Description

Admin History:

The Early German Lutheran Community in Hull

The existence of a German congregation in Hull can be traced to the early 19th century when in 1807 an existing German congregation ceased its meetings. In the 1840s, prior to the establishment of an official German Lutheran Church in Hull, a committee of English merchants and clergymen was formed for the purposes of providing devine services in the German Language. The committee initially appointed a lay preacher, then, following the promise of the King of Prussia to provide an annual subscription, the committee in 1848 decided to appoint a German speaking minister who had been ordained in the Anglican church to provide regular ministry to the German speaking population of Hull.

The Founding of the German Lutheran Church in Hull

Whilst the work of the committee noted above proved adequate for a time, the expanding German population of residents and seamen trading at Hull desired the establishment of services conducted in accordance with the rites of the German Lutheran Church. With this in mind a pastor, ordained in the Lutheran Church, was appointed by the German community and the first service according to the Creed and Rites of the German Lutheran Church was held on the 9 April 1848 by Reverend Mr Brecht. Consul F. Helmsing was elected President in 1849 which office he held until 1883 and the German Lutheran Church in Hull was established, this being the second oldest of the German Churches in England outside London. In 1869 the Hull Church became attached to the United Protestant State Church of the Kingdom of Prussia and henceforth fell under the supervision of the Supreme Church Council (Oberkirchenrat) in Berlin.

Early pastors serving the Hull Church included Brecht, Raben, Sattler, Becker, Bobertag, Linde, Pfeiffer, Horst, Zander, Goetz and Pfalzgraf. Later pastors included C.O.H. Werner and Ernst Schnellbacher. A number of prominent local civic personalities and businessmen can be found amongst the early and founding members of the German Lutheran Church including E.F. Hohenrein, Oswald Hillerns, and Jonas Ellerman a prominent businessman and father of Sir John Ellerman of the famous shipping company.

The congregation initially held its services at the Bethesda Chapel, Osborne Street (the site of the current Danish Church of St Nicholas). In 1859 a chapel was acquired in Nile Street and the German Lutheran Church removed to this location. The Nile Street building was added to in 1884 when a schoolhouse was constructed following an appeal for funds to undertake this work. At the turn of the century the Nile Street Church building was in disrepair and in 1910 a bazaar was held and a donation sent by the Oberkirchenrat towards the building of a new church. This appeal was administered by Oswald Hillerns, Esquire, who had been Treasurer for almost 27 years. A new building was designed by Mr Oswald Hillerns Junior of London, Architect. The building was to be constructed on the same site as the old church in Nile Street, and the contract for the building work was given to Mark Harper of Hull.

The congregation remained at this building until the 1960s when a compulsory purchase order was issued by Hull Corporation. Following this order the congregation found a new home in Cottingham Road at 78 Sunny Bank, and the first service in the new German Lutheran Church was held in April 1968. The congregation of the Church is known to have co-operated closely with the Committee of the German Evangelical Seamen's Mission (Humber District) founded in 1886. The Mission operated a Seamen's Home at 12 Charlotte Street, Hull, which opened in 1890. The two bodies appear to have formed closer links in 1968 when the German Lutheran Church Centre and Seamen's Mission was opened at 78 Sunny Bank.

The congregation continued at these premises for the next 24 years but in August 1992 due to decreasing numbers and financial pressures the Cottingham Road buildings were sold to 'Hull Community Church'. At this time the congregation's belongings including its silverware, alter bible, and records were removed from the buildings, although a bell donated to the congregation in 1910 remained in the bell tower until sold in 2005 to Holy Trinity Church where it is now in active use. The alter bible, which had been a gift of the Empress Augusta Victoria in 1911, went missing from the possessions of the congregation after 1992. Whilst an arrangement had been made to continue to hold services at the church for the next 50 years, this agreement was terminated and the congregation instead held its services at the Danish Church, Osborne Street.

Over the years the congregation has held many events including Christmas bazaars and dinners, concerts, and special services. It has also celebrated various significant occasions in the Hull Church's history with services, receptions and dinners, including the 50th anniversary in 1898, 100th anniversary in 1948, 125th anniversary in 1973, and 150th anniversary in April 1998. Unfortunately this was to be the last major anniversary of the German Lutheran Church in Hull. Due to diminishing congregation numbers the Church was dissolved in 2010 and a final meeting was held at the Danish Church, Osborne Street, on the 18 November 2010. It was agreed that the Church's assets should be given away, and so some of its silverware was sent to a needy church in Germany whilst the rest was donated to the Hull Museums Service.

Description:

Records created by members and officers of the Hull German Lutheran Church in Hull. Contains the following: Correspondence, 1915-2005 [C DCGL/1]; Registers and Ledgers, 1953-1996 [C DCGL/2]; Annual Reports, 1867-1974 [C DCGL/3]; Constitutions, 1884-1998 [C DCGL/4]; Deeds, 1887-2007 [C DCGL/5]; Plans, 1878-1910 [C DCGL/6]; Photographs, 1910-2010 [C DCGL/7]; Press Cuttings, 1956-1973 [C DCGL/8]; Publicity Material, 1910-1980s [C DCGL/9]; Articles and History Writing, 1898-1998 [C DCGL/10]; Appeal Funds and Donation Lists, 1869-1884 [C DCGL/11]; Printing Blocks and Stamps, 19th-20th cent. [C DCGL/12]; Invoices and Receipts, 1915-1938 [C DCGL/13]; Certificates of Registration: Places of Worship, 1949-1969 [C DCGL/14]; Orders of Service, 1968-1998 [C DCGL/15]; Minutes, 1971-2010 [C DCGL/16]; Miscellaneous, 1910-2011 [C DCGL/17].

Note that records within this collection are written largely in German with some being written in English.