Johann Konrad Wilhelm Loehe (1808-1872) Papers

The Loehe Collection contains primary and secondary material. Correspondence constitutes the largest part of this collection. Furthermore, photographs, general biographical information, sermons and printed material can be found. The folders are arranged in alphabetical order by type of material.

Loehe’s correspondence is separated into two parts: printed copies and microfilmed material. The correspondence is arranged in chronological order by date in the European fashion (day/month/year). The originals and copies are filed separately. Letters to and from Loehe are in the same file. Furthermore, there is other correspondence integrated in this file (not written by Loehe or addressed to him), possibly from missionaries; these items were included in the original collection as received by the Institute. These letters are filed in chronological sequence with the other correspondence.

Only a few originals of Loehe’s correspondence are available, and these are in a very fragile condition. Preservation copies of all originals are available and are filed by date (f.5-21). Researchers must work with the photocopies; arrangements may be made to consult the originals when necessary.

A comprehensive database is available at the Institute to clearly identify which of the known pieces of correspondence are available in printed copy, which ones were transcribed from the original German into a typewritten format (see column “Transcription”), which letters are only available on microfilm (see column “Microfilm”), which ones are not yet transcribed (see column “Original”). There is also a separate column to identify the letters translated into English (see column “Translations). Any other peculiarities are described in the “Remarks” column of the database.

The microfilmed material is available on CHI microfilm rolls #143, #170 and #536. The individual letters are identified in the database by the microfilm roll number on which the pieces of correspondence can be found. The quality of the microfilm is very poor, and none of the letters have been transcribed or translated.

Three major pieces of correspondence that are listed in the database chronologically have been removed from the correspondence folders and filed separately because of their importance and also for preservation purposes, they are:

• f.1 Amerikanische Privatmitteilung
• f.2 Commemorative Envelopes

Correspondence

• f.3 1842-1849 (originals)
• f.4 1850-1862 (originals)
• f.5 1842 (copies)
• f.6 1843 (copies)
• f.7 1844 (copies)
• f.8 1845 (copies)
• f.9 1846 (copies)
• f.10 1847 (copies)
• f.11 1848 (copies)
• f.12 1849 (copies)
• f.13 1850 (copies)
• f.14 1851 (copies)
• f.15 1852 (copies)
• f.16 1853 (copies)
• f.17 1854 (copies)
• f.18 1855 (copies)
• f.19 1856 (copies)
• f.20 1859-1865 (copies)
• f.21 1866-1873 (copies)
• f.22 Undated (copies)
• f.23 Fragments

Other materials

• f.24 General Information
• f.25 Instruction for our Friends in America
• f.26 Kirchen und Gemeinde Ordnung
• f.27 Letter Seal
• f.28 Photographs
• f.29 Printed Material
• f.30 Sermons
• f.31 Correspondence of Wilhelm Loehe in American Repositories — 1967 (Robert C. Wiederaenders)
• f.32 Lecture Notes
• f.33 Translation of a Loehe Letter