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Weinhardt Family Letters

The correspondence in the Weinhardt Family Letters centers on the experiences of John V. (Hans) Weinhardt, who immigrated to the United States in 1925. In 1923, Hans, then a fifteen-year-old student doing an apprenticeship at the city hall of his hometown, Schwabach, Bavaria, began researching his family's history in old city records. He eventually discovered that a branch of his family had emigrated to Indiana, and within a year he had made contact with William W. Weinhardt, a distant cousin who ran a detective agency in the city of Lafayette. William Weinhardt and Hans Weinhardt's father, Johann Weinhardt, were third cousins; William Weinhardt's father and grandfather had emigrated to Indiana from Schwabach in 1848.

William Weinhardt encouraged Hans and his family to consider immigrating to the United States and promised to sponsor them. Eventually, in February 1925, Hans departed Germany on the White Star ship Arabic and made his way to Lafayette. There, he came to be known as John, rather than Hans, and he lived with William and his wife Carrie, who had no children, until his marriage in 1936. John V. Weinhardt became a United States citizen in 1930. He later wrote that William and Carrie, whom he came to call Uncle Bill and Aunt Carrie, “were like parents to me and most people thought I was their son... I shall always be grateful to them.”

The collection includes correspondence between the Weinhardts in Schwabach and William Weinhardt before Hans left Germany, and Hans' correspondence with his parents and other family members after leaving Germany, dating from 1923 through the 1930s. As a U.S. citizen, John V. Weinhardt later sponsored the immigration of his younger brother Philipp and his family to the United States after the Second World War, much as William Weinhardt had done for him. The letters presented are drawn from the family collection of John V.'s son William J. Weinhardt.

Our thanks to John G. Weinhardt, the son of Philipp Weinhardt, for spearheading the inclusion of the Weinhardt Family Letters in the project and for generously sharing his transcriptions and translations of the letters as well as the background research for this collection description.

Contributors: William J. Weinhardt and Sandra Weinhardt

John Yungmeyer to Hans V. Weinhardt, June 10, 1923

John Yungmeyer to Hans V. Weinhardt, June 10, 1923

Letter from John Yungmeyer to Hans V. Weinhardt, June 10, 1923. Yungmeyer was a friend of William Weinhardt, whom Hans Weinhardt had contacted by letter two months earlier to re-establish contact between the two branches of the Weinhardt family. The…
Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, June 25, 1923

Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, June 25, 1923

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, June 25, 1923.
William W. Weinhardt to Johann P. Weinhardt, August 1, 1923

William W. Weinhardt to Johann P. Weinhardt, August 1, 1923

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, Johann P. Weinhardt, August 1, 1923.
John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, August 7, 1923

John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, August 7, 1923

Letter from John V. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, August 7, 1923.
Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, August 26, 1923

Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, August 26, 1923

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, August 26, 1923.
William W. Weinhardt to Johann P. Weinhardt, September 13, 1923

William W. Weinhardt to Johann P. Weinhardt, September 13, 1923

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, Johann P. Weinhardt, September 13, 1923.
John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, October 25, 1923

John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, October 25, 1923

Letter from John V. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, October 25, 1923.
Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, December 15, 1923

Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, December 15, 1923

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, December 15, 1923.
Margarete Weinhardt and Johanna Weinhardt and Marie Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, January 18, 1924

Margarete Weinhardt and Johanna Weinhardt and Marie Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, January 18, 1924

Letter from Margarete Weinhardt and her daughters Johanna and Marie Weinhardt to their cousin, William W. Weinhardt, January 18, 1924.
William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, February 11, 1924

William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, February 11, 1924

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, John V. Weinhardt, February 11, 1924.
John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, April 1, 1924

John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, April 1, 1924

Letter from John V. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, April 1, 1924.
Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, April 3, 1924

Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, April 3, 1924

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, April 3, 1924.
John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, June 12, 1924

John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, June 12, 1924

Letter from John V. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, June 12, 1924.
William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 30, 1924

William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 30, 1924

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, John V. Weinhardt, August 30, 1924.
Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, October 25, 1924

Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, October 25, 1924

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, October 25, 1924.
Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, March 15, 1925

Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, March 15, 1925

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his son, John V. Weinhardt, March 15, 1925.
Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, March 15, 1925

Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, March 15, 1925

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, March 15, 1925.
Johann P. Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, April 7, 1925

Johann P. Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, April 7, 1925

Letter from Johann P. and Margarete Weinhardt to their son, John V. Weinhardt, April 7, 1925.
Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, April 7, 1925

Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, April 7, 1925

Letter from Philipp Weinhardt to his brother, John V. Weinhardt, April 7, 1925.
Marie Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, April 14, 1925

Marie Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, April 14, 1925

Letter from Marie Weinhardt to her brother, John V. Weinhardt, April 14, 1925.
Johann P. Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, April 28, 1925

Johann P. Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, April 28, 1925

Letter from Johann P. and Margarete Weinhardt to their son, John V. Weinhardt, April 28, 1925.
Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, May 3, 1925

Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, May 3, 1925

Letter from Philipp Weinhardt to his brother, John V. Weinhardt, May 3, 1925.
Marie Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, May 19, 1925

Marie Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, May 19, 1925

Letter from Marie Weinhardt to her brother, John V. Weinhardt, May 19, 1925.
Marie Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, July 27, 1925

Marie Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, July 27, 1925

Letter from Marie Weinhardt to her brother, John V. Weinhardt, July 27, 1925.
Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt and William W. Weinhardt and Carrie Weinhardt , July 28, 1925

Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt and William W. Weinhardt and Carrie Weinhardt , July 28, 1925

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his son, John V. Weinhardt, and relatives William W. and Carrie Weinhardt, July 28, 1925.
Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, July 28, 1925

Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, July 28, 1925

Letter from Philipp Weinhardt to his brother, John V. Weinhardt, July 28, 1925.
Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 20, 1925

Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 20, 1925

Letter from Philipp Weinhardt to his brother, John V. Weinhardt, August 20, 1925.
Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 27, 1925

Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 27, 1925

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his son, John V. Weinhardt, August 27, 1925.
Marie Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 30, 1925

Marie Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 30, 1925

Letter to John V. Weinhardt from his mother, Margarete Weinhardt, and sister Marie Weinhardt, August 30, 1925.
Marie Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, September 22, 1925

Marie Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, September 22, 1925

Letter from Marie Weinhardt to her brother, John V. Weinhardt, September 22, 1925.
Johann P. Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, September 24, 1925

Johann P. Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, September 24, 1925

Letter from Johann P. and Margarete Weinhardt to their son, John V. Weinhardt, September 24, 1925.
Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, March 9, 1927

Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, March 9, 1927

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his son, John V. Weinhardt, March 9, 1927.
Weinhardt family letter, April 25, 1927

Weinhardt family letter, April 25, 1927

Letter to John V. Weinhardt from his mother, Margarete Weinhardt, and his siblings Philipp and Marie Weinhardt, April 25, 1927. The first three pages of the letter were written by Philipp; the fourth page and part of the fifth page were written by…
Weinhardt family letter, August 16, 1927

Weinhardt family letter, August 16, 1927

Letter to John V. Weinhardt from his parents, Margarete and Johann P. Weinhardt, and his brother, Philipp Weinhardt, August 16, 1927.
Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, December 21, 1929

Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, December 21, 1929

Letter from Philipp Weinhardt to his brother, John V. Weinhardt, December 21, 1929.
Weinhardt family letter, January 11, 1930

Weinhardt family letter, January 11, 1930

Letter from John V. Weinhardt to his parents and siblings, Johann P. and Margarete Weinhardt and Marie Weinhardt and Philipp Weinhardt, January 11, 1930.
Hans V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, June 25, 1923

Hans V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, June 25, 1923

Letter from Hans V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, June 25, 1923.
William W. Weinhardt to Johann P. Weinhardt, November 25, 1923

William W. Weinhardt to Johann P. Weinhardt, November 25, 1923

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, Johann P. Weinhardt, November 25, 1923.
William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, March 20, 1924

William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, March 20, 1924

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, John V. Weinhardt, March 20, 1924.
William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, March 24, 1924

William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, March 24, 1924

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, John V. Weinhardt, March 24, 1924.
William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, June 6, 1924

William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, June 6, 1924

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, John V. Weinhardt, June 6, 1924.
William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 24, 1924

William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, August 24, 1924

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, John V. Weinhardt, August 24, 1924.
John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, September 2, 1924

John V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, September 2, 1924

Letter from John V. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, September 2, 1924.
William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, December 15, 1924

William W. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, December 15, 1924

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, John V. Weinhardt, December 15, 1924.
Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, May 24, 1925

Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, May 24, 1925

Letter from Philipp Weinhardt to his brother, John V. Weinhardt, May 24, 1925.
William W. Weinhardt to Johann P. Weinhardt, June 2, 1925

William W. Weinhardt to Johann P. Weinhardt, June 2, 1925

Letter from William W. Weinhardt to his cousin, Johann P. Weinhardt, June 2, 1925.
John V. Weinhardt to the Weinhardt family, July 16, 1925

John V. Weinhardt to the Weinhardt family, July 16, 1925

Letter from John V. Weinhardt to his parents and siblings, Johann P. and Margarete Weinhardt and Marie Weinhardt and Philipp Weinhardt, July 16, 1925. In this letter John described his reaction to the news of his sister Johanna's death.
Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, June 10, 1927

Johann P. Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, June 10, 1927

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his son, John V. Weinhardt, June 10, 1927.
Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, July 3, 1927

Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, July 3, 1927

Letter from Philipp Weinhardt to his brother, John V. Weinhardt, July 3, 1927.
Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, September 22, 1927

Philipp Weinhardt to John V. Weinhardt, September 22, 1927

Letter from Philipp Weinhardt to his brother, John V. Weinhardt, September 22, 1927.
Hans V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, April 26, 1923

Hans V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, April 26, 1923

Letter from Hans V. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, April 26, 1923. The letter marked the first contact between the Weinhardt family in Schwabach and their relatives in Indiana in several decades. In the letter, Hans explains that he had found…
Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, August 9, 1923

Johann P. Weinhardt to William W. Weinhardt, August 9, 1923

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt to his cousin, William W. Weinhardt, August 9, 1923.
Weinhardt family letter, May 10, 1927

Weinhardt family letter, May 10, 1927

Letter to John V. Weinhardt from his parents, Margarete and Johann P. Weinhardt, and his sister, Marie Weinhardt, May 10, 1927. The first section of the letter was written by his mother, the second section by his sister, and the last by his father.
Heinrich Schlee to John V. Weinhardt, October 10, 1926

Heinrich Schlee to John V. Weinhardt, October 10, 1926

Letter from Heinrich Schlee to John V. Weinhardt, October 10, 1926
Johann P. Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to Hans V. Weinhardt, May 27, 1925

Johann P. Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to Hans V. Weinhardt, May 27, 1925

Letter from Johann P. Weinhardt and Margarete Weinhardt to Hans V. Weinhardt, May 27, 1925.
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