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BIRTH: bet.1822-1823 Bohemia [Czechoslovakia]
BAPTISM:
IMMIGRATION: 11 Jul 1865 Ship Hansa from Bremen to NY
NATURALIZATION: 11 May 1872 Common Pleas Court, NY, NY
DEATH: 20 Nov 1894 NY, NY
BURIAL:
SPOUSE: Francisca Seckera
MARRIAGE: bef. 1855
HAJEK AND HEIG DESCENDANT CHART
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Children
Catherina Hajek
Andreas Hajek
Leopoldina Hajek
Ann Hajek
Rudolph Andrew Heig |
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SOURCES
Census
1880 Johan Hajek, Manhattan, NY, NY ED152
Immigration
Johann Hajek, age 42, departed Bremen,
Germany, arrived New York 11 Jul 1865, Ship Hansa.
Death and Burial
Manhattan Church Record Christ Evangelical 19th St. Parish Record
Francisca Heig, b. March 9, 1823, d. Feb. 7, 1899
Autobiography of Gertrude Lutze, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute
for Advanced Study, Harvard University
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BIOGRAPHY
Johann Hajek was probably born in that part of Czechoslovakia called
Bohemia. It's not known if he married in Bohemia or Austria, but it was most likely Austria. The Hajek family were
passementarie
makers, and the Czech people were noted for their skills in this trade
Passementarie is a type of appliqué lace work. It was used by royalty
and the wealthy for bed hangings, epaulets, and on cuffs and necklines of
clothing, among other items.
Family lore says the Hajeks are descended from Austrian Royalty, the
Habsburgs, and that one of the royal family gave up his throne to marry a
commoner. Although this doesn't completely hold water there may be
some truth to the tale. But, as Aunt Anna [Anna Heig Greenwold] said:
"if we are, then we're all bastards."
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Johann Baptist Joseph Fabian von Oesterriech (1782-1859) was next in line
for the Habsburg throne but gave up his right in order to marry a commoner,
Anna Maria Josephine Plochl on September 3, 1823. Johan Hajek was born
1822-1823. Although it is doubtful Johan Hajek is the son of Anna
Plochl's, as the children of her union with Johann Baptist have been traced
and verified, it is possible he is the son of Johann Baptist. A
painting of Johann Baptist, placed next to a photograph of Oscar Heig,
grandson of Johan Hajek, shows a remarkable resemblance. As the Hajek
family were passementarie makers, it is quite possible Johan Hajek's mother
was employed in the royal household. I leave it up to the reader to
believe or doubt. |
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It's interesting to note that on the Ship
manifest "Austria" is crossed off and "United States" entered. Why
this was done is a mystery as all the children were born in Austria and none
of the family could have been US citizens. This entry is the only
change on the manifest. The Hajeks may have left Vienna with foresight
of things to come. Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia were in
turmoil. At the end of the 18th century, the Czech national revivalist
movement, in cooperation with a part of the Bohemian aristocracy, started a
campaign for restoration of the Kingdom's historic rights. Modest
concessions were made by Leopold II (Emperor of Austria 1790-1792), when he
became King of Bohemia in 1792, and father of Johann Baptist. The
Czech politicians became stronger and in 1848 started a revolution. It
was not successful and the old Bohemian Diet was dissolved. A new,
elected Bohemian Diet was established in 1861. Next came an attempt to
establish a tripartite monarchy (Austria-Hungary-Bohemia) in 1871, which
failed.
Living and working in Vienna, possibly in the royal household, Johan Hajek
would have closely followed these events, especially since he was born in
Bohemia. Just a year later, in 1872, Johan Hajek brought his family
to America. They would have traveled by land from Vienna, north
through Germany to the port of Bremen where they embarked on the ship Hansa.
When Rudolph and his family came to America he listed his occupation as "fringemaker"
on the ship manifest. In 1870 he listed his occupation as silk
weaver, birth place Bohemia. It's interesting to note that his name is
written "Joseph," not Johan. His two eldest children: Kate 17,
and Andrew 14, are also silk weavers. In 1880, Johan's occupation is
listed as "lock maker" but this may be an error made by the census taker and
should be lace maker. Three of his children Andrew, Dinah and Ann are
now working as "segar makers." That the children are no longer
following their father's occupation is not surprising as the call for
hand-made lace was decreasing with the industrial revolution. Johan
and his family lived on the Lower
East Side, and we can assume he was still living there when he died in 1894.
His wife Francisca died but a few years later in 1899.
Johan and Francisca had five children: Catharina b. 1855, Andreas b. 1856,
Leopoldina b. 1857 [called Dinah or Lena], Ann b. 1862 and Rudolph Andrew b.
Jan. 1864. We don't know what happened to Catharina or Ann, but
Gertrude Lutze recalls meeting Aunt Lena, although her married name remains
a mystery.
The following is Courtesy of Gertrude Lutze, daughter of Jay and Margaret
Lutze
Mother's Aunt Lena, (her father's sister) [Helen
Muller], spent several weeks with us in
Connecticut for a few summers in the late nineteen twenties. She was a
tiny woman, in her seventies or eighties, her face lined with wrinkles, gray
hair pulled straight back off her face and secured firmly in a knot on top
of her head. Her long cotton print dresses were always protected by a
colorful apron tied with a large bow. Indoors she pattered around in
purple felt slippers.
Aunt Lena smiled and laughed often; her eyes twinkled merrily when she told
stories or chattered with us children. Without fail, we could count on
her giving us a nickel to run down to the store and buy tootsie rolls or
multi-flavored life savers for ourselves, and another nickel to buy the New
York paper for her.
Her daughter Annie [Annie Schroeder], grand-daughter, Carol, and grandson, Harold, drove up
with her from New York, spent the weekend, and then returned for Aunt Lena
when she was ready to go home, several weeks later. I vaguely remember
them, but one memory is clear; Harold brought his sweetheart one weekend and
smooched with her on the front porch glider most of the weekend, which
embarrassed me as I walked by to enter or leave the house.
If Aunt Lena's visits came to an end because she died, or because we returned
to New York year round for a time, or because the depression clipped her
traveling wings, I can't say. But like the old soldier, Aunt Lena just
faded away, leaving us a bright charming memory.
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