« In Which I Mention Marc Almond's Tattoo | Home | In Which I Go Island-Hopping »
In Which I Name Names
December 1, 2006 by Mike
Christiansfeld, Denmark
Route: Flensburg - Krusa - Sønderborg - Nordborg - Ballebro - Aabenraa - Christiansfeld
Another Hergé moment. [Definition: when real life is shown to be based on a Tintin picture or character, not the other way round.]
I was sitting this morning in the Flensburg Stadtarchiv, deep in the bowels of the City Hall. As you do. The City Archivist (bow-tie, thick glasses, patience of a saint) has ushered me into a stark room, wall-to-wall books and files and folders and row upon row of card indexes. Two rows of plain wooden desks; two rows of plain wooden chairs. (Very Scandinavian.) There's me at one end of the room looking for traces of Michel With, who we previously saw in Tromsø, Stokmarknes and Riga.
And there, not ten feet away from me, is today's Hergé moment: my fellow researcher is a man of indeterminate age; he's about five foot two (vertically and horizontally), shiny bald pate and a moustache approximately 2.7 times larger than his face. It sprouted out every which way. He was Professor Calculus' long-lost twin brother.
--
What did I learn about Michel With, who was born in 1704 to a family "that originated in Flensburg"?
I scoured the Burgerbuch der Stadt Flensburg, assorted card indexes (indices?), church records and Families Of The Middle Ages In Flensburg and North Friesland and their Descendants in Denmark, Germany and Norway. You'd think there might be something.
Sadly, not much to report. As far as I could tell there were Withs in Flensburg in the 17th century. By the 18th century they were mostly calling themselves Witt. "That's a German name," the City Archivist pointed out.
An N.N. With got married in Flensburg in 1734 - he was from Holland, so maybe that's where I need to look next. There was a Pastor called Morten With in Rehnsburg in the mid-1800s, and a Maria Helene With was born in St Johannis Parish in 1855.
I also uncovered a Michael Vette in 1676, and a Michael Witt, a Tagelöhner (day labourer) in Flensburg, born in 1812.
But the handwriting was appalling 350 years ago. Apart from not being able to confirm if they were Withs or Witts, or Wisch, Wittke, de Witt, Witte, Withusen or Witz, the first names in the Baptismal Registries of St Marien's parish included.. as far as I could make out.. Ratamy, Nantarf, Lfri, Janadr, Onigri and Jafrefa.
I don't think a new career as a genealogist, or graphologist, beckons.
--
Someone else who went for a career change...
--
I am 1/256th Danish. At least. My great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather left Denmark for Norway. But because he was the direct male ancestor on my Ma's side -- he was the first Norwegian Astrup -- his Danishness means slightly more than 1/256th of my ancestry.
But I hadn't realised just how Danish he (and his name) was.
Astrup, remember? Well, in a spare ten minutes this evening I found, on my new map of Denmark, three places called Astrup. Plus Hjolderup, Bjolderup and Bylderup. Grimstrup, Glostrup, Hostrup and Jestrup; Ejstrup, Sejstrup, Bajstrup and Bredstrup; Sottrup, Smidstrup, Skrydstrup and Svenstrup; Kastrup, Taastrup, Ulstrup and Østrup. And Astorp.
Or in other words, being an Astrup in Norway is like being a McTavish in England. I suddenly feel *very* Danish.
--
The centre of Flensburg is seven kilometres from the border. At the speed I ride, I'd only just reached top gear when I had to slow down to 40kmph to follow the traffic though the border. Yes! I just.. rode through the border. Just like that. I did! Zooooom. No border guards. No "dokument!" No queues.
None of this:
23 October, Finland - Russia: 99 minutes; stolen cars; rainstorm;
30 October, Russia - Estonia: 90 minutes; blizzard;
4 November, Estonia - Latvia: long queues; snow;
11 November, Latvia - Lithuania: "border swiftly negotiated".. but ice;
13 November, Lithuania - Russia: pretty quick: flirted with border guard;
16 November, Russia - Poland: three-day long queues;
22 November, Poland - Germany: 150 mile diversion.
One thing, though. On the German side of the border, there's a host of cut-price booze shops. So the Germans have worked out what the Danish are desperate for, pay too much for in their country and will travel some distance to get.
And on the Danish side of the border, there's a host of sex shops...
--
Is it a coincidence that my speedo reached 16,666.6 miles in the town of Haderslev. Didn't you always suspect that Roy Hattersley was, at the very least, mildly Satanic?
--
And while I've still got my greasy finger hovering over the map, I rode through the town of Aabenraa this afternoon. Aabenraa? I suspect there may have been a competition to come in first place in the Danish Gazetteer.
--
My finger is greasy, as you ask, because in Sønderhav I had The Best Hot-Dog In Denmark. Officially.
"They've been on TV in Denmark and in Germany - the best hot-dogs in the country," said the woman at the Tourist Information office. "But the people you should trust are my sons. They insist.. the best hot-dogs in the country."
They're at Annies kiosk in Sønderhav, and I recommend them completely. All homemade ingredients, cooked and served with laughter (and grease). Unless you're a vegetarian, in which case I'd like to point out that I only heard that they taste so good, as I crunched on a stick of celery.
--
And my finger is greasy on the other hand, as it were, following dinner as well. Well, it's not often you see "Hashish" on the menu, is it? Not in the kind of places I get to, anyway. Ever the diligent reporter, I ordered it: corned beef hash.
I'm in Christiansfeld on the say-so of Birgitta and Nicholas. They haven't been wrong so far. A full report tomorrow.
Comments
By frederic fournier | December 6, 2006 3:26 PM
Congratulations for your web site!
Have a good trip
Don't forget to visit us if you come to Paris
frederic (your french cousin)
By Wendy Franks | December 8, 2006 2:59 PM
According to BirthdayAlarm.com, my good friend Mike With will be celebrating his 81st birthday on 13th December. The question is should we all really have let him do this on trip on his own despite his advancing years? Anyhoo, Mikeeeeeeeeeeeee, wherever you are for your birthday, live it LARGE! x
Leave your comment
Latest comments
- By robert and peter in Diary
- By Wayne in Diary
- By Boris in Diary
- By Sandy from Leeds in Diary
- By Sascha in Diary
- By clive marie goldwing in Diary
- By carlos pascual in Diary
- By Erkut Dora in Diary
- By david gwilliam in Diary
- By Nick in Diary
- By Mike Bowyer in Diary
- By Dick With in Diary
- By Gordon in Diary
- By KC in Diary
- By steve in Diary
- By Mike in Diary
- By Sascha in Diary
- By P Dawson in Diary
- By Mike in Diary
- By Helen in Diary
- By Mike in Diary
- By KC in Diary
- By Sergiu in Diary
By Nick | December 3, 2006 6:47 PM
Let's paint that city green and yellow – on tuesday!