HISTORY OF THE KOHNHORST FAMILY IN NORDHORN

This was my first contact with our family in Germany.   Alex Kohnhorst, son of Adolph and Gertrude Kohnhorst of Nordhorn contacted me when I listed my name on Anhestry.com. From this contact we where excited when we had the opportunity to visit them in Nordhorn. The feeeling I had when I first saw Adolph was one that still gives me "goose bumps" to this day. I felt the a family connection immediately. See family photos below.

At TIME WHEN Holland was Western Europe's major port for shipping freight, from 20,000 to 30,000 young men headed west to work in fields during the summer month. They found work cutting gras, taking care of gardens and cutting peat. With walking sticks in hand, blue linen sacks on back, they traveled through the District Bentheim. Oftentimes they stopped in Nordhorn and went in a "Vechtepuenten" to get to the mashes of Northern Holland, as this was quicker and cheaper. From this flood of people every year some men would end up finding work in the local villages and towns, and ended up staying. The preferred spot for them was the Bentheim region, it was closely tied to the District Tecklenburg, a Protestant region since the late 1600th. In addition, Tecklenburg belonged to Prussia since 1608, but Bentheim was independent and had no mandatory military service.
One such young person who settled along the boarder was named Heinrich Adolf Kohnhorst, born on August the 7th, 1778. Hunter by trade, originally from the area Ladbergen in the district of Tecklenburg. It is possible that the war of 1800 with Napoleon played a role in the settling of some families in this region. Heinrich Adolf Kohnhorst found work as a hunter with the dispatching Co. Engelberts. This position put him in charge of the hunting dogs and hunting rifles since Engelberts himself was often on business trips for long periods of time. During those years Heinrich built himself an elaborate hunter's house near the gates of Nordhorn, this house was turned over to the Nordhorn Club Organisation in 1900. Heinrich was able to accumulate a substantial fortune over the two decades. He purchased a house and bought his way into becoming a citizen of the City of Nordhorn. This document is recorded in the second citizen book on the 1st day of October 1821, it reads as follows: II.Citizen Book (1572-1821), Nr. 879 – 1821, dated October 1st. Hunter Adolf Kohnhorst, born in Lattbergen, district Tecklenburg has received the citizenship of Nordhorn. He vowed to be an honorable citizen by following the Cities laws, at the same token he gained access to freedom and special privileges.
On October 1st 1810 he married Gesine Geurdes and from this marriage he had eight children. From his second marriage on December 29th, 1833 to Enne Handloechter, he had two more children, Gesine Johanne born Jan.14th 1835 and Adolph Hermann born Oct. 19th 1837.
The founding father of the Nordhorn Kohnhorst line-age Henrich Adolf from Ladbergen died of a hunting accident. He was hunting in Arkel, located in the Bentheim region. He is buried in the Hoogsteder cemetery.
Following the war of independence the travel routes changed throughout West Germany. The Max-Klemens-Canal between Muenster and Ohne was broken. The passage via the Vechte dissipated. A customs office on the border was set up and, as a result the merchants tried to find other routes to cross the borders. Several dispatching Co. including Engelberts left Nordhorn for Holland and many stayed there as pensioners. They kept their rank in Nordhorn for about two more decades, but they were unable to offer decent wages to the next genegarion of workers. This younger generation ended up working for the new and growing textile industry. This new industry was started by two men van Delden and Stroink, both from Holland who had settled down in Nordhorn between 1836 and 1846. From that time on right up to the present the Adolf Hermann Kohnhorst Family of Nordhorn has stayed in close connection with the textile industry. Adolf worked for the Stroink Textile Co. and became a master craftsman.
On Jan.31st 1861 he married Agnes Westenberg, an offspring of an old Nordhorn Family of teachers and ship merchants. From this marriage four children grew into adulthood, one of them: Adolf Hendrik, born on the 17th of April 1867 and Arnold Johann, born on the 30th of Nov. 1877. Both brothers stayed with the Stroink Textile Co.
Of Adolf we know the following: He lived his childhood in Nordhorn. Life was not easy. He attended school in the morning and, as was working in the textile factory in the afternoon so he could help his parents and earn some pocket money. On April 17th, 1880 he joined the Textile Co. W. Stroink. He was a diligent and hard worker and well respected. By 1889, at the young age of 22, he was appointed to Textile Master. In 1910 he advanced to Master general and oversaw about 500 employees. In 1890 he married Katharina Jansen, from a Nordhorn patrician family. The Textile Co. built a house for him close to the factory and this house is still the ancestral home of the Kohnhorst family today. His family life was very happy. He was a fun loving and lively person who loved to have company and was a great entertainer. Memories of so called "family days" are still remembered when family members from Nordhorn as well as East Friesland were welcome at his house. Adolf had 11 children to whom he was the absolute best friend and companion.
He was a well respected and liked person in and around Nordhorn and across the borders into Holland and was known under the nickname "de Baas". His employees looked up to him with high regards and loyalty. His advice was well respected in the community. For years he held public office in Nordhorn. He was a founding father of the volunteer fire department and was actively involved with it for 40 years. One of the highlights of his life was the 50th anniversary of his employment, he received numerous awards and almost the whole city of Nordhorn was present.
Out of economic reasons the W. Stroik Textile Co. was forced to close its doors. This was a terrible blow to Nordhorn. But it hit Adolf Kohnhorst the most. He lost everything he saved over the 50 years with the Co. He suffered a stroke and remained a sick man. After he suffered another stroke some time later, he was tied to a chair the rest of his live and this proved to be a very trying time for him. He died Feb.2nd 1938. A huge crowd of people accompanied him on his last journey home.
His (by 10 years) younger brother Arnold Johann Kohnhorst also worked for the same textile Co. during his school years, first as a weaver and later as master. He celebrated his 40th anniversary with the Co. in 1931, just one year before it closed its doors. In Nov. 1902 he married Gesine Helene Baals. They had five children. In early Sep. 1933 he died of a tragic accident. He was only 56 years old. During his mealtime he swallowed a piece of a bone and it got caught in his throat. During the process of removing the bone his throat was injured and he suffered an infection. He died 24 hours later.
Kohnhorst descendents from these two families are still living in the Nordhorn today, after 150 years.

The Adolph Kohnhorst Family in Nordhorn



Alex and Anja at their wedding

Alex and Anja wedding party

Alex on vacation

Anja on vacation as well

Alex with his sister-in-law

Charlotte, Adolph & Gertrude in new apt in Nordhorn 2006

Gertrude - Nordhorm 2006

Adolph Kohnhorst - Nordhorn -2006


               Alex & Anja in Oldenburg 2006                                Alex & Anja in Oldenburg 2007                      Anja & Charlotte 2007 in Oldenburg



Alex & Anja Vacation in Mittenwald