| “The family members of that time, although in prominent and wealthy positions, according to present-day standards, like many others had done little to preserve their names for distant future descendants. In this way the connecting tradition was broken, and the memories obliterated. The past faded away more and more into oblivion. The older history of the family seemed to form a complete unit in itself.” |
We do not have to search long to find the reason. During the first half of the 19th century the family underwent a severe and destructive economic crisis, the effects of which can be traced into our days. Bankruptcy followed bankruptcy. The focal point — the old manor Graneberg in Gryt parish, Södermanland — was sold at a sheriffs sale. Fastmyra, in the same parish, Ryedal in Blekinge and Öllsjö in Scania went the same way. Furniture and inherited goods were scattered, and went into the hands of strangers. Not even the old family Bible, in spite of the conditions connected with the legacy, could be saved from the deluge. Need and worries did not leave room for feelings of responsibility and bonds with the past.
In close relation with the foregoing, the maintenance of the graves of the deceased was also neglected. Only the massive monument of Isaac Hahr the owner of Bosgården in the Tvååker churchyard in Halland brought to memory one of the sons of Hinrich Hahr. Forgotten by the family, this, the oldest tomb of the churchyard has been well preserved by the parish.
The inscription with the beautiful verse from a hymn by Wallin:
| What say the peaceful stones? What is the promise of the runes? The blissful in God’s abode, They are not dead, they sleep! |
can still, although with difficulty, be discerned.
The genealogical research of the last years has tried to regain what once was lost. As has already been mentioned, the family Bible has been restored to the family. The resting places are no longer unknown. Where tombstones are missing, records speak.
Hinrich Hahr, our Swedish ancestor, since June 16, 1747, has his last resting place in the Maria Magdalena Church in Stockholm. The tomb, built of stone, inherited from his father-in-law Simon Fredrik Küsel, is situated under the aisle, where the rows of pews end toward the sanctuary. His wife and our ancestral mother Anna Christina Küsel does not rest at the side of her husband. She has a burial place far away from there, in the sanctuary of the venerable Hollola Medieval church in Finland, near her daughter and her sons-in-law, the pastors Krook and Hyllén.
His son Jacob, the wealthy recluse at Kristineberg, has his resting place in the Great Church in Stockholm. This tomb, which according to the grave document is still owned by the family, is situated near the East gable between the high altar and the low outside door south of it, now used as an emergency exit. The vault cover, which, until now, has had no inscription besides the grave number (No. 164), through care of the family now carried his name as well as birth and death years.
Hinrich’s son, Gottfried, the first owner of the pharmacy Hjorten in Kungsholmen, Stockholm, and his wife, nee Zethelius, are buried in the churchyard of the Kungsholm Church, but it has been impossible to determine the exact place.
[Hinrich's] oldest son, Henrik Wilhelm3 ,the super-cargo and manufacturer, later owner of Graneberg and Pungsund manors, and the one from whom all now living members of the Hahr family have their origin, was buried in 1794 in the Gryt churchyard in Södermanland. There he had selected for himself and his family a burial place of 45 square ells, near the eastern cemetery wall, opposite the vestry (in the northeast corner of the cemetery at that time).
Later [Henrik's] wife, Catharina Magdalena Rothstein6 in 1820, the sons Henrik Wilhelm Jr.4 in 1802, and Jacob, Jr.8 in 1809, the wife of the latter, Anna Sophia Wallens9 in 1825, and her mother Maria Sophia Hahr Wallens10 in 1814, were also laid to rest here.
In 1828, it was reported during a parish meeting that the Hahr grave was dilapidated and that especially the fence needed repairs, concerning which the descendants were informed by official notice. Of the then still living two sons of Henrik Wilhelm, Sr.11, Anders was broken down by his misfortunes, and led a needy and ambulatory existence. Carl was in faraway Riga, but had achieved economical well-being there. Of the grandsons some were abroad (Adolf in Tripoli and August on his way there), and one in Scania (Anders Christoffer). The others of the family, who were closer at hand, for instance, the two sons of Jacob, Jr., in their poverty could have done nothing, even had they wanted to, to restore the grave.
However, Carl Hahr in Riga, perhaps by pure chance, learned of the public notice. Loyally he interceded, and in 1831 bought the grave “in payment for which burial place, where his relatives are resting, he gave 50 Rd. b:co”. To him, or the possessor of his rights, the burial place should “forever be available, with the right there to let friends or relatives receive a Christian burial, and to ornament the same in a decent way, as he deems best, however, that such ornament is not detrimental to the church.”2
The purchase sum was used by the parish as a contribution towards buying a new chasuble. This, as well as an altar cloth donated by the widow Catharina Magdalena Hahr, have long given evidence to the Gryt parishioners of the Hahr family at Graneberg.
After the death of Carl Hahr in 1854, the family grave fell into oblivion and remained without a caring hand. None of the descendants came forward, offering to accept the responsibility for its maintenance. Finally in 1890 the parish sold the neglected grave. The Hahr family grave was obliterated both in the cemetery and in the consciousness of the family.
Thus the situation remained until the year 1951. The circumstances concerning the grave were made known to the family, and the latter decided to try to repair without delay what had been neglected. The burial place itself could not be re-acquired to be returned to its original condition. Instead it was decided to install a memorial tablet in the Gryt Church, with permission of the parish. A fund raising drive was started in the family, to which members living in the USA. and Germany also contributed considerably, and on October 14, 1951, the memorial tablet was unveiled.
This was done during a simple ceremony in connection with the Sunday Service,
and in the presence of many family members and parishioners. On behalf of the
family, among other things the following was said:
|
“It is with the feeling of wishing to repair what surely without intention has been neglected, that we family members today have gathered in the church of our ancestors. To this purpose we wish to donate to the Gryt parish through its church council, the tablet commemorating those buried in the Hahr family grave, which we now will unveil. We do this, at the same time as we wish to express our warm gratitude to the chairman of the church council, Rev. Karl Bäckgren, and to its members, for their understanding and kind support, without which we would never have carried out our intentions. Now please accept into your care our memorial tablet to which our whole family both here and abroad have unanimously contributed. We are certain that it will be well kept by you, as a memento and testimony for present and future Hahr generations. Perhaps we may also hope that it be of some value to your beloved church as adornment. With the words of the psalmist, to which the inscription of the
memorial tablet refers,
we cause the drapery to fall”. |
The ceremony ended with the organ sounding the stately hymn “Swedish Prayer” which was composed by Fredrik Hahr — once a pupil in Liszt’s master class. The tones of that hymn certainly are worthy of following every Hahr sent to his last rest.
| 1 | That of Anders by Gillberg. The one of Henric Wilhelm, Jr.'s, by Berndes, and, according to the author, the one of his wife (?) by an unknown artist. (The latter would seem rather to picture Jacob Jr.'s wife, Anna Sophia Wallens. The portrait of a divorced wife would probably not have been kept as a family treasure). |
| 2 | Minutes from a parish meeting April 17, 1831. |
| [3] | [This person, listed 1st on the memorial tablet, has the name shown as Henric Wilhelm Hahr .] |
| [4] | [This person, listed 3rd on the memorial tablet, also has the name as Henric Wilhelm Hahr. The Swedish text referred to him as "the younger" to distinguish him from his father of the same name who was referred to as "the older" in the same text. The English text used "Jr." a close approximation.] |
| [5] |
not used |
| [6] | [This person is listed on the memorial tablet placed in Gryt church] |
| [7] |
not used |
| [8] | [The Swedish text referred to him as "the younger", mostly to distinguish him from his uncle Jacob Hahr. "Jr." was used in the English Text ] |
| [9] | [See footnote 6] |
| [10] | [See footnote 6] |
| [11] | [The Swedish text referred to him as "the older" to distinguish him from his son of the same name who was referred to as the "younger" in the same text. The English text used "Sr." for simplicity See also footnote 3 above.] |
| Last revised: 05/15/03 |