, 
13.10.1897 Hamm/Westfalen, Germany, 
30.07.1962 Germany, [I7905], 1919 University of Munich, Lieutenant WW I, Förster, Walter Frevert was born on October 13, 1897, in Ham, Germany, the son of a dentist. Following high school in Paderborn Lemgo, he entered the artillery as a volunteer in 1915. He returned at nineteen as a first lieutenant.He then entered the University of Munich.
He married Gertrud Habich, the daughter of “Hermann� Habich (1861-1925).
According to “Forgotten Land�, “they had no children-an affront to Frevert’s belief that a man’s life without children was a life condemned to ‘purposelessness’ although the couple adopted a boy. The forest community respected Walter and liked Gertrud but disliked Frevert’s occasional public humiliations of his wife, such as when he made Gertrud bend over a dead stag while he whacked her playfully with a bunch of twigs.�
From 1936-1945 he was chief forester of the Romincka Forest natural reserve and was entangled in war crimes in the “jungle� of Bialowieza during the war.
He had become senior forest manager for Herman Goering at the Kaiser’s old hunting grounds at Dominten (now Krasnolesye, Russia), but he was called back into the army in 1939.
Bialowies, located in what is now the border area between Poland and the Beralrus forest area, had been a hunting ground of Polish kings and Russian tsars for centuries.
Asked to extend the estate into conquered Poland, he complied and evicted locals and destroyed thirty-five villages, later killing or deporting the villagers.
“Frevert was charged with the execution, gave sweeping powers and proceeded with the utmost ruthlessness. Villages were surrounded, the inhabitants were given half an hour to pack their belongings and loaded on cars...�
“...all male Jews in the field (were killled)...the remaining Jewish inhabitants, mostly women and children, were deported to the ghetto of Kobryn near Brest-Litovsk.�
For this, he won a bar to his Iron Cross.
His involvement in the war crimes of Bialowies received a wider audience in 2004 by the biography of Andreas Gautschi, a Swiss forest scientist.
Frevert had an affair with Heinke Barckhausen, the twenty-four year old widow of his colleague Paul Barckhausen. When his wife Gertrud learned of this, she commited suicide with his gun, on October 14th.
He later married Heinke who outlived him by thirty-five years.
At the close of the war, he surrendered in the Netherlands to the Canadian division commander but was released from captivity on July 20, 1945.
After the war, he and his family resided on the Barkhausen’s manor at Hannover.
He worked for the state at the Kaltenbronn hunting ground in the northern Black Forest.
However, accusations and rumors regarding his activities in Rominten and during the war, plus the suicide of his first wife, began to surface.
CONT
Background on Rominten
CONT
In Septembr of 1933 Kaiser Wilhelm refused to allow Hermann Goering to stay in the lodge. The latter subsequently built his own Reichsjagerhof Rominten just a few miles away with a game reserve extending nearly 100 square miles.
After Wilhelm’s death in 1941, Goering forced the heirs to sell the Rominten Hunting Lodge to the State of Prussia of which he was Minister-President for his own use.
After World War II, the region became part of the Soviet Union. The village was broken down, and the lodge was re-erected at Kaliningrad’s Central Park to serve as the seat of the park administration.
A bronze statue of a deer was moved to the Glinka-Patk in Smolensk and another deer statue was moved to Sosnovka near Moscow.
Today, the village no longer exists, as the area is located directy on the Russian-Polish border.
CONT
Walter’s death and thereafter
CONT
Walter died at the age of sixty-four on July 30 1962, in Forstamt Kaltenbronn. It is believed he shot himself. although it was alleged that he died in a hunting accident
He was interred at the cemetery in Gernsbach on August 2, 1962. Bundestag President Eugen Gerstenmaier was among the speakers.
In 1964, the Forest Administration in Frevert’s former hunting district established a memorial stone, a few hundred meters from the place where he had died.
Frevert was the author and editor of several books. His “Rominten� (1957) received the 1959 LIterature Prize of the German Hunting Association.
These books are still best sellers and considered classics of German hunting literature, having influenced generations of hunters.
A book about Walter and the forest is “Forgotten Land; Journeys Among the Ghosts of East Prussia� by Max Egremont.
Walter Frevert enjoyed a high reputation with German hunters for decades.
The Puma Jagdnicker designed by him is probably one of the most famous of Puma knives. The fixed hunting knife is made of stainless steel.
His participation in war crimes could not be established by the Polish Commission to Investigate Nazi crimes. Also, Polish records held no evidence of an alleged extradition request of the Polish government.
In Germany, the investigation into the events of Bialowies began two years after Frevert’s demise.
In was only in 1971 that a preliminary investigation began against Frevert and twenty-three other members accused of involvement in war crimes of the German occupation in Bialowies. by the Supreme Public Prosecutor of the Landgericht Darmstadt
However, he was regarded as one of the most important and influential figures in German hunting history of the 20th century-in the eyes of some.
CONT
m
[F3709]
«aus 1382»
, Sep 1897 Germany, 14.10.1962 Germany, [I2128], 1 Georg “Eduard� Habich--------------------------------------------------
Birth: 7 Jul 1818, Veckerhagen, Hesse, Germany
Death: 1901, Kassel, Hesse, Germany?
Burial: 1901, Germany
Occupation: Owner of the Habich Norfolk Brewery in Boston, MA; art collector
Father: August (Augustus) Heinrich (Henry) Habich (1792-1837)
Mother: Elisabeth Quentin (1794-1863)
CONT
Son of the industrialist August Heinrich Habich (1792-1837), Eduard was born in Veckerhagen near Kassel, Hesse, and first worked in Frankfurt, A.M., in the wine trade before going to Paris and later emigrating to America.
He is listed in the U.S. Census of 1850 in Boston.
The period from 1856-1863 marked his publishing of works on chemistry, the brewery, agriculture, and technique in “Polytechnisches Journal�. His seminal works about beer brewing were published in numerous editions, some still read today.
In 1859, he founded the first German brewery magazine “Der Bierbrauer� remaining the editor/publisher until his death. His lifelong dream was to unite German brewers and establish a brewery school.
In 1860, he and his family were living in Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
On November 13, 1862, the bark “Parker Cook’ , 136 tons burden, of Boston sailed with a general cargo, belonging to sole owner Eduard and bound for Aux Cayes. It was captured by the “Alabama� (during the Civil War) and burned on November 17, 1862, off the east end of St. Domingo. The claims of the owner and master, Thomas M. Fulton, were assigned to said insurance company on the 26th January, 1862, in consideration of $17,100.
In Boston he made his fortune as a brewer. In 1876, Edward age fifty-eight, arrived back in America from Germany via Liverpool and Queenstown, aboard the “Algeria� as a cabin passenger.
Edward Habich and Company (and R. Thackray) were located at 65 Commonwealth, Boston. It was described as “commission merchants�. His home was at Medford.
Georg Eduard’s brewery-Edward Habich & Co.(1874-1888), Habich & Company, Norfolk Brewery (1888-1901), aka Massachusetts Breweries Company, Habich Brewery (1901-1902)-was located at 171 Cedar Street, Boston, Massachusetts. It was the first Boston brewery to make Lager beer in the 1850’s. It closed in 1902.
Products included Extra Golden Ale (1888-1901); Norfolk Cabinet Lager Beer 1888-1901.
His “Norfolk� Brewery occupied the site of the college of the same name.
The status of the building is unknown today.
He then returned to Germany and began to enjoy the fortune he made by buying works of art. With the assistance of Italian art critic Giovanni Morelli (1816-1891), he amassed a beautiful collection of old paintings, art objects, and a collection of drawings.
An oil “Lucas Cranach the Elder, Primitive People�, was placed on loan to the Koniigliche Gemaldegalerie, Kassel, from 1880 until April 1892, together with other works owned by him. It was lot 86 in the sale of his collection of paintings sold by Lempertz, Heberle, and Schall at Kassel on May 10, 1892, and was acquired by J.P. Richter for Dr. Ludwig Mond. It was then obtained by the National Gallery in 1924 as part of the Mond Bequest.
Forty-one prints by Albrecht Durer are in the possession of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts today.
He left a total of some twenty-two enravings, including Albrecht Durer’s “Agony in the Garden�; “Bearing the Cross�; and “Christ Crowned with Thorns� to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1892. The museum today is located on the Avenue of the Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
In “Lady Layard’s Journal�, there is the following entry dated July 27, 1883, Kassel:
CONT
After nine o’clock breakfast we went off in search of the Bellevue picture gallery. We had not been there long when a gentleman came up and introduced himself as Morelli’s friend Herr Habich, an amateur of the fine arts. He offerdd to show us around the gallery and was most kind.
We were delighted with the collection which contains some splendid things-a splendid Rubens-full-length portrait of a man in Turk’s dress is most striking-Some wonderful portraits of Franz Hals and several astounding Rembrandts-especially “Jacob blessing the sons of Joseph�. We saw there also the pictures which belong to M. Habich himself and which he has lent to the gallery for ten years. A fine Liberale (da Verona) (c.1445-c.1526) which he bought last year in London very cheap.
At twelve we returned to our hotel and at one I went to table d’hote.
We had a very good dinner and in the old fashioned manner the landlord served first the soup and then took his place at the end of the table and dined with us. One rarely sees that done now.
At 2:30 M. Habich called for us in a carriage and took us to Wilhelm’shohe a spendid park on a hill near Kassel with woods and lawns and very extensive. There was a splendid view from the Hercules on top of the hill.
We went on to a mock feudal castle which was built by the electors and contains a little old furniture-.
We then stopped outside the Palace where Napoleon III (1808-1873) (in 1870 after the Battle of Sedan, he was sent as a prisoner to the Castle of Wilhelm’shohe above the city) was kept prisoner after Sedan. M. Habich told us that while the Emperor was there, a cordon was drawn across on each side of the house to prevent people passing in front of it. He says that Napoleon would watch from his window till he saw a little crowd collected on each side. He would then go down to the garden and walk to each end and bow politely, take his hat off and then return to the house and wait till those people had gone and others had come when he would repeat the same thing.
His vanity and love of notice would not keep him hid away. He even drove once or twice to Kassel but was later advised not to do so for fear of being insulted.
We drove to M. Habich’s own house and saw Madame and he showed us some of his old drawings. We were glad to see them, especially his Raphael.
On most of his drawings, he has ‘approve par Morelli’ in whom he has implicit faith.
At six we took leave and walked back to our hotel.
CONT
The public was able to view some of the best parts of his collection in Kassel’s “Gewerbehalle�. As for the drawings, especially those of the amateur schools of Dutch, German, and Italian artists, sixty of the finest were published by Dr. O. Eisenmann, director of the Museum of Kassel.
He made himself a very large collection of photographs of paintings and drawings, with 3,000 leaves, which he gave to the museum in 1885.
All collections were sold before his death in 1901-April 27-29, 1898, in Stuttgart- at the age of eighty-three.
CONT
Spouse: Amilia or Amelia or Amalia Dedolph
Birth: abt 1828, Germany
Death: aft 1860, Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
CONT
In 1860, Amelia and her family were residing in Ward 3, Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts.
Nothing else is known about her.
CONT
CONT
Children: Henry William (1855->1930)
Anna (~1856-)
Mary (1857-)
Julia (~1859-)
CONT
1.1a Henry William Habich*
--------------------------------------------------
Birth: 1 May 1855, Germany
Death: aft 1930, Massachusetts?
Occupation: Brewery owner; Married twice to sisters
CONT
Born in Germany in 1855, Henry immigated to America in 1856 after his birth in Germany.
By 1900, he was living in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, with his wife and three children.
He was the owner of the Massachusetts Brewing Company in Jamaica Plain.
In 1909, at the age of fifty-three, he remarried-the bride was Annie McRae Patrick, a widow.
In 1920 Henry was living in Brookline, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, with his second wife Annie P. and his son Henry John Habich, age thirty-two.
In 1930 they were still in Brookline with Jean or Jamie MacRae Patrick, age twenty-nine, stepdaughter.
CONT
Spouse: Catherine M. McRae
Birth: abt 1859, Middle River, Nova Scotia?
Death: 1901, Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
CONT
Catherine died in 1901 and her husband then married her sister.
CONT
Marriage: 1882, Massachusetts?
CONT
Children: George Edward (1883-1961)
Amy Mary Emeline (1885->1922)
Henry John (1887-1964)
CONT
Other spouses: Annie P. McRae
CONT
1.1b Henry William Habich* (See above)
--------------------------------------------------
CONT
Spouse: Annie P. McRae
Birth: 1867, Cape Breton, Canada
Death: aft 1930, Massachusetts?
Father: John McRae (>1830->1867)
Mother: Mrs. Catherine McRae (>1830->1867)
CONT
Annie, a widow, was married in 1909 to Henry Habich.
Annie had a daughter, Jean, from her first marriage. Jean (Jeanie) MacRae Patrick died in 2007 at the age of 106!
CONT
Marriage: 24 Mar 1909, Brookline, Massachusetts
CONT
Other spouses: Catherine M. McRae
CONT
1.2 Anna Habich
--------------------------------------------------
Birth: abt 1856, Massachusetts
Death: Unknown, Unknown
CONT
1.3 Mary Habich
--------------------------------------------------
Birth: 12 Mar 1857, Cambridge, Middlesex County, MA
Death: Unknown, Unknown
CONT
1.4 Julia Habich
--------------------------------------------------
Birth: abt 1859, Massachusetts
Death: Unknown, Unknown
CONT
Index
CONT
Dedolph
Amilia or Amelia or Amalia spouse of 1
Habich
Amy Mary Emeline child of 1.1a
Anna 1.2
August (Augustus) Heinrich (Henry) parent of 1
Georg “Eduard� 1
Henry John child of 1.1a
Henry William 1.1a
Julia 1.4
Mary 1.3
Habich, Sr.
George Edward child of 1.1a
McRae
Annie P. spouse of 1.1b
Catherine M. spouse of 1.1a
John parent of spouse of 1.1b
Mrs. Catherine parent of spouse of 1.1b
Quentin
Elisabeth parent of 1
CONT
CONT
Family History Report
CONT
Page