Koehler Family Collection

Collection

Identifier: Collection ID-1319

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Koehler family collection contains principally the papers of four people. The first major part comprises the papers of Christian Philipp Koehler (1828-1895). By far the largest part of the collection belongs to C. P. Koehler’s son, Johann Philipp Koehler (1859-1951); this part also includes related papers of the Protes’tant Conference. The third and fourth are the smaller units of the collection. They include diverse documents of Karl Koehler (1885-1948) and Kurt Koehler (1894-1965), J. P. Koehler’s sons. The description of the four individual collections is combined and will follow this general explanation. A variety of translations of Koehler material was compiled by Rev. Philemon Hensel and is interfiled with the original material.

Throughout the entire Koehler Family Collection is an array of picture postcards, the collecting of which seemed to be a family hobby. Though they are not limited to Karl as the collector, they are filed in his section, since most of them were found among his papers. The postcards usually depict cities and scenes in Germany from 1915 to 1925 (f.87, f.505-510). In addition, there are 4”x3¼” negatives, some of which are in very bad condition.

A total of 187 glass slides are in the Koehler Family Collection. The last two boxes of the collection hold five sets of glass lantern slides in two sizes: 4”x3¼” and 5”x4”. The first set of slides had original numbers affixed to them; these numbers were copied and were used as the base to file all of the slides in the collection (#1-193).

The first set (#1-60) depicts mainly landscapes (in color), several black and white floor plans and different views of an extremely beautiful home, possibly the “Manse.” There is one broken slide and one unnumbered slide in this first set of 54 glass slides. Missing numbers in the sequence are: 4-11, 55-57 and 59. Duplicated numbers are: 17-18, 26 and 29. The second slides with these numbers are designated: 17A, 18A, 26A and 29A.

The second set (#61-97) are 5”x4” slides. They primarily show different poses of an admirer and young friend of the Koehler family, Emmy Lochner, who died unexpectedly. J. P. Koehler’s funeral sermon for Lochner is included in the JPK Sermons section (f.245). There are some nature scenes in this slide set also.

The third set (#98-141) are 4”x3¼” slides. They appear to be works by various artists.

The fourth set (#142-182) are 4”x3¼” slides and is a complete series of slides to be used in presentation. Slides 142-151 are titles that are to be used throughout the series when presented. The slides depict the site, floor plans, street maps and building designs of the future seminary in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, as designed down to the doorknobs by the director, Prof. J. Ph. Koehler.

The final set of glass slides (#183-193) are 4” x 3¼” in size. Numbers 183-192 duplicate and add to the portraits of Emmy Lochner and another unidentified lady that are located in the second set of 5”x4” slides. The final slide is another piece of artwork.

The collection includes a set of 59 plastic slides of J. P. Koehler’s paintings, prepared by Rev. Hensel. Two catalogs of the plastic slides accompany the slides.

The final folder in the collection contains a chronological letter index from J. P. Koehler and a detailed analysis of the history of the Protes’tant Conference written by Rev. Philemon Hensel. There are also other notes that Rev. Hensel made while working with the Koehler Collection.

Artwork: Jesus on the road to Emmaus. Gemalt von B. Plockhorst. Gedruckt v. J. Becker. Gestochen v. Carl Becker. (stored Vault.1.1)

Dates

Creation: 1828 - 1985

Extent

15 Linear Feet (Thirty 5" letter boxes; one 5" legal box; one 2" letter box; one 2" legal box; two 3" x 5" slide boxes; one legal folder; two 12" x 13" photo albums)

Language of Materials

German

Additional Description

Physical Location

A-02-01-1 - A-02-01-5

Custodial History

Original collection ID: M-0017

The J. P. Koehler collection was stored until Karl’s death in May 1948 at The Manse, which is the house Karl built for his parents, his sister and himself. This residence is located in Neillsville, Wisconsin. The Koehler Papers were then transported to Kurt’s home in Rock Island, Illinois, until Kurt’s death in 1965. Kurt Koehler had sent two cartons to CHI in 1952 but never completed the transfer.

After Kurt’s death the remainder of the collection was transported to Dr. Marcus O. Koch’s home in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and remained there until his death in 1984. Both Kurt Koehler and Dr. Koch made many transcriptions of J. P. Koehler’s essays and letters. The collection was then transported to the tower storeroom of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Valders, Wisconsin, Rev. Paul Hensel’s (1916-1977) church.

In October 1994 the collection was removed from the tower and shipped to Concordia Historical Institute in 25 packing cases by Rev. Philemon Hensel.

Rev. Philemon. Hensel graduated from Concordia Seminary in 1951 and was ordained into the Missouri Synod ministry in October of that same year by the Manitoba-Saskatchewan District President, Leonard W. Koehler in Winkler, Manitoba, where Pastor Hensel served until 1953.

Rev. Hensel has been active in the Evangelical Lutheran ministry since 1951. He received his M.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1968 in Medieval Canon Law. He was asked by the Protes’tant Conference to accompany the Koehler collection to St. Louis. In the autumn of 1995 Rev. Hensel started, in painstaking work, to inventory, classify and arrange sheet by sheet the entire Koehler family collection. He has been financially supported by the Protes’tant Conference and his congregation Grace Evangelical Lutheran in Valders, Wisconsin. He came to St. Louis nine different times over three years, for a duration of 4 weeks each to complete this tremendous task.