Over the Rhine: An American Story

By Jean Romano

Newlyweds from Germany immigrate to Cincinnati, Ohio in the late 19th century. They seek the freedom to raise a family and improve their lives on their own terms. Three children are born in Ohio. They thrive and have children of their own who build on the opportunities offered in the new country.

• Language: English
• Publisher: URLink Print & Media, LLC
• Release date: Jun 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647533977

Jean Romano

Jean Romano graduated from Douglass College and continued at the University of Cincinnati and the University of Connecticut to earn her teacher certification. She is the author of Transitions in Connecticut and Women Seeking Shelter. Jean lives in Hampton, Connecticut, where she is active in projects affecting English learners in the public schools.

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Over the Rhine: An American Story

Copyright © 2020 by Jean Romano. All rights reserved.

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The opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of URLink Print and Media.

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Published in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020910607

ISBN 978-1-64753-396-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64753-397-7 (Digital)

04.06.20

CONTENTS

Preface

Chapter 1: Emilia

Chapter 2: Wilhelm

Chapter 3: The Transplants

Chapter 4: The Holtz Children

Chapter 5: A Change of Focus

Chapter 6: Boys Are Different

Chapter 7: Life Styles

Chapter 8: The World Outside

Chapter 9: Finishing School

Chapter 10: Blooming

Chapter 11: The Second Generation Cincinnatians

Chapter 12: Courtship and Marriage

Chapter 13: Honeymoon, Home, and Children

Chapter 14: Finding One’s Place

Chapter 15: An Accident

Chapter 16: A Need For Change

Chapter 17: Moving Forward

Chapter 18: A Meeting of Minds

Chapter 19: Preparations

Chapter 20: Crossing The Atlantic

Chapter 21: Abroad

Chapter 22: Germany

Chapter 23: The Return

Chapter 24: Summer 1913

Chapter 25: Changing Views

Chapter 26: Post-War Germany

Chapter 27: Herman

Chapter 28: A Search

Chapter 29: Reunion

Chapter 30: A Purpose

Chapter 31: Looking Ahead

Chapter 32: Eva in Control

Chapter 33: Frank

Chapter 34: Louisa and Willie

Chapter 35: The Meeting

Chapter 36:

Chapter 37: Recovery

Chapter 38: Emilia and William

Chapter 39: Mother and Daughter Confer

Chapter 40: Who Will Have The Vote?

Chapter 41: Two Stories

Chapter 42: The Next Generation…

Chapter 43: Frank Arrives in Washington D.C.

Chapter 44: A Difference of Opinion

Chapter 45: A Shuffle of the Deck

Chapter 46: Herman’s Plan

Chapter 47: The Women Meet

Chapter 48: Opportunity Knocks

Chapter 49: At Home in Ohio

Chapter 50: A Career Unravels

Chapter 51: The Children Adjust to a New Normal

Chapter 52: America Expands

Chapter 53: The Man of the Times

Chapter 54: Flight in Several Forms

Chapter 55: Caregivers and the Elders

Chapter 56: A Reconfiguration

Chapter 57: It’s The Economy.

Chapter 58: Adjustments

Chapter 59: The next generation grows

Chapter 60: Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 61: Moving On

Chapter 62: Changes of Procedure

Chapter 63: The Unexpected is Certain

Chapter 64: A Trip to Germany

Chapter 65: Catching Up and Watering Down

Chapter 66: Home Again

Chapter 67: The Law of the Land

Chapter 68: The World is Melting

Chapter 69: The Families Survive and Thrive

Epilogue: 100 Plus Years After the First Immigrants 

Sources

PREFACE

This story begins over a hundred and twenty years ago. It is a tale that starts with German immigrants and ends as an example of the American melting pot. All immigrants become American as they live through part of our country’s history. They come with values that change over time, and they share in shaping the expansion of American values in times of stress.

The problems of the past century remain as urgent now as then. They alter to mirror the moment. but essentially, whatever the challenge, Americans seek to define what our nation is at its core.

Immigration has always been at the forefront of American thought. Newcomers were sought at times, limited by quotas, checked for skills, brought as slaves, and banned by race or religion. Many argue that the tremendous advantage of America is the diversity of perspective and ability gathered under one flag. Any approach to a problem is as likely to fail or succeed as another but Americans have the advantage of many options. With different ways of dissecting an issue there is greater hope for a solution.

Organizations founded on hate towards the other were alive one hundred years ago and they flourish in 2020 as well. In the 1920’s, the KKK called on its members to fight against Blacks, Catholics, and Jews. During World War I, German-Americans were closely watched, and sometimes attacked by other citizens. Some were placed in internment camps. It was a decision exacerbated by fear but the effects left a mark on all hyphenated Americans. Does Americae need armed militias and independent avengers to ensure a pure, and perhaps, white majority? The power of the Nazi party in Germany before and during the Second World War should be a warning against the use of hate to achieve national goals.

Gender issues seem related to countries of origin in some ways but not in others. A point of view on any concern can be affected by gender as well as ethnicity. All women do not think alike nor do all men. The melting pot that is America now includes the power of all influences regardless of gender, race, religion, or ethnicity.

After World War I, it was clear that the energy and skill of women extended far from the kitchen. The effect of women seeking an opportunity to lead is clearer in the 21st century and certain to grow stronger.

The characters in the story display characteristics that are still very real in America. What is your country of origin? is still a question asked of those who sound different, look different, or act differently than their neighbors. Send Them Back is a chant heard at recent political rallies.

We ask now what new arrivals bring with them. That is what we asked in years past. When we wanted laborers, Africans were brought as slaves and they helped the South become an economic power through the production of cotton. Chinese came to build our railroads, Irish, Italians and Polish men and women worked in construction and in factories. What do we want of immigrants now? That is not quite clear but it has begun to be put into words by our government.

Majority rule is an inspirational and democratic goal. Majorities are often wrong in their choices and so our government makes corrections through laws based on our constitution. Elections are one way of setting policy and national goals but every voice needs to be heard.

Much of this moment could be dated at an earlier time. Those that do not read history are destined to repeat it.

CHAPTER 1

Emilia

Emilia looked in the mirror objectively. She knew she had some excellent qualities but she also knew beauty was not one of them. Her assets did not show in the image before her, so her research was limited to what she could see in the mirror’s reflection. Abundant fair hair was her best feature. This hair was tightly braided and wrapped in a coil at the back of her head. Two blue eyes were often eclipsed by a tendency to squint. Emilia would never attempt to improve on the basics. She was what she saw now and there was little hope for improvement..

The mirror was large and shared by all the women in the family. The walnut framed oval shape moved back and forth, secured to upright posts.by screws. The whole of the structure sat on the floor of her mother’s room so that privacy was an issue. Emilia chose her times carefully. Vanity was a vice she didn’t own, but the use of a mirror might indicate otherwise.

I don’t want to change anything. I just want to know what others see. At the very least, there are no surprises whatever the outcomes. Emilia left the mirror at peace with herself after affirming the reasons for the visit.

Emilia’s birthday was soon. As each birthday approached, her mother’s feeling of hopelessness increased and she joylessly shared her desperation with Emilia. The last unmarried daughter was a tremendous concern to her mother and the message was writ deeply in Emilia’s thoughts.

The townsfolk regarded her as an asset to the family. The fact that none of the local lads had ever invited her to a party, or even for a walk, did indicate a problem of generational perceptions. Emilia’s response was to distance herself from them all. The negativity surrounding her at home and at work did not settle into her soul: she knew she was designed for a life far from her current placement.

Both parents encouraged her studies in nursing, so for some time she felt no obligation to move away from the family home and into another. Her position as a nurse kept her away on a regular basis. She was attached to a maternity/lying-in facility specializing in the babies of the wealthy. For the three weeks the mothers resided under a doctor’s care at the well-run hospital. Emilia was the primary supervisor of their health in the days before they gave birth and then, after the child was born, she added the newborn’s care to her schedule. The young mothers belonged to a clique Emilia could never join unless her situation changed completely. She saw no real differences in deportment or intelligence. A financial gap was certainly there, but a few royal connections often corrected that issue. So far as she knew, there were no royal connections to lean on in her family. Emilia saw little good coming from an extended stay with her family in Düsseldorf. She would have to marry.

Emilia envisioned her own children, carefully reared by their mother and destined for greatness. Especially her daughter! Her daughter would not be brought up as part of a process resulting in no benefit; she would be the monarch of all she surveyed. For example, mused Emilia, when guiding her daughter she would emphasize an appropriate marriage as a career plan, not a profession that involved service to others.

Emilia was embarrassed by the massive efforts made through family connections to find her a husband, but not uncomfortable enough to stop them. She was not looking in a magic mirror of any kind but it did send a message: now or never. Scruples aside, if an offer were made to her father, the offer would be acceptable to her. Long past the fairy tales that made her youthful heart beat fast, Emilia was ready for a dose of reality. If the prince who beckoned was truly a frog, that would suffice. If the frog had potential reaching beyond the small pond she lived in now, he would be perfect.

Düsseldorf was home but not one that could suit Emilia from birth to grave. It seemed as though the founding Earl von Berg and family set a tone for centuries to come. Be born noble and life will be good. The power of women could be seen in the Prussian court and also in the upper ranks of Düsseldorf society. Emilia watched and noted carefully the behavior of husbands and wives whose babes she tended. She was ready to leave beautiful Düsseldorf with only a kiss for her mother and a wave to her father as she boarded the railroad car carrying her to new adventures.

If it were not possible to choose your birth parents, a gift for art or music might help socially. Düsseldorf was well known as a city of art. When Emilia was younger, the art academy was already under discussion and before Emilia left Germany, its Italian Renaissance façade graced the city. Early on, Emilia admitted to herself that she was not gifted as an artist. Perhaps she could be a writer? Emilia began to keep a Journal. Sadly, Emilia was not a dedicated reader so writing was not to her liking either. Journal entries were usually critical comments on the patients she served at the hospital for new mothers. Nevertheless, each day brought an opportunity to store away the mannerisms of daily life in the upper class. Someday the quiet nurse who briefly shared their lives would use these notes well.

Her city had all the magnificence she could require but she was an outsider in a place of wealth and nobility. She rode in a carriage down the magnificent boulevard commissioned by Napoleon as the companion of titled ladies who took their first airing after producing a child. The shops of Konigsallee welcomed her clients but the owners knew that Emilia was there as a paid servant, not a purchaser of finery.

As much as possible, Emilia never walked the main streets in her nurse’s uniform. She dressed as well as she could to make the trip from hospital to home. She repeated her self-designed mantra as she plodded along: this too will pass. Carriages rolled by with young women she knew as her patients. They left the hospital bestowing hugs and kisses on Emilia. Once outside, Emilia was invisible. Her secret was a small piece of inherited luggage, where she secretly packed the clothes needed for an event still unknown. Emilia was ready to try anything.

She lived at the hospital. Her family home was modest but both her father and mother were content. The entry was pleasant and a large room with fireplace greeted the visitor. There were three other rooms, one quite small, and an indoor bath. The part most distressing to Emilia was the kitchen. The smell of cabbage and sausage was always present throughout the house. All cooking originated in the cellar, a dirt floored space under the main house with stoves and ovens along the one wall and a long planked table with benches along another. It was not a room calling for crystal and china but the family of five lived well by the standards of the times. They were working class folks. Emilia’s father was a baker. The children were well fed and allowed to continue in school past the eight years most likely for their neighbors. And Emilia had been given the privilege of nurse’s training. Her sister Clara was too young to share her thoughts, her brother Frederick too old to consider either of his sisters worthy of his company.

It made good sense for Emilia to set up in a clean and pleasant room at the Hospital. The nuns in charge kept high standards for all staff. Cleanliness helped the birthing process and the mothers’ recovery more than the skill of the doctors. It was a time of high death rates for babies but at Emilia’s place of work, the rules guaranteed a good chance of safe birth and early return to society for the new mothers.

Unknown to Emilia, the nuns spoke often of her dedication and quick responses to direction. They decided on an upward path for their favorite and planned to tell her on her second year anniversary. When they did announce their plans Emilia gave a flustered answer.

I do enjoy working here, with you. I am willing to study hard to learn more about the medical changes coming. Thank you so much for having faith in me.

It is your devotion to your patients that impresses us most. The first nun to speak was the Head of them all and none could speak before she did. You are a model, Emilia, one that we will reward in the years to come.

In her mind, Emilia felt proud but unhappy. Her position meant a great deal to her style of life but it was not a lifestyle she wanted to continue indefinitely. This praise worried her and she reacted with renewed resolution. Marriage held the key to her hopes.

Where is he? Emilia question was about to be answered.

CHAPTER 2

Wilhelm

There was, in Essen, a man, past the follies of youth, who needed a wife. He did not yet know this but the extended family had assessed his situation and determined on a course of action. Although his immediate family lived well, Wilhelm was ambitious and gladly entered into an intense period of training offered by the Krupp factory. The apprenticeship was particularly designed for boys showing potential in math and machinery. His life had been dedicated to his job and he was very good at both design and production.

Wars of diverse magnitude happened throughout Wilhelm’s life. The Franco-Prussian War finally brought the southern German states into the North German Confederation as they fought a common enemy. William I became Emperor and peace, growth, and economic power were evident. The manufacturing of arms did not stop in preparation for a millennium of peace and so Wilhelm was assured of a long career at Krupp. His mind invented machinery even when he slept. It was so divorced from the actual product that he rarely thought in terms of weapons.

At night Wilhelm returned to his parents’ home, tired and satisfied. He had no real interest in changing his status but slowly the comments and expectations of his family alerted him to their plans for his future as a husband and father. The name must go on and he was the only son. At times he noticed his mother looking at him with a tear in evidence. His father was more inclined to be thoughtful when studying his son. It did take a few years before Wilhelm realized that all the silent prayers were directed towards a change in his status. He accepted the charge and was quite willing to wait and see if a living candidate would be presented for his approval. None had been located in Essen.

Luckily, the unification of Germany made travel easier. Until 1871, many felt they were entering a foreign country only miles from their own villages. There were those who venerated the Hohenzollern Kings and those who would gladly exile them to Austria. The languages spoken differed and were labeled High German and its opposite, Low German. Residents of the southern states belonged to the Catholic Church for the most part and those in the northern states chose the Protestant Church. It would be some time before Germany could be considered unified but in the late 19th century that was clearly in the future. Economic differences mattered more than manners of speech, although religion was a marker for placing a person’s status and place of birth.

Now the ability to visit long lost relations was in place and tentative excursions into the countryside were a bonus. A visit to uncles and aunts in Essen was arranged for Emilia through discussions and letters. A cousin had recently given birth to a frail and needy child. Emilia would come as an angel, prepared to show her abilities with children and her devotion to the family. She would meet Wilhelm and, hopefully, enchant him with her fair visage and hidden but often discussed talents. She had grown up and been educated in Düsseldorf, she would not be offered as a peasant relation but as an appropriate wife for a rising engineer.

The Ruhr Valley of North Rhine-Westphalia experienced a period of rapid growth and the development of many industrial cities. Essen was one of the most populous of the historic Rhineland and the home of the overarching administration. Each city had its own administrative units as well. Although Emilia came from the same region, the change in surroundings was huge. She felt empowered by the opportunity to merge with a different sort of society built on the new industrialization of Germany itself. When she first met Wilhelm, she did not see a trained and talented machinist but a Captain of Industry.

The marriage came about through the efforts of relatives. It may not have been love at first sight but Wilhelm had an excellent job and no wife. Emilia had no husband. When Elise, Emilia’s future daughter, heard this story for the first time, she was eight years old and the tale sounded less than romantic. Emilia left out the part about love and concentrated on the merits of a well salaried man who would be bound by the rules of society to provide and care for a new family.

Despite this prosaic introduction to the life of Emilia and Wilhelm, it should be known that he was a handsome man, blue-eyed and fair with a touch of gray. It gave him a distinguished look. He had received interested glances from local ladies as he grew older but none had touched either his heart or his reason. One or the other must be involved before taking a sacred vow at the altar in front of families and friends. He knew heads of his department would approve Emilia’s good sense and education. That was a primary consideration.

Both Emilia and Wilhelm saw familial love as a part of the rules of life. It did not come with blushes and tremors; it crept forward pushed by the approval of society. They measured each other and noted possibilities. Wilhelm was assured of a wife who would respect his wishes in all things practical. Emilia judged his devotion to work as an opportunity to rule in the home. They were religious but not overly tied to the church. Neither followed the politics of the new country closely although Wilhelm was well aware of the animosity of those in power towards any whiff of socialism, communism, unions, or revolt. That suited him well for he was not a rebel. His new wife’s desire was to join those at the top, not to fight them. They were in love in a practical way.

The Krupp Company where Wilhelm worked as a machine designer supplied its employees not only with housing but also with stores, churches, a hospital, schools, health services, on-going public works, relief if needed, and a pension. This was unique to the company for Germany did not embrace social welfare until decades later. A small drawback was the loss of any ability to dissent from company policy, to propose any kind of worker union, or to be involved, in any way, with liberal politics. Even worse would be political dabbling in communist philosophies. Those workers found guilty of such offenses were quickly fired and their pensions revoked.

Wilhelm focused his mind on his work. As company policies grew more onerous each year he ignored his feelings of unrest in the interests of the security provided in the workers settlements. His one recurring nightmare was of conscription. He had no intention of serving in anyone’s army. He would design the machines to make guns and cannon but he would not fire either.

German unification came after a period of upheaval. One by-product was a military that became a model for much of Europe. King William II then turned his thoughts to the building of a strong navy, better than that of Great Britain. The euphoria of peace and unity lasted for some time after 1871 but a feeling of unrest filtered down from above to disturb the minds of all citizens. As factories became even more productive, Made In Germany flashed across the continent, emblazoned on imported goods. The pace of arms production did not abate with unification for now the country had to face other countries, long established, and ambitious for land, colonies and markets. German pride was at stake.

Wilhelm noticed a change in pace in the factory and a growing emphasis on weaponry. Several of his friends disappeared from the Krupp payroll with no explanation. He was unused to discussing matters like these with his wife. Wilhelm continued to meditate on the changes at Krupp. He spent much time thinking of ways to introduce the issues that had begun to disrupt his carefully planned life. He meditated in silence.

One night the couple sat together in their own small home after a dinner well prepared by Emilia. The dessert was cooling and they sat at table longer than usual. She at last had his attention and talked of household concerns and finally her own.

Wilhelm, she said in her usual tone, I am not feeling quite myself lately. I have lost the image that used to guide me every day as I started out to the hospital. What am I to do with my life? She had several ideas in mind and was ready to share them.

The sound of silence filled the room. Emilia knew it well but tonight the clock ticked and Wilhelm’s breath seemed louder. Nothing else was heard.

Then Wilhelm spoke. You are my wife and that is your life now. Tend to the family."

He rose and left her to think of what had been said and left unsaid. The clock ticked on. He had been on the edge of sharing his own growing problems but Emilia preempted his concerns with hers. This was the opening that came back again, night after night. Wilhelm was now aware that Emilia was ready to explore options and he wanted his own to be the ones she considered.

Wilhelm made the final decision to leave Essen when it became clear that Germany would increase the size of its standing army. It would follow the steps of France, Russia and Austria-Hungary. Germany had seen the trend as encirclement and prepared for whatever lay ahead. Wilhelm thought he smelled gunpowder in his sleep. He would not be conscripted but time was short.

The young couple discussed plans for a move for the first time. There were no children as yet, a blessing for them if not for his mother. For Emilia, this was an opportunity to start afresh as the wife of an educated and ambitious man. The new setting would erase all the background information known about her childhood, adolescence and her adult role as nurse. She was being given the keys to open new doors. Her relationship with Wilhelm was excellent as he was rarely home. All household decisions were delegated to her. Hopefully, this pattern would continue after the move. Mentally, she was already packing before the final discussions began.

William could bring his own special talents from Germany. He could build, design and fix any piece of machinery. His head was wired for wheels and cogs and he had completed a lengthy apprenticeship and received several promotions before marrying and leaving home. His father’s brother wrote to him from Ohio offering his help in resettling. Uncle Herman and his family were as eager to add members to the German community in Cincinnati, as their relatives were to cross the ocean and try their luck in the mid-west. Wilhelm would have a job waiting in Ohio when he arrived in New York. His uncle had spoken to the owners of the factory where he was employed, explaining his nephews expertise in firearms. It was a perfect fit but not the one expected.

And so, very quietly, William and Emilia saved money for tickets and even more quietly the two left for Hamburg where they had told the factory head and family that they were visiting a sick relative. They bought a berth on a ship to New York City in the United States of America, a country older in years than Germany. The trip itself lasted ten days and the excitement carried them through some of the heavy weather. Both vowed never to cross the Atlantic again.

Emilia and Wilhelm Knobholtz emigrated in 1877. They had been married less than two years. He was recorded on entry to his new country as a machinist and Emilia’s occupation was recorded as nurse. As they went through Ellis Island, their name was changed from Knobholtz to Holtz. At the same time, Wilhelm became William. The proof of employment eased their entrance interviews and all was well. Embracing their new names, they immediately headed for Cincinnati where relatives awaited them.

Wilhelm was unaware of the reasons for the rise of factories in Ohio. It was partly a result of the Civil War. Cincinnati became one of the major suppliers for both armies. The later conversion from war to peace meant opportunity for those who could see the transitional steps in moving towards peacetime manufacturing. William found his new job paid twice what he had made in Essen and he was able to move out of his uncle’s house into his own in a very short time. They had chosen a new location well.

When the Civil War ended, the nation was ready to grow. It soon became clear that the expertise gained in making armaments provided an entry to many new devices designed to make life more comfortable. This included washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and eventually automobiles. All of William’s abilities to see ahead were rewarded as new companies and old moved away from weapons. This was a job he wanted very much to do. Foremost, William Holtz was through with war.

CHAPTER 3

The Transplants

William and Emilia played a small part in the choice of their first home. In fact, his uncle had already purchased it as an investment. An area of Cincinnati located at the Miami and Erie Canal was dubbed the Rhine of Ohio in the mid-19 th century and in 1873 a writer named Daniel J. Kenny named the district Over the Rhine. Before the city annexed it in 1849, its reputation reflected the population. Immigrants from Germany, fleeing the revolution of 1848, made German culture the main characteristic of the area but not the upper class elite culture of the nobility left behind.

Despite the abundance of gambling, bootlegging and brothels, early immigrants came with a variety of German dialects, religious beliefs and social classes. German newspapers evolved to serve the community and keep them informed of the country they had left. One skill that survived the trans Atlantic trip was brewing Several breweries were operating well enough to earn Cincinnati the title Beer Capital of the World by 1880.

As a system of inclines developed in the 1880’s, properties were opened to residential use in the hills outside of the Over the Rhine center. This was fortunate for William