Jochims children

Detlev Gottlieb Laage

was hard to discover in the church records in Lütjenburg. He was spelled "Lach", a spelling that might have matched the pronunciation in the low german language (plattdeutsch) of that time.

He was born May 8th 1745 in Lütjenburg 6) and christened on May 11th.

His godfathers were:

1. Johann Jörgen Freude,
2. Clas Friderich Scheel und
3. Christina Elisabeth Kleinsorgs.

In 1763 he moved to Plön along with his father and step mother, but only a short time later he followed his older brother to Wulksfelde 28). In 1769, in the meantime he had settled in Mecklenburg, he married the widow Sophie Elisabeth Hedwig Clasen née Behrens, born 1743 in Lützow near Gadebusch, Amt Schwerin. His wifes first marriage had been on Apr 25th 1764 with 'Holländer' Jacob Clasen. The couple had 3 children 87).

The children of Detlev Gottlieb Laage and Sophia 88).

1. Gottlieb Jacob Dietrich *1770 in Cambs,
   christened in Zittow Jun 28th 1770
2. Johann Friedrich *1773 in Zaschendorf,
   christened in Zittow Feb 22th 1773
3. Johann Caspar Christian Ludwig *1775 in Zaschendorf,
   christened in Zittow Jul 23rd1775

In Mecklenburg Detlev took the profession Holländer, first at Cambs estate (Gut Cambs), later at Gut Zaschendorf (Mecklenburg).

What was a Holländer?
"A Holländer was a diary farmer. In contrary to the so called "Swiss men" or "Melkermeister" the Holländer was self employed. He leased the cattle herds, typically 80-100 animals, plus feeding ground and the buildings needed to process the milk. Additionally very often there was a pig breeding for optimum exploitation of the dairy products. All in all one can say a Holländer managed an estate without the agricultural part 89)".

Detlev Gottlieb Laage met a sad fate. He was killed in the inn in Zittow by a "vagabond" with a hunting knife. He was hit in the milt and died the next evening. The death record in Zittow 88) reads as follows:

1776, d. 20. Apr.
"Der Holländer Lage aus Zasch(endorf), der im Zittauer Kruge des Abends von einem Vagabonden in der Miltz mit einem Hirschfänger gestochen - auch andern Abends darauf verstorben. Weil er in Zitt(ow) starb, so ward er auch nach geschehener Section auf hiesigem Kirchhofe öffentl. begraben".

The family - a widow and 6 children - got into severe need. Sophie Laage wrote a petition for support to the duke of Schwerin 90):

"Durchlauchtigster Herzog, gnädigster Herzog und Herr.

Ich bin die arme, in Tränen schwimmende Witwe eines unglücklich gewordenen Mannes, dem vor 4 Wochen durch einen Vagabunden zu Zittow im Kruge sein für mich zu frühes, für meine 6 zum Teil noch lallenden Kinder aber noch kostbareres Leben mördlich geraubt.
Jetzt sitze ich da mit dreien Kindern aus der ersten Ehe, deren Vater, der verstorbene Holländer Klassen, ihnen weiter nichts als einige wenige Mobilien nachgelassen hat.
Mit meinem zweiten neuerlich entleibten Ehemann, dem Holländer Lage, habe ich ebenfalls drei Kinder gezeugt. Das älteste meiner Kinder hat noch nicht das zehnte Jahr erreicht, und das Jüngste ist ein Säugling von dreiviertel Jahren. Der letzte Ehemann hat mir und meinen Kindern nichts hinterlassen, vielmehr noch das wenige Ererbte meiner Kinder aus der ersten Ehe verkauft, um nur dadurch die verschiedenen Zufälle abzukehren, welche ihn teils durch Schicksal betroffen haben, teils durch Prozeßweitläufigkeiten mit dem Herzogl. General von Plassen aus Kambs zugezogen worden sind.
Meine Brüder und Verwandten sind ganz entfernt von mir.
Meinen Vater segnet schon das graue Alter, und er hat nichts anderes, als was ihm zu seiner Erhaltung die schuldige Pflicht seiner Kinder opfert.

   Euer Herzogl. Durchlaucht demütigste
   verwitwete Lage geborene Behrens

   Zaschendorf, den 21. Mai 1776"

Most Serene Highness, Mylord
I am the poor and floating in tears widow of my unlucky husband, whom a vagabond robbed his life 4 weeks ago. His death came much too early for me and my 6 children.
Now I'm sitting here, 3 children from my first marriage with the late Holländer Klasen, who left us almost nothing. With my second husband, the Holländer Lage, I also have 3 children. The oldest child is 10 yrs old, the youngest a baby of 9 month. My latter husband also left nothing to live from. In contrary, the little that we had got lost due to unfortunate circumstances, also owing to legal actions of General von Plassen of Kambs.
My brothers and other relatives live far away, my father is in the "grey age" and only has what is needed for bare living.

Your most Serene Highness' suppliant
widowed Lage née Behrends
Zaschendorf, May 21st 1776"

After some years the widow married Hans Hinrich Rudolph Hamann zu Roloffshagen (heute Rolofshagen) on May 4th 1781 in Damshagen near Grevesmühlen. Again the husbands profession was Holländer, and when this man died in 1783 - he reached only 34 years of age - she married on Oct 8th 1784 in Damshagen her fourth husband, the Holländer Detlev Jochim Clasen of Rolofshagen 87).

What happened to the three sons?

Gottlieb Jacob Dietrich
became a carpenter and then miller in Reinfeld near Oldesloe in SchleswigHolstein. He leased a mill in Schulenburg (Schulenburger Mühle). On Oct 5th 1804 he married in Reinfeld Magdalene Sophie Benn. The couple had 6 children.
Gottlieb died before 1850, probably in Schulenburg.

Johann Friedrich
He worked as a taylor and married Jan 10th 1809 Dorthea Elisabeth Koschen.
They had 2 children: Anna Maria Dorothea (*1809) and Johann Christian Heinrich (*1812)

Johann Christian Caspar Ludwig
begründete einen Familienzweig mit umfangreicher Nachkommenschaft. He stayed in Mecklenburg and leased "Holländereien" in Schwansee, Glashagen, Johannistorf, Lowitz and Plüschow. He married Apr 22nd 1803 in Kirch-Grabau (was that Kirch-Grambow near Gadebusch?) Lucia Dorothea Ahlers, daughter of a Holländer of Hagenow (Mecklenburg). The couple had 12 children, 11 boys and 1 girl, whose descendants live "scattered all over this world". Johann Christian Caspar Ludwig Laage died Jan 12th 1829 in Düssin, burial was 3 days later in Vellahn.

Some objects from the possession of Detlev Gottlieb Laage had been kept, but unfortunately got lost in 1945: (see Update 2008)

1799: "A prayer book containing many nice prayers for mornings and evenings. Written by Joachim Christian Ludwig Laage - Priesholtz"
1819: a day book (cash-book?):
  "Von Martini 1819, als ich bei 1100 Rthl. zugesetzt und nun beinahe kahl von Geld bin".
1820: "Useful teachings by Joachim Laage in Plüschow".
1825: another day book: "Expenses for the household from Oct 24th 1825 on. Joachim Laage, Holländer zu Plüschow"
1828: Collection of poems written by Holländer Joachim Laage, "who truly had a lot of worries in this world".

translated from "Jochim Laage und seine Söhne", Georg Laage, Burg a.F. 1973