General Schwerin’s Family

I want to remember another family from our circle of friends with love and high regard, the family of General Schwerin with wife and son. No, no they were not highborn, they just had an interesting name and a wonderful disposition that some generals could use as an example. Mr. Schwerin also belonged to the bricklayer guild and was born in Mecklenburg and had immigrated. His wife, a local, was round and always cheerful and healthy. Her son Ludewg, was a wild rascal. No roof was too high for him to climb on, and he managed diverse other mischiefs. He always got a spanking, more from a sense of duty, because mother Schwerin always cried herself. It was clear that they all loved each other very much. Father Schwerin looked, in my opinion, like a giant. However, it was said that he had asthma and was diabetic. Therefore, he had a hard time in his bricklaying job. It was much easier when he got a job at the stock market as manager where he had to make sure everything went smoothly.

Before that, they had lived for a time with us, and we got along very well. Now they moved into the city. He got a free apartment above the exchange, on the courtyard side next to the Klosterstrasse. It always was a great pleasure for us, when we were told that we would go to Schwerins for some festivity. They knew how to make parties enjoyable for their guests. Mother Schwerin brewed the best coffee far and near, served the best home baked bread, and baked such wonderful little shortbread and tarts of which we could eat as much as we wanted. And the son Ludewig had become a master of humor, with a wonderful talent for telling stories from his own past or just for fun. For instance, he would tell how he would just march right up when he had to overcome some difficulties. He was walking along like a hero wherever he wanted, even when there was a no trespassing sign. When a guard tried to stop him, he just said: ”What do you mean, I am General Schwerin’s son.” And the guard would just let him pass. He told the stories in this style and it was not clear whether it was truth or fiction, but it was so funny and we were just laughing.

While the old people were in one room playing whist, we young people also played cards, “Schwarzer Peter” (a card game similar to Old Maid – someone gets stuck with the “schwarzer Peter” card). The old boys played somewhat condescending because we younger ones had so much fun with it. It was always great fun, when the one who was the unlucky enough to get stuck with the schwarzer Peter was being crowned either with a hat or a nightcap depending on sex. We did not catch Ludewig for a long time, but finally it was his turn and he resisted mightily against wearing the nightcap of his mother with the big white lace. Mother Schwerin herself came to help us. Ludewig was helpless and quickly the cap was put on his head. He looked so funny that there was laughter without end, tramping with the feet under the table, and such a din that Caro the poodle, who was laying under the table, thought his master Ludewig’s life was in danger and grabbed a leg and bit heartily into it. Unfortunately the leg was mine. Now I switched from laughter to crying, but I kept quiet while we continued to play. Only the tears dripped onto table, until finally someone noticed and asked “Why are you crying?” and I had to admit that Caro had bitten me. “What, Caro???” Mother Schwerin grabbed Caro and pulled him out and I had to show my leg. Caro got his earned punishment and then she cut a bit of his hair, burned it on a candle and put it on the wound -- this was supposed to be a good remedy. My leg was bandaged and the funny Schwarze Peter game continued.

After a good supper, Ludewig played “poetry hall” and recited full of pathos:
“I will tell you a story that is quite charming
of an emperor who was quite alarming …” and so on.
What a pleasure to hear this ballad by Burger, which was new to us. In high good spirits did we say good bye to the friendly hosts and bounded homewards full of happiness. We would think of this party for a long time and hoped for a repeat which always came.

This family, too, is no longer with us. Father, mother, and son have long passed away. Ludewig became a proficient master builder after he had spent some time in foreign countries with brother Bernhard to learn his craft. Then he worked in his homeland and built the bathing establishment Marienbad for Dr. Nordstrom as well as all the surrounding buildings. He also built many houses up near Edinburg. For himself, he built a saw mill on the Aa including his own house. He married a nice woman and immediately brought his parents into his house that he loved and highly respected until their end. He himself died early in his best years.