhaft in Berlin.
Die Hutmacherin Luise Charlotte Margarethe Grosse, der Persönlichkeit nach durch gleiches Aufgebot anerkannt, evangelischer Religion, geboren am fünften September des Jahres tausend acht hundert vier und achtzig zu Berlin, wohnhaft in Berlin Elisabeth - Ufer 56, Tochter der Eheleute Prägemeister Wendelin Clemens Johannes Grosse und Caroline Luise Elisabeth, geborene, Lugnbiel, beide wohnhaft in Berlin.
Als Zeugen waren zugezogen und erschienen:
Der Prägemeister Johannes Grosse, der Persönlichkeit nach durch Ersatzreserveschein*** anerkannt, 54 Jahre alt, wohnhaft in Berlin, Elisabeth - Ufer 56
Der Schlosser Martin Schälicke, der Persönlichkeit nach durch Militärausweis anerkannt, 31 Jahre alt, wohnhaft in Berlin, Pücklerstr. 48.
Der Standesbeamte richtete an die Verlobten einzeln und nacheinander die Frage: ob sie die Ehe miteinander eingehen wollen. Die Verlobten bejahten diese Frage und der Standesbeamte sprach hierauf aus, dass sie Kraft des bürgerlichen Gesetzbuchs nunmehr rechtmäßig verbundene Eheleute seien.
Vorgelesen, genehmigt und unterschrieben,
Richard Kuhnt Margarete Kuhnt, geborene Grosse Johannes Grosse Martin Schälicke
Der Standesbeamte
v. Specht***
No. 271
Berlin, April 8th thousand nine hundred ten.
Today appeared before the undersigned registrar for the purpose of marriage:
The clerk Paul Richard Kuhnt, whose personality was recognized by levy 36, of Protestant religion, born on the thirtieth of November of the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty-five in Berlin, residing in Reinickendorf, Kreis*** Niederbarnim*** Scharnweberstraße 117, son of the married couple, master carpenter Hermann Adolf Kuhnt, deceased, last resided in Berlin, and Caroline Eleonore, nee Seide, residing in Berlin.
The hat maker Luise Charlotte Margarethe Grosse, whose personality was recognized by the same levy, of Protestant religion, born on the fifth of September of the year eight hundred and eighty-four in Berlin, residing in Berlin Elisabeth - Ufer 56, daughter of the married couple master minter Wendelin Clemens Johannes Grosse and Caroline Luise Elisabeth, nee, Lugnbiel, both living in Berlin.
The following witnesses came and appeared:
The master minter Johannes Grosse, recognized by replacement reserve note***, 54 years old, residing in Berlin, Elisabeth - Ufer 56
The locksmith Martin Schälicke, recognized by his military ID, 31 years old, residing in Berlin, Pücklerstr. 48
The registrar asked the engaged couple one by one whether they wanted to marry each other. The engaged couple answered this question in the affirmative and the registrar then stated that they were now legally married by virtue of the civil code.
Read out, approved, and signed,
Richard Kuhnt Margarete Kuhnt, geborene Grosse Johannes Grosse Martin Schälicke
The registrar
v. Specht***
Paul Richard Kuhnt and Luise Charlotte Margarethe Grosse, or Richard and Gretel, are indeed husband and wife. They get married in Berlin on April 8th, 1910. Richard and Margarethe are Protestants, and their marriage is witnessed by Gretel’s father, Johannes, and a man named Martin Schälicke. We will learn in a future article how Martin is related to the Kuhnts.
At the time of their wedding, Richard, who is 24, is working as a clerk and lives at Scharnweberstraße 117. Margarethe, who is 25, works as a hat maker and lives with her parents at Elisabeth-Ufer 56 in Berlin.
Richard sends our first postcard on April 12th, 1917, just a few days after their 7th wedding anniversary. The card is addressed to Gretel at Schäferstraße 8, apartment II in Berlin. Last time I shared the address book records from 1917 with you and no Kuhnts were mentioned at this address.
So I was wondering, who was Gretel living with at Schäferstraße 8 in 1917?
Shortly after I shared last month’s article with you, I realized that I could search for the names listed at Schäferstraße 8 in the resident section of the address book and see if the apartment numbers were mentioned there. The postcard is addressed to apartment number II, so if I could find out who of these families lived in that apartment in 1917, I might be one step closer to figuring out who Gretel was living with at the time.
I found apartment number II under the name “Johannes Grosse, Bürohilfsarbeiter, SO 16, Schäferstraße 8 II”.
I wasn’t aware of the marriage certificate yet, so I only had a theory about how Johannes and Gretel might be related, but no evidence. Fortunately, that changed with the marriage certificate.
I’m sure you already noticed, but take a look at the fifth line up from the bottom on page 1 of the marriage certificate.
It states: “Tochter der Eheleute/daughter of the married couple. Prägemeister/master minter Wendelin Clemens Johannes Grosse und Caroline Luise Elisabeth, geborene/born Lugebiel”.
Johannes Grosse is Gretel’s father, and while Richard is fighting in the war, Gretel is staying with her father and probably her mother Caroline. I say probably because address book records back then only mentioned the household head and not everyone who was living at a certain address, but I think it’s safe to assume that Gretel is living with her parents at Schäferstrasse 8 in 1917.
So we know that Richard and Gretel are married and that Gretel is living with her parents while Richard is fighting in the war, but where were Richard and Margarethe before and after the war?
Let's start at the beginning and take a look at Richard’s and Margarethe’s birth certificates.
Nr. 2330
Berlin, am 8.Dezember 1885
Vor dem unterzeichneten Standesbeamten erschien heute, der Persönlichkeit nach durch Trauschein anerkannt, der Tischler Hermann Adolf Kuhnt, wohnhaft zu Berlin, Georgen Kirch Straße 45, evangelischer Religion, und zeigte an, dass von der Caroline Eleonore Kuhnt, geborene Seide, seiner Ehefrau, evangelischer Religion, wohnhaft, bei ihm, zu Berlin in seiner Wohnung am dreißigsten November des Jahres tausend acht hundert achtzig und fünf vormittags um zwei*** Uhr ein Kind männlichen Geschlechts geboren worden sei, welches den Vornamen Paul Richard erhalten habe.
Vorgelesen, genehmigt und unterschrieben,
Hermann Kuhnt
Der Standesbeamte
In*** Vertretung***
___*
No. 2330
Berlin, December 8, 1885
The carpenter Hermann Adolf Kuhnt, residing in Berlin, Georgen Kirch Straße 45, of Protestant religion, appeared before the undersigned registrar today, his personality recognized by his marriage certificate, and indicated that Caroline Eleonore Kuhnt, nee Seide, his wife, of Protestant Religion, living with him, in Berlin, gave birth in his apartment on the thirtieth of November in the year one thousand eight hundred and eighty and five in the morning at two*** o'clock to a male child, who was given the first name Paul Richard.
Read out, approved, and signed,
Herman Kuhnt
The registrar
By*** proxy***
___*
I was also able to find Richard’s baptism record:
Nr. 112
Taufnamen des Kindes: Paul Richard Tag und Stunde der Geburt: (30.) dreißigster November 1885 früh*** (½ 2) halb zwei Uhr*** Ehelich oder unehelich: ehelich Vor- und Zunamen des Vaters, auch Stand desselben: Adolf Hermann Kuhnt, Tischler Vor- und Zunamen der Mutter: Caroline Eleonore ___* geb. Seide
No. 112
Child's Christian Name: Paul Richard Day and hour of birth: (30.) thirtieth November 1885 in the morning*** (½ 2) half past one o’clock*** Legitimate or illegitimate: Legitimate. First and last name of the father, also status of the same: Adolf Hermann Kuhnt, carpenter Mother's first and last names: Caroline Eleonore ___* nee Seide
This is Margarethe’s birth certificate:
Nr. 2426
Berlin, am 11. September, 1884
Vor dem unterzeichneten Standesbeamten erschien heute, der Persönlichkeit nach bekannt, die Hebamme Emilie Winterfeldt, geborene Krüger, wohnhaft zu Berlin, Kastanien Allee 37 — Religion, und zeigte an, dass von der Caroline Luise Elisabeth Grosse, geborene Lugebiel, Ehefrau des Maurers Wendelin Clemens Johannes Grosse, beide evangelischer Religion, wohnhaft, bei ihrem Ehemann, Kastanienallee 49 zu Berlin, in der Wohnung, am fünften September des Jahres tausend acht hundert achtzig und vier nachmittags um eineinhalb Uhr ein Kind weiblichen Geschlechts geboren worden sei, welches den Vornamen Luise Charlotte Margarethe erhalten habe. Die Anzeigende*** erklärte, dass sie bei der Niederkunft*** der verehelichten*** Grosses zugegen*** gewesen sei***.
Vorgelesen, genehmigt und unterschrieben,
Emilie Winterfeldt, geborene Krüger
Der Standesbeamte
In Vertretung***
___*
No. 2426
Berlin, September 11, 1884
The midwife Emilie Winterfeldt, nee Krüger, residing in Berlin, Kastanien Allee 37 no Religion, appeared before the undersigned registrar today and indicated that Caroline Luise Elisabeth Grosse, nee Lugebiel, wife of the bricklayer Wendelin Clemens Johannes Grosse, both of Protestant religion, living with her husband at Kastanienallee 49 in Berlin, gave birth in the apartment, on the fifth of September of the year eighteen hundred and eighty and four in the afternoon at one thirty to a female child, who was given the first name Luise Charlotte Margarethe. The reporting*** explained that when she was present*** the child of the married*** Grosses arrived.
Read out, approved, and signed,
Emilie Winterfeldt, nee Krüger
The registrar
By proxy***
___*
There’s a lot of information in these three documents, so let’s try to distill what they tell us about Richard and Margarethe.
Richard
Richard was born Paul Richard Kuhnt, on Monday, November 30th, 1885 to Adolf Hermann Kuhnt and Caroline Eleonore Kuhnt, born Seide. Between his birth in 1885 and the first postcard in 1917, the documents above and address book records place Richard at at least 7 addresses throughout Berlin.
1885: According to his birth certificate, Richard is born at Georgenkirchstraße 45. Address book records however don't list the Kuhnts at that address in 1885, or in the years before or after.
1887: Richard’s birth certificate and baptism record list his father’s occupation as Tischler/carpenter. The first time address book records list an H. Kuhnt, who works as a carpenter after 1885 is in 1887, 2 years after Richard is born, at Weidenweg 4, apartment IV, in Berlin.
1888 - 1895: During these years, no H. Kuhnt, who would fit Richard’s father’s description, is listed in the address book.
1896 - 1897: In 1896, an H. Kuhnt, working as a carpenter, is listed at Pücklerstr. 6, apartment IV.
1898 - 1900: The Kuhnt’s record disappears again, so we don’t know where they are during this time.
1901 - 1904: A Hermann Kuhnt, carpenter, is listed at Falkensteinstrasse 14, apartment III.
1905 - 1907: The carpenter’s address changes to Kleinbeerenstrasse 9.
1908: Any records for a carpenter named H. Kuhnt in Berlin, disappear from the address book. We know from Richard and Margarethe’s marriage certificate, that Richard’s father is listed as deceased in 1910, so Hermann may have died sometime between 1908 and 1910.
Richard was born in 1885, so I assume that the earliest that he might have had his own apartment would be sometime around 1903 when he turns 18. The first Richard Kuhnt, who might be our Richard, appears in address book records in 1908. He lives at Gustav Müller Strasse 29, apartment III.
1910 - 1916: We can confidently place Richard 2 years later, in 1910, due to the address on the marriage certificate. At the time of his wedding in 1910, Richard lives at Scharnweberstrasse 117.
Address book records of the same year don’t list Richard there just yet, but over the next 5 years, up until 1916, Richard is listed at Scharnweberstrasse for his home address and his business, a tool and metal store. I assume that Margarethe, his wife, lives with him at Scharnweberstrasse. In 1916 address book records for Richard disappear. My theory is that Richard joins the war around that time and that Margarethe moves in with her parents at Schäferstrasse 8.
Margarethe
Margarethe was born Luise Charlotte Margarethe Grosse, on Friday, September 5th, 1884, to Wendelin Clemens Johannes Grosse and Caroline Elisabeth Grosse, born Lugnbiel. Between her birth in 1884 and the time she receives Richard’s postcard in 1917, Margarethe lives at at least 5 addresses throughout Berlin.
1884: According to her birth certificate, Margarethe is born at Kastanienallee 49 in Berlin. Address book records for 1884 however, don’t mention the Grosses at Kastanienallee 49.
1885: According to Margarethe’s birth certificate, her father was working as a “Maurer/bricklayer” at the time of her birth, but there is no bricklayer listed under J. Grosse in the address book in 1885.
1886 - 1888: Address book records show a J. Grosse, working as a Präger, and living at Veteranenstrasse 14, apartment IV.
1889 - 1896: Johannes’s record disappears from the address book in Berlin, so we don’t know where the Grosses are during that time.
1897 - 1900: Johannes Grosse, Prägemeister, is listed at S Grimmstr. 34, apartment I.
1901 - 1910: Johannes’s record changes address to Elisabeth-Ufer 56. We know that address from Richard’s and Margarethe’s marriage certificate. It’s where Margarethe lives with her parents before she marries Richard and where her family will continue to live until 1914 when they move to Schäferstrasse 8, apartment II.
1910 - 1916: As mentioned above, I assume that Margarethe moves to Scharnweberstrasse with Richard after they get married in 1910 and that she will be living with him from then on, except for the time when she moves in with her parents while Richard joins the war, probably sometime around 1916.
Richard and Margarethe
1921 - 1924: The first time I can potentially place Richard in Berlin after the war is in 1921, when a record of a Richard Kuhnt, who works as a master plumber and lives at Schillerpromenade 13, appears in the address book. The record stays the same, until 1925 when it disappears and a new record for a Richard Kuhnt appears.
1925: A Richard Kuhnt is listed at Allerstr.47. I’m confident that this is our Richard and that Margarethe is living at this address with him.
How do I know? Well, there are the address book records, and there’s a postcard: the second postcard.
To: Familie Kuhnt Neukölln Berlin Allerstr. 47 Eisenwarengeschäft**
Freundliche Grüsse aus dem schönen Allgäu sendet Familie R. Salz**
Kind regards from the beautiful Allgäu from Family R. Salz**
As you can see, the stamp on the postcard is missing, and the postmark only shows “FU…” and “3-4…” and maybe “24” below that. I was able to find a few other postcards from that same period online,
and can somewhat confidently say that the “FU…” completes to “FUESSEN” on the missing stamp and that the “24” is probably part of a date, as in 1924. At first, I thought the “3-4” was part of a date too, but you can see from the examples above that the date is given as xx (day) xxx (month), so the two numbers below the month must stand for something else, maybe a post office location code.
The back of the card describes the picture on the front as “Füssen am Lech geg. Säuling (2038m) mit der Burg und prot. Kirche”.
The front of the card shows several landmarks of Füssen, a Bavarian town in Germany, just north of the Austrian border.
In the background, you can see Füssen’s landmark mountain, the Säuling. To the left, you can see the Hohe Schloss, or high castle, built in the 13th century, and slightly off center to the right you can see the protestant Christuskirche, built at the end of the 19th century. I found a variety of antique postcards with almost identical shots, so this must have been, and probably still is quite an iconic view of Füssen.
Here's what it looks like today.
The postcard itself, which based on its formality, seems to have been sent by an acquainted family, rather than relatives or close friends, doesn’t give us a lot of additional information about Richard and Gretel, but two things stand out to me:
The card was addressed to Familie Kuhnt, rather than just Richard, which indicates that several Kuhnts are living at this address.
The address itself, Allerstrasse 47, Neukölln, Berlin, confirms that the Richard at Allerstrasse 47 in the address book is indeed our Richard. Unfortunately, this is the only postcard we have with this address.
I reviewed address book records from 1917 to 1937 and can confirm that Richard, and most likely Margarethe, lived at Allerstrasse 47, Neukölln Berlin, at least from 1925 to 1931. If the “24” from the postmark indeed refers to a year–as in 1924–then the Kuhnts live at this address even before then.
Are the senders of the postcard only referring to Richard and Margarethe when they address them as “Familie Kuhnt” or are there other Kuhnts living at this address? Who sent the Kuhnts this postcard? And where are Richard and Margarethe after 1931?
The chronological next postcard is dated January 17th, 1937, and is sent to Familie Richard Kuhnt at Dresdenerstr. 11, in Berlin. The card is sent from the Netherlands, mentions a woman named Käthe, and is signed by F + B.
F + B will send several postcards to Dresdenerstr. 11 over the next 30 years until Richard moves to a retirement home only 1.6 miles away. Who are F + B, and who is Käthe? How are they related to Richard and Margarethe? More answers, and more questions next time on Unanswered. Continue you here to part 3.
*I’m marking words and letters that I can’t decipher with “_” to call them out. If you can read them, please let me know at unansweredcommunity@gmail.com. I appreciate your help!
** Deciphered and transcribed by johannadambergk on the Genealogy subreddit. Thank you so much for so generously sharing your time and skills <3.
*** Deciphered and transcribed by FrequentCougher on the Kurrent subreddit. Thank you so much for your help and support <3.
Background music in voiceover: Warm Memories - Emotional Inspiring Piano by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Amazing research and timeline! Now there are more characters to explore and imagine. Can’t wait for more.
There is a writer I like, specifically for her contributions to The AV Club website, named Caroline Seide, so it was a bit of a surprise to see that name come up in this context. Anyway, outstanding research on your part, I'm really enjoying this.