They bid on five beautiful letters from 1842-1846 out of Hanover.

Written by ev. Pastor August Althaus (1807-1881), 1840-47 Pastor Coll. in Hanover (garrison church), Father of the theologian Paul Althaus the Elder (1861-1925) and des ev. Pastors and missionaries Gerhard Althaus (1866-1946) as well as Grandfather of the theologians Paul Althaus (1888-1966), Georg Althaus (1898-1974) and Paul Graff (1878-1955).

From 1847 to 1859 he was pastor in Celle (garrison community), and from 1859 to 1881 he was pastor. Superintendent in Fallersleben.

August Althaus "was an important preacher, deeply rooted in the Lutheran revival movement around the Hermannsburg pastor Louis Harms. He was very interested in external missions. At the first Hermannsburg mission festival in 1851 he served as a preacher. He passed this missionary interest on to his sons." (Quelle: Paul Althaus (1888–1966). Professor, preacher and patriot in his time. Edited by Gotthard Jasper, Göttingen 2015, p. 19f.)

Aimed at a brother, the private lecturer and later professor of philosophy Karl Heinrich Althaus (1806-1886) in Berlin.

The father of the two brothers was the pastor Karl Philipp Christian Althaus (1775-1869), from 1805 to 1869 preacher at the reformed court church in Hanover.

All letters sent by post, with postmark and handwritten tax note.

1.) 2-page, large-format letter (27.3 x 22.2 cm), dated Hanover, 28./29. August 1842. The envelope has several wax seals on the back (with the initials "AA"; one of them is loosely inserted); with note “herein two Louisd’or”.

Excerpts: "Dear brother Carl! I am very sorry that your letter had to lie with me unopened for so long. It had the same fate as other things, although not so necessary, and arrived here during my absence. Added to this is the maddening simplicity of my landlords that even after my return they forgot all the letters that came to me, left them locked up and were only reminded of them after several days, as if by chance. Something like that can only happen to my sleepy bakers who dream away all day long. If I now send the minimum you set, I'll put it on the expenses of the trip."

Then about the high living costs of his brother Hermann Althaus (later his father's successor as preacher at the reformed court church in Hanover), which he can only manage with constant support from his mother. He reports on a 14-day visit with him and a meeting with him Theologians, general superintendent and Magdeburg bishop Johann Heinrich Bernhard Dräseke (1774-1849).

Then about philosophy, about “the setback that Hegelian philosophy has recently suffered,” and about visits to other relatives (Uncle Fritz and Uncle August). "Aunt Amalie is just the same as before. She has a pretty good life, is happy and can have joy like a child. We met her in a low negligee, too low for the time of day. Your daughter is the cutest and most beautiful of our cousins. I kissed her roughly. When we asked in Hersfeld for the Fürstenau district judge, we were told, the old one? The little word struck Weber so much that he quickly shouted: no! He couldn't forget the word for days."

Note: This is Aunt Amalie Amalie Fürstenau, b. Althaus (* 18. September 1785 in Blomberg as the daughter of Philipp Henrich Althaus and Louise Elisabeth, b. rose cock), widow of the district judge Johann Philipp Carl Fürstenau (* approx. 1773 in Rinteln, died. in March 1842) and mother of the professor, doctor of law, senior administrative judge and local politician Ernst Eduard Fürstenau (* 20. June 1826 in Rinteln, died. 8. July 1913 in Altheide, Glatz district), city elder of Berlin. -- August Althaus also reports about her children, including Ernst Eduard Fürstenau: "Eduard, the youngest, a tall boy with black eyes, wants to become a mathematician and will one day hear Ohm in Berlin."

At the end about politics and the University of Göttingen.

Signed "Keep your faithful brother August dear."

2.) 3-page folded letter (22.7 x 13.8 cm), addressing on the fourth page. Dated Hanover, 27. October 1844.

Excerpts: "If you don't break your long silence even once [...], we won't learn anything about you, your child and father, and it will soon seem to me as if you've been transported to the moon or to Siberia."

In a long, emotional passage, August Althaus asks his brother to reconnect with his parents. He also reports about the mother's poor health.

Then about his fiancée Amalie, di Amalia Louise Friederike, née. Reinbold (born 24. September 1825 in Hagen, died. 25. February 1855 in Celle), daughter of Eduard August Reinbold (1778-1849) and the Metta Rebecka, b. Heinau (1795-1831), who died on 31. She was supposed to get married in Himmelpforten in March 1845.

"Until then I have a lot of things to set up and get going and you can imagine how busy I'll be. Because Amalie is so far away, everything is my responsibility, not excluding ordering the kitchen. Oh, the joy when I can lead the little girl around my house and talk, see and see what has happened. I have already found a suitable apartment and I really hope to be able to host you there one day."

Signed "With warmest love, your brother August."

3.) 4 ½ page letter, the end written on the back of the envelope.

Dated Hanover, 5th. February 1845.

Excerpts: "I would like to testify to you that I will be with ours on the 9th. will be with you spiritually when you rejoice at the birth of your little Hermann and remember more vividly than usual what joy the dear child has given you over the past year and how with him a new star of life, hope and love has risen for you. "

"The letter that you, dear Angelika, wrote to my Amalie gave her great joy, and you also made me happy with it [,..]."

Then about relatives (including the mother's gout) and the preparations for the wedding. "Since Amalie only has her wardrobe and linen made in Himmelpforten, and everything else is done here, I am spending these weeks constantly preparing our facility. [...] Our wedding will be immediately after Easter, we haven't decided on the day yet, but you should find out in due course, because it is very important to me that I can see all my loved ones here and there on the happiest day of my life spiritually close to me there. [...] But can you believe that I can't imagine being an honorable husband so soon? [...] your faithful brother August."

4.) 4-page letter, loosely enclosed in a folded envelope.

Dated Hanover, 14. July 1845.

About the desire to visit Karl in Berlin, for which money is probably too tight, and the mother's poor health, also about the father and brother Hermann. "Even my and Amalie's well-being and happiness would not be missing if it wasn't for the mother's well-being [...]."

"I can't tell you much about our marital life, as it moves along quite quietly and simply. After we have arranged the grand tour of visits and the return visits, we are actually just living our lives and enjoying the beautiful privilege of young married couples of being able to remain undisturbed."

Signed "Your faithful brother August."

5.) ¼-page folded letter (27.3 x 21.2 cm), dated Hanover, 5. January 1846. Only described in a few lines.

About the mother's death, who "fell asleep at 5 ¾ this morning."

Enclosed is a small undated note, written on one side by August Althaus and on the other by his sister Louise Althaus. Concerns congratulations on the engagement of Karl Heinrich Althaus, probably written at the end of 1842.

Condition: Paper partly a little wrinkled, rarely with a small tear. The seals are partly missing, partly slightly damaged. Please also note the pictures!

Internal note: Althaus Vorphila

About the author and the recipient (source: own research) and about Söhne (source: wikipedia):

Carl Wilhelm Adolph August Althaus wwas born on the 3rd December 1807 in Hanover as the son of Karl Philipp Christian Althaus (* 6. April 1775 in Gehmen, died. 28. March 1869 in Hanover), Protestant Reformed pastor in Hanover from 1805 to 1869, and Friederike, née. Limping (d. on the 5th January 1846) and died on the 11th. May 1881 in Fallersleben.

August Althaus converted to Lutheranism in 1840-47 Pastor Coll. in Hanover (garrison church), 1847-1859 pastor Celle (garrison community) and then finally ev. Superintendent in Fallersleben.

His first marriage was on the 31st. March 1845 in Himmelpforten (Hannover) Amalia Louise Friederike, née. Reinbold (born 24. September 1825 in Hagen, died. 25. February 1855 in Celle), daughter of Eduard August Reinbold (1778-1849) and the Metta Rebecka, b. Heinau (1795-1831).

His second marriage was on the 12th. October 1856 in Celle, the 27 years younger Auguste Louise Elisabeth Sievers (*28. September 1834 in Dorfmark as the daughter of the pastor Johann Wilhelm Sievers, who later worked in Müden an der Ortze, and Sophie Juliane Amalie, née. Friedrich, died. 1904).

Children from the first marriage were:

-Friedrike "Frieda" Louise Meta Althaus (* 24. December 1845 in Hanover, died. 1906), wife of PastorsKonrad Rudolf August Graff (1851-1921) and mother of Pastor Paul Graff (1878-1955)

-Eduard Carl Adolph Althaus (* 3. May 1849 in Celle; gest. 22. June 1928 in New York as Professor of German)

-Bertha Dorothee Wilhelmine Althaus (* 23. June 1851 in Celle)

-Georg Julius Wilhelm Althaus (* 27. February 1853 in Celle, died. 1870 ibid.)

A son from his second marriage was the theologian Paul Althaus the Elder. (1861-1925); another son of the Pastor and missionaryr Gerhard Althaus (1866-1946).

A daughter from a second marriage, Amalie Anna Luise Elisabeth Althaus (* 15. November 1863 in Fallersleben; † 6. June 1920 in Klein Mahner) married the pastor Wilhelm Wendebourg (1887-1969).

Karl Heinrich Althaus was on the 1st. January 1806 in Hanover as the son of Karl Philipp Christian Althaus (* 6. April 1775 in Gehmen, died. 28. March 1869 in Hanover), Protestant Reformed pastor in Hanover from 1805 to 1869, and Friederike, née. Born with a limp.

He received his doctorate in Halle in 1837 (dissertation: "Prolegomena de summo in literarum studio fine et de disciplinarum nexu. Particula I"; i.e. about the introduction to the end of literary studies and the connection between the disciplines) and completed his habilitation in Berlin in 1838. Since 1837 he was a private lecturer at the University of Berlin, and in 1859 he became a professor there.

From 1837 Althaus in Berlin was also a member of the so-called Doctor's Club ("Doctorklubb") of the Left Hegelians, which united the criticism of religion and the Prussian state. The young Karl Marx (1818-1883), Karl Friedrich Köppen (1808-1863), Bruno Bauer (1809-1882) and Adolf Friedrich Rutenberg (1808-1869) also frequented there.

On the 8th In April 1843 he married Angelika Luise (Angelica Louise) a student, née in Berlin. at the 14th. June 1808 in Berlin as the only daughter of the merchant Johann Benjamin Jünger; gest. on the 25th. August 1880 at the age of 72 in Berlin. Her father had on the 3rd December 1794 married Carolina Sophia Tornow, eldest daughter of the Spandau merchant Carl Friedrich Tornow (gest. 18. March 1823 in Berlin).

She was the widow of the professor of philosophy in Halle Johann Georg Mußmann (1795-1833), whom she married on December 23rd. He married in September 1830 (son of the master blacksmith in Reichenberg near Danzig, Johann Friedrich David Mußmann). This marriage remained childless.

Karl Heinrich Althaus died on the 22nd. October 1886 at the age of 80 in Berlin.

From the marriage between Karl Heinrich Althaus and Angelika Luise, b. Students gave birth to five children:

-Karl Hermann Althaus (* 9. February 1844 in Berlin, died. 25. March 1898 in Berka), Dr. of philosophy and high school teacher, who died on January 1st. March 1875 in Berlin Marie Louise Charlotte married Anna Schrader von Beauvryé, née. 29. December 1852 in Schöneberg near Berlin as the daughter of the royal. Accounts Council and retired Prime Lieutenant Albin Schrader von Beauvryé. Children were Elisabeth Althaus (* 17. December 1875), who married Alfred Scheel, and Marta Althaus (* 9. March 1883)

-Heinrich Georg Althaus (* 25. February 1845 in Berlin, died. on the 31st October 1894 in Berlin), Royal. District judge and district judge in Berlin, who died on January 2nd. April 1884 in Berlin Marie Adelgunde married Auguste von Dechend, née. on the 22nd November 1855 in Berlin as the daughter of the Reichsbank President Hermann von Dechend (1814-1890) and Adelgunde, née. Wilke, died. on the 30th March 1917 in Teupitz. -- They had the following children: Karl Althaus (1886-1956), most recently district judge in Perleberg, Angelika Althaus (* 18. January 1888 in Berlin), Luise Althaus (* 19. December 1888 in Berlin) and Adelgunde Althaus (* 16. July 1891 in Berlin). Your eldest SonGeorgeAlthaus (*7. Februaryuar 1885 in Berlin) was already ten years old on the 13th. Died in Halle in October 1895 as a Latina student.

-Adelheid Althaus (* 17. October 1846 in Berlin, died. 20. August 1923 in Wittstock / Dosse)

-Ernst Ludwig Althaus (* 9. May 1848 in Berlin, died. 5. April 1933 in Braunschweig), Dr. of philosophy (diss. Berlin 1874 "Quaestionum de Iulii Pollucis fontibus specimen") and teacher at the Askanian Gymnasium in Berlin. On the 15th In April 1884 he married the teacher Anna Elisabeth Schmiel (* 19. April 1857 or 1858 in Berlin), daughter of the full teacher at the teachers' seminar at the Augusta School Wilhelm Ottomar Schmiel and Julie Luise Anna, née. Stieff. One of their sons was Ernst Althaus (* 19. February 1889 in Berlin; † 21. April 1977 in Herford), German lawyer and mayor of the cities of Minden and Herford.

-Conrad Althaus

Adolf Paul Johannes Althaus (also Paul Althaus the Elder/senior; * 29. November 1861 in Fallersleben; † 9. April 1925 in Leipzig) was a German Evangelical Lutheran theologian and professor at the universities of Göttingen and Leipzig.

Career: Althaus studied theology in Erlangen and Göttingen. In Göttingen, in the winter semester of 1881/82, he joined the student choir of Georgia-Augusta (today the Student Music Association Blue Singers) in the cartel association of German student choirs and was philistinized there in 1884. He worked as a pastor in Obershagen between 1887 and 1897 and received his doctorate in theology from Hermann Cremer at the University of Greifswald in 1896. In 1897 he became an associate professor of practical and systematic theology in Göttingen and in 1899 a full professor. In the same year he also became an honorary philistine of the Göttingen Wingol. In 1912 he accepted an appointment as a full professor of systematic theology and New Testament science in Leipzig. From 1914 to 1915 and from 1919 to 1920 Althaus was dean of the theological faculty at the University of Leipzig.

One of his sons was the theologian of the same name Paul Althaus (1888–1966).

Fonts (selection)

The historical and dogmatic basis of the Lutheran baptism liturgy. Feesche, Hanover 1893.

Dogmatic justification of the new test. Statements about baptism. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 1896.

The salvation significance of baptism in the New Testament. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 1897.

Piety and morality according to the Protestant view. Dieterich, Göttingen 1906.

Luther as the father of the Protestant church song. Deichert, Leipzig 1917.

Research on Protestant prayer literature. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 1927.

Gerhard Althaus (*24. April 1866 in Fallersleben; † 8th. March 1946 in Wolfenbüttel) was a German Evangelical Lutheran clergyman, pastor and missionary.

Life: Gerhard Althaus was born into a large family of pastors in Lower Saxony as the son of the superintendent of Fallersleben, August Althaus. His brother Paul Althaus the Elder, his nephew Paul Althaus the Younger and one of his children Georg Althaus were also Lutheran theologians.

After his schooling in Gütersloh, Helmstedt and Celle, he studied Protestant theology at the universities in Tübingen, Leipzig and Göttingen.

On the 11th In May 1892, after a personal request from director Karl von Schwartz, he became a student at the Leipzig Mission House (today Leipzig Missionswerk) and then learned Swahili at the Seminar for Oriental Languages ​​in Berlin. On the 24th In May 1893 he was seconded as a missionary to what was then the German colony of German East Africa (today Tanzania), where he co-founded the German Protestant mission. In July 1894 he and his colleague Traugott Päsler set up the Mamba mission station at the foot of Kilimanjaro, which he managed in the following years and lived in with his family. Due to illness, he had to leave missionary service in 1910.

After returning to Germany, Althaus became a pastor in Stadtilm. From 1915 to 1927 he was head of the Marienstift in Braunschweig. He ended his professional life as pastor of Barum and Cramme near Wolfenbüttel.