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Johann Steinhauer ( lv, Jānis Šteinhauers, born Jānis Akmeņkalis; 19 January 1705 – 21 February 1779) was a
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
n
entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value. With this definition, entrepreneurship is viewed as change, generally entailing risk beyond what is normally encountered in starting a business, which may include other values t ...
,
social reformer A reform movement or reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary m ...
and landowner, who made significant contributions to the
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
n
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life ...
throughout the 18th century.Bartlett, Roger P. (1979, p.88-89).The People of Riga
. "Johann Steinhauer (1705-1779) The first Latvian industrialist and the biggest Latvian landowner in Riga in the 18th century. From 1743 he worked as a crown mast selector, then from 1756 he was the owner of the
Hermeling Terry Allen Hermeling (born April 25, 1946) is an American former professional American football, football player who was an offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the N ...
estate (Hermeliņa muiža) and sawmill and several other estates in
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the B ...
. In 1765 he established the first paper factory in Riga. Steinhauer was involved for a long time in court proceedings with the Riga City Council in his attempts to win the right for representatives of all ethnic groups to trade in Riga, and managed to gain the right to supply ships in the port of Riga with timber. His son was officially accepted into the building owners’ guild in 1784."


Family

Jānis Akmeņkalis was the son of Matīss Akmeņkalis (Germanised as Matthis Steinhauer), a runaway Latvian serf turned into a
merchant A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
who transported cargo for the Swedes during the Swedish rule of
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the B ...
. He was born about 1680 and emigrated to Riga from
Courland Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...
at the turn of the century. In 1704 he married Johann's mother Margareta Schugge, a Riga Latvian. "Matthis possessed an exceptional talent for judging the quality of timber and built an international reputation as an assessor of ship's masts". Between 1703 and 1710 Matthis and mast selector Brinkkis were hired by the Tzar Peter I of Russia to select the wood for the construction of the newly founded city of
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
, receiving the title of Royal Mast Selector. He engaged the Unitas Fratrum or
Moravian Brethren The Moravian Church ( cs, Moravská církev), or the Moravian Brethren, formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestantism, Protestant Christian denomination, denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohem ...
, becoming one of their most prominent members in Riga, and this would have far lasting consequences in the destinies of his descendants. He had 10 known children all born in St John's parish in Riga.


Economic success

Johann Steinhauer became Mast Inspector like his father and accomplished a considerable fortune in a short time. He traded timber and he was known for the quality of his products. He founded a sawmill in Hermelingshof ( Hermalina) and the first paper factory in Riga. He owned estates, manors, and land in Riga and the rest of Latvia becoming the wealthiest man in Riga in the 17th century. Manors and estates that belonged to Johann Steinhauer and his family: * Sassenhof or Zasumuiža: In Sassenhof he built the First Paper's manufacturing industry. It operated both by wind and water. The mills produced various grades of paper, and raw materials for the Clothing and Printing Industries. * Hermelingshof: At this manor Steinhauer build a sawmill driven by a windmill that supplied the ships arriving at the port of Riga. * Möllershof or Mühlenhof by Riga (Zemunda) * Wohlershof or Voleri at Dünamünde (
Daugavgrīva Daugavgrīva (german: Dünamünde; pl, Dynemunt; russian: Усть-Двинск or ''Ust`-Dvinsk'') is a neighbourhood in North West Riga, Latvia on the left bank of the Daugava river. In this neighbourhood there is a Swedish-built fortress o ...
) * The meadows and grasslands of Spilwen ( Spilve, Riga) * The windmills at Fosa Island * Aahaken or Bergshof located in the vicinity of Riga. Here he built his own Port ( Bolderāja) to transport timber. * Schlottmachersholm Schlottmaker * 4000 acres (lot 5 and 13) as Shareholder in the " Der North Carolina Land und Colonie Establissement" (
Wachovia, North Carolina Wachovia was the area settled by Moravians in what is now Forsyth County, North Carolina, US. Of the six 18th century Moravian "villages of the Lord" established in Wachovia, today the town of Bethania and city of Winston-Salem exist within ...
)


Moravian Society

Fascinated by the Brethren's democratic ideals, Matthis Steinhauer became one of its earliest members of the
pietist Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life, including a social concern for the needy and ...
Moravian Church , image = AgnusDeiWindow.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , caption = Church emblem featuring the Agnus Dei.Stained glass at the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States , main_classification = Proto-Pr ...
. He became the leader of the Moravian Society in Riga and his home, their meeting place. After his father's death Johann took his place in Riga's Moravian Society, and when the Herrnhuters were outlawed he continued to support the church and its missionary effort in secret. One of his Manors, Sassenhof, became the center for the underground Moravian Church in Riga. In 1754 he bought in
Wachovia Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo and Company in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States, based on total asset ...
(
Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in N ...
),
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia a ...
in support of the
Moravian Church , image = AgnusDeiWindow.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , caption = Church emblem featuring the Agnus Dei.Stained glass at the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States , main_classification = Proto-Pr ...
efforts to create a Moravian Colony there. This land was later sold to the Moravian Church and colonists who emigrated there. Throughout his live he promoted religious understanding and freedom in Riga.


Johann Steinhauer versus the Great Guild and the Magistrature of Riga

"The case of Steinhauer versus the Great Guild and the Magistrature of
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the B ...
was a significant event in the history of race relations in
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the B ...
". With time the Steinhauers were able to amass a considerable fortune and own property throughout
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the B ...
. However all transactions had to be owned under somebody else's name, because, according to the Statute, only members of the Great Guild had the right to trade and to own property, and membership was refused to them because they were Latvian and of serf origin. In 1747 the Steinhauers brought the case before Riga's Senate but in 1753 it issued its verdict against the appellants. After the Senate's Decision, new restrictions against the Latvians were enacted. The Steinhauers brought their case before the Governor General of
Livonia Livonia ( liv, Līvõmō, et, Liivimaa, fi, Liivinmaa, German and Scandinavian languages: ', archaic German: ''Liefland'', nl, Lijfland, Latvian and lt, Livonija, pl, Inflanty, archaic English: ''Livland'', ''Liwlandia''; russian: Ли ...
, prince Dolgoruky, who supported them, and eventually the
Grand Duke Peter Grand Duke Peter Nikolaevich of Russia (Russian: Пётр Никола́евич Рома́нов; 22 January O.S. 10 January">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New Style dates">O.S. 10 January1864 – 17 Ju ...
, heir to the Russian Throne, named Johann's brother Daniel commissar of commerce to Schleswig-Holstein, saving their property from confiscation. In 1757 Tobias Georg Efflein (Oeffelein), a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
accountant An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certi ...
and Daniel's son in law, applied for membership at the Great Guild and was refused on the grounds that he had given no proofs of his standing as a bookkeeper, and that his wife was a Latvian. In 1757 the Senate's previous ruling was dismissed, under the auspices of Katherina the Great, and ordered the Guild to accept his membership. The senate ruling had far reaching consequences for it established the right of any worthy inhabitant of Riga, regardless of national origin, to trade and own property in Riga.Bartlett, Roger P. (1979, p.89).


Legacy

Johann Steinhauer's entrepreneurial successes, his efforts to bring about the right of ownership and freedom of worship on behalf of the native Latvians and serfs had far reaching consequences. At the time of his birth native Latvians and serfs were a stagnant social caste with little opportunity for social movement, the ruling of Riga's Senate opened new opportunities for future generations of inhabitants of Riga. Partly because of his support of the Moravian Church, it eventually became an accepted and popular religious movement among Latvians, having at one point 50,000 converts in three years. Among his many descendants are: Rev. Johann Steinhauer III, Moravian Minister and
Teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
, Principal of the
Fulneck Fulneck Moravian Settlement is a village in Pudsey in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England. The village (grid reference ) lies on a hillside overlooking a deep valley. Pudsey Beck flows along the bottom of the ...
Moravian School in
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
, who established the Boarding School for young ladies at
Gracehill Gracehill is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies about 3 km from Ballymena and is in the townland of Ballykennedy (from ga, Baile Uí Cheannada). It is part of the Borough of Mid & East Antrim. History The town now k ...
in
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and who married the daughter of
John Gambold John Gambold (10 April 1711 – 13 September 1771), was bishop of the Unitas Fratrum. Early life John Gambold was born in Puncheston, Pembrokeshire, the son of William Gambold, a clergyman in the Church of England. He received his early ...
, the first Moravian Bishop of the British Isles; Henry Steinhauer, the first
Paleobotanist Paleobotany, which is also spelled as palaeobotany, is the branch of botany dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use for the biological reconstruction of past environments (paleogeogr ...
in the Americas and Principal of the Moravian Ladies Seminary of
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton and Lehigh Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, Bethlehem had a total population of 75,781. Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County and 19,3 ...
; Botanist and early
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
plant collector Daniel Steinhauer; Barbara Steinhauer married to Sarepta's (now
Volgograd Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stalingrád, label=none; ) ...
,
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
) Doctor in Medicine Joachim Wier and Johanna Magdalena Riegelmann married to the jurist and administrator of the Hennersdorf
Castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
in Saxonia; Karl Eduard von Napiersky Dr. Philosophie, researcher, author and publisher of Latvian historical and biographical books: Index corporis historico-diplomatici Livoniae, Esthoniae, Curoniae, Monumenta Livoniae antiquae volumes 1 and 2, Beiträge zur Geschichte der Kirchen und Prediger in Livland. 4 Volumes, among others.


See also


Notes


References

* * * * * *


External links


Johann Steinhauer's Gravestone
Drawing by
Johann Christoph Brotze Johann Christoph Brotze ( lv, Johans Kristofs Broce) (1 September 1742 – 4 August 1823) was a German pedagogue, artist and ethnographer. Biography Brotze was born in Görlitz, Electorate of Saxony. He studied theology and philosophy at the univ ...

Biographical Reference by the Latvian Archives

articles about Johann Steinhauer at Letonica
(in Latvian/for a Fee)
St. John's Church in Riga
references to Johann Steinhauer (in Latvian)


An article in LA.LV about a 2021 documentary covering Steinhauer's life
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steinhauer, Johann 1705 births 1779 deaths Latvian people of the Moravian Church 18th-century Latvian people Baltic-German people Businesspeople from Riga Latvian activists