August von Schulmann's enlistment in the Baltic Regiment

This is the Estonian government record of my grandfather enlisting in the Baltic Regiment on January 10th 1919.  He is record #48

The Baltic Regiment (Baltenregiment) was a Baltic German unit created to fight on the side of the Estonian government in the Estonian war of independence against the Soviet Union.   

In Latvia the Baltic Germans created the Baltische Landeswehr which opposed both the Soviets but the Latvians as well.   The   Baltische Landeswehr worked closely with the Freikorps which did not endear them to the Latvians or Estonians

Historical Background and the Beginnings of the Baltenregiment
In the course of the Great War, Germany captured the Baltic Provinces of Russia with the intention to separate them from the Tsar's empire. After Germany had lost the war at the western front, the Bolsheviks decided to export revolution to neighboring countries. The Bolsheviks invaded Estonia, among other countries.
Since the Bolsheviks posed a serious threat to Estonia, its prime minister, Konstantin Päts (1874–1956), decided to negotiate with the Germans. The result was that Baltic-Germans were allowed to form their own companies commanded by Baltic-German officers; the Estonian government would help to equip them. In early November 1918, the Baltic-Germans tried to create an international “Landeswehr” (territorial army) in Tartu, which the Estonian authorities opposed. On 20 November 1918 the Germans from Viljandi County founded their own military forces with Victor von zur Mühlen (1879–1950) as their commander.
Baltenregiment in Estonian War of IndependenceOn 27 November 1918 the Germans in Tartu formed their own military forces, which eventually became the “Baltenregiment” (Baltic Regiment). Only a day later the “Dorpat-Heimat-Schutz” (“Dorpat Homeland Security”) was formed. Both activities were initiated by corps students from the local university, mostly sons of Baltic-German nobility. The Balten-Battalion, formed by the Germans living in Estonia, participated in hostilities on the Narva front in 1918. In January 1919 the main Estonian forces consisted of 2,500 Estonians and 300 Baltic-Germans. Considering that the Germans only made up 1.8 percent of the Estonian population, they were clearly over-represented in these forces.
At the beginning of 1919 the Balten-Battalion merged with units under Victor von zur Mühlen’s command and reorganized into the Baltenregiment. Constantin von Weiß (1877–1959), a former colonel of the Russian Army, was appointed commander of the newly established military formation.
The Baltic unit was send to the Lake Peipus region, where it captured the city of Gdow. Later the unit was transferred into the Volosovo region to support the White Russian Northern Corps. In August the Baltenregiment fought on the Luga river as a part of the 1st Estonian Division. In October it took part in the offensive on the Whites in St. Petersburg. Despite their initial successes, counter-revolutionary forces were eventually beaten back. In November the Baltenregiment again saw action on the Luga line. Soon, a ceasefire ended the hostilities; on 2 February 1920, a peace treaty was signed in Tartu.
Importance of the BaltenregimentAt the end of 1918 the ´ consisted of 1,000 soldiers, mostly Germans from Estonia. They were organized into four infantry companies, one machine gun company, one artillery battery, and one cavalry squadron. During the second half of March 1919, the Battalion of Baltic Germans consisted of twenty-nine officers and 445 noncommissioned officers and men.
After Estonian independence was achieved, the Baltic-German troops were no longer necessary. Moreover, due to their activities in Latvia, the Baltic–Germans had worsened the situation of Baltic-Germans in Estonia and were already considered a threat to the newly founded Estonia. They were, however, far too weak to take over the government. Therefore, the Baltenregiment would not exist past general demobilization.
During the war of independence the regiment suffered sixty-eight fatalities (fifty-two were killed in combat, while sixteen died of natural causes) and about 120 wounded.
The Baltenregiment played quite an important role in the Estonian war of independence, but was too weak and could not play as significant a political role as the Baltische Landeswehr in neighboring Latvia. Therefore the Estonians did not need to disband it before general demobilization of their own forces.
Jarosław Centek, Nicolaus Copernicus University

My parents first driver's licences issued in 1948 and 1951 respectively

My father Axel von Schulmann was issued this driver's licence before the create of the Federal Republic of Germany.  He was in the American occupation zone and therefore it is bi-lingual. 

His class 4 licence was issued September 9th 1948 at age 26.  He got a class 3 endorsement on March 23rd 1950
He brought this licence with him to Germany in 1975 and it was actually still valid and preferred by the company renting him a car.   Seems the wallet size plastic ones from Canada were not what the Germans knew what to do with in the 70s
My father worked on a farm after the war and had drive tractors and trucks for work from 1948 to 1951 when he left for Canada. 

This is my mother Lita von Schulmann's - you can see she is referred to as Baronesse on it.   It also has her Frankfurt address, Forsthaus 42

She got her class 4 licence on July 20th 1951 in Frankffurt at age 22.  Interestingly she had no restrictions.  In Canada she was not allowed to drive a standard because her left leg was lame.  I know she had few chances to practice driving because her skills were not great when she came to Canada.

My mother with her Model A in Vancouver in early 1953 - she crashed this car near Broadway and Fraser in early 1953.  A car was one of the first things my mother bought in Canada - for her it was freedom

My Parents Passports from 1951 and 1954

This is my father Axel von Schulmann's passport - note he is not called a German citizen, but "Einem deutschen Staatsangehörigen gleichgestellt" he is granted the equivalency of German citizenship

The passport was issued on August 4th 1951, which is weird give that on page 6 he has a stamp from Canadian Dept of National Health and Welfare dated August 1st 1951.
From this I know that he lived at Oberpolln Huse Nummer 28 in Pfrombach before emmigrating

The passport was only good for three year terms - he renewed it once on September 2nd 1956 in Vancouver

From this I can see my father landed in Quebec on September 3rd 1951.
He got his visa for Canada issued in Bremen on August 15th 1951
The August 1st date on the upper left page is odd

This is my mother's only German passport I know of.  Interestingly it has her as a German citizen.
My mother came to Canada on a a Nansen Passport sort of thing which she managed to get in 1950   This pre-dates the 1951 UN stateless person convention passports so she had something predating that document. I remember seeing it years ago but I have no idea where it is now.  It was grey 

My mother got this passport issued August 24th 1954 in Vancouver some months after she married my father.

Interesting, this passport has no Canadian visas of any sort.  Also interesting is that this passport was issued for five years.   My father's passport was only renewed for three years in 1956.

Some of photos of von Schulmann's in 1911Otto

Bernhard Freidrich Georg von Schulmann was my grandfather's brother, he died in Switzerland in 1917 only aged 27.  Why was he in Switzerland?  I have no idea.

Bernhard Friedrich Goerg von Schulmann in 1911

 Woldemar Nicolai von Schulmann was my grandfather's second cousin.

Nicolai von Schulmann

 Onkel Otto was another brother of my grandfather.   He adopted my father so that my father could inherit from him.  Otto's two sons Max and Wolf were killed in the war and his wife Isabella was murdered in Vienna in 1945.

Otto Wilhelm Oskar von Schulmann in 1911

Interesting Genealogy Site

Elisabeth Katharina Friederike
von Benckendorff 1843-1888
my great-great grandmother

I stumbled across GENi two days ago and it is the sort of combination of social media and family tree site that I have wished for some time.  I took part in the WorldConnect Project, created by Rootsweb and now hosted by Ancestry.com, but it never really worked well as a collaborative tool.  It did allow me to effectively back up my own data off site but did not do much else.

I was also part of various listservs in the past related to all manner of genealogical issues but they never were as good as I would have liked and have since disappeared.

I like the fact that GENi tries to make sure all the profiles of ancestors on the site are not repeated and that they connect the people creating the profiles.    This means I do not need to repeat my whole ancestor tree.  Being from the Baltic German nobility I have a very full ancestor tree and when my data in a program was lost a few years ago, I was not very interested in re-entering the several thousand entries.

The entries not only are on the site, someone in Estonia has been going to the trouble finding old archive pictures and connecting them to profiles.

Dorothea Helene Margarethe Elisabeth
von Rehbinder 1788-1856
my great-great-great-great granmother

Sophie Julie Agnes
Clapier de Colongue 1835-1911
My great-great grandmother

It also allows you to quickly and easily collaborate with others on your family tree.   I asked close family members to join so that we can share all the ancestral information especially pictures, at a minimum they can view the tree epecially the pictures of some of our ancestors.


Through the various trees being connected it is possible to find connections to other people.  I finally know that I that Benjamin is Prince William's 15th cousin.  I find it interested that I am distantly related to people in Estonia, which I had not expected at all given that the Baltic Germans and Estonians were such completely separate societies.

The site is initially free, but you can only add 100 profiles and 1GB of photos, videos and documents.  To do more you need to pay with the lowest starting cost being $75 the mid range package and $119.40 for the top of the line for a year.

By working with Sheila, Ben and Daniel, I can have them add a bunch of profiles so I do not need to really upgrade.  I can get my brother, sister and cousins to do the same

This is what a tree layout looks like on the site, it is also my tree back to my great-great grandparents

An image from about 1837 of two of ancestors

I have been scanning some pictures.   This first one is a photo of a painting from about 1837 - how old do you think the girl is?   The older woman is Beate Ulrike Sophia Gräfin von Pahlen nee Gräfin von Stenbock 1759 to 1845.  The girl is Beate Elizabeth von Grünewaldt nee Gräfin von Stenbock 1834-1895.

Beate Elizabeth is my great-great grandmother and Beate Ulrike Sophia is her great grandmother and my great-great-great-great-great grandmother.

Beate Ulrike Sophia Gräfin von Pahlen nee Gräfin von Stenbock born September 10th 1759 at Kolk Estonia.  She married Hans von Pahlen on her sixteenth birthday.  Hans was 19 years older than her and died May 9th 1817.   She lived till June 4th 1845.

Her daughter was Charlotte Margarethe von Pahlen born November 4th 1782 at Palms.  She married Alexander August von Mohrenschildt (1769-1823).  She died November 16th 1871.

Her daugher was Cäcilie von Mohrenschildt born April 24th 1812 in Reval Estonia.   She married Magnus Christoph Ludwig Graf von Stenbock (January 1st 1780 to Ocotber 16th 1816) who was her second cousin, Beate Elizabeth was his great aunt.  Cäcilie von Mohrenschildt died March 7th 1870 in Reval.

Her daughter is the girl in the picture, Beate Elizabeth Gräfin von Stenbock, born Dcember 29th 1834.  She married John Georg Otto von  Grünewaldt on the 22nd of September 1857 in Reval.  He was born on March 30th 1830 ay Koik and died May 8th 1910 in Reval Estonia.   She died April 2th 1895.

The estate Kolk was ruled by salic inheritance laws and Magnus Christoph Ludwig Graf von Stenbock was the last male in the Estonian branch of the family and the estate passed to the Swedish Stenbocks.  My aunt Sabine remembers her grandmother telling her about her mother had been expelled from the estate in 1849.

The daughter of Beate Elizabeth Gräfin von Stenbock was Ebba Margarethe von Grünewaldt born April 6th 1859 in St Petersburg.   She married Axel Friedrich Woldemar von Taube on May 3rd 1884 in St Petersburg.   Axel was born Janaury 15th 1856 on Laupa.  He died on December 30th 1917 in St Petersburg.

Her daughter was Beate von Taube born July 14th 1889 at Forel.  She married my grandfather August von Schulmann born November 23rd 1886 in Reval.   They lived on the family estate of Limmat till the Baltic Germans were expelled in 1939.

August was executed and buried in a mass grave by Soviet troops in late January of 1945.

Ebba lived with my grandparents after her husband died.   She was living with them in 1945 when they were over run by Soviet troops.   At close to age 86 I think it was clear she would be not survive transportation to Siberia with her daughter and granddaughter, she died on route.   My grandmother died shortly after arriving in the labour camp because she no longer had any heart medication.

Some of the Descendants

I am going to post some genealogy lines that are of interest to me.

Direct Descendants of Heinrich Scholman

1 Heinrich Scholman Bef. 1480 -
.... +Brigitta von Schmollingk
. 2 Anton Abt. 1505 - Aft. 1540
........ +Magdalena von Taube Bef. 1515 - Aft. 1540
..... 3 Anton Toennies - Aft. 1590
........... + wife not known
......... 4 Otto Scholman 1547 - Bef. 1614
............... +x von Hastfer
............. 5 Heinrich von Schulmann - 1658
................... +Hedwig von Taube Bef. 1600 - Bef. 1645
................ 6 Otto Wilhelm von Schulmann Bef. 1623 - Abt. 1694
....................... +Anna Magdalena von Paykull - Abt. 1710
.................... 7 Thuwe Johann von Schulmann Abt. 1671 - Abt. 1737
........................... +Maria Elisabeth von Uexkuell 1702 - 1737
........................ 8 Otto Wilhelm von Schulmann 1728 - 1788
.............................. +Beate Wrede-af-Elimae 1726 - 1778
............................ 9 Detlev August von Schulmann 1764 - 1842
............................ *2nd Wife of Detlev August von Schulmann:
.................................. +Charlotte Wilhelmine von Knorring 1774 - 1846
................ 6 Johan Gustaf von Schulmann - Abt. 1724
....................... +Elisabeth von Cronmann Abt. 1636 - 1688
.................... 7 Joachim Nikolas von Schulmann 1669 - 1734
........................... +Anna Elisabeth von Knorring - 1718
........................ 8 Karl Gustav von Schulmann 1702 - 1765
.............................. +Barbara Dorothea von Essen 1705 - 1778
............................ 9 Eva Luise von Schulmann 1744 - 1775
.................................. +Magnus Reinhold von Nasackin Abt. 1729 - Abt. 1792
................................ 10 Adam Gustav von Nasackin 1770 - 1855
...................................... +Anna Sofia von Tiesenhausen
................................... 11 Gustav Georg von Nasackin 1803 - 1876
.......................................... +Elise Adelheid von Clossen - 1846
....................................... 12 Marie Sophie Anna von Nasackin 1837 - 1923
.............................................. + Ernst Berend Theodore von Ramm 1837 - 1904
........................................... 13 Margarete Ester von Ramm 1874 - 1944
................................................. +Nikolai Friedrich von Dellingshausen 1861 - 1926
............................................... 14 Patrick von Dellingshausen 1902 - 1980
..................................................... +Maria von Stackelberg 1905 - 1988
................................................... 15 Margarita Ester von Dellingshausen 1929 - 2009
......................................................... +Axel von Schulmann 1922 - 2004
................ 6 Anna von Schulmann - Abt. 1691
....................... +Simeon Lantingshausen - 1661
.................... 7 Hedwig Margarethe von Lantingshausen Bef. 1661 -
........................... +Gideon von Fock 1625 - 1710
........................ 8 Hans Heinrich von Fock Abt. 1673 - 1739
.............................. +Christina von Bistram 1694 - 1725
............................ 9 Johann Ernst von Fock 1721 - 1782
.................................. +Eleonore Marie von Zoege 1723 - 1767
................................ 10 Gideon Ernst von Fock 1755 - 1827
...................................... + Julianne Jakobine von Helffriech 1765 - 1838
................................... 11 Helena Luise Anna Juliana von Fock 1793 - 1870
.......................................... +Karl Gustav von Baranoff 1779 - 1848
....................................... 12 Julie Charlotte von Baranoff 1810 - 1886
.............................................. + Moritz Edwin von Engelhardt 1800 - 1870
........................................... 13 Marie Johanna Katharina von Engelhardt 1841 - 1918
................................................. +Wolter Karl Christoph von Stackelberg 1835 - 1869
............................................... 14 Karl Wilhelm Ernst von Stackelberg 1868 - 1941
..................................................... +Gabriela von Schilling 1870 - 1965
................................................... 15 Maria von Stackelberg 1905 - 1988
......................................................... + Patrick von Dellingshausen 1902 - 1980
........................ 8 Gerturd Margarete von Fock - 1749
.............................. +Fabian Ernest Staeal von Holstein 1672 - 1730
............................ 9 Hedwig Margarete Staeal von Holstein 1707 - 1771
.................................. +Jacob Johann Staeal von Holstein 1699 - 1755
................................ 10 Fabian Ernest Staeal von Holstein 1727 -
...................................... +Barbara Helene von Baranoff 1734 - 1781
................................... 11 Margarethe Elisabeth Staeal von Holstein 1739 - 1805
.......................................... +Karl Adolf von Ramm 1742 - 1790
....................................... 12 Clas Gustav Reinhold von Ramm 1784 - 1840
.............................................. +Karolina Wilhelmine Johanna von Manteuffel 1793 - 1852
........................................... 13 Ernst Berend Theodore von Ramm 1837 - 1904
................................................. + Marie Sophie Anna von Nasackin 1837 - 1923
......... *2nd Wife of Otto Scholman:
............... +Anna von Bremen Aft. 1575 - Bef. 1614
. 2 Ursula Scholman Bef. 1515 - Aft. 1565
........ +Bartholomaeus Hansson von Poll - Abt. 1565
..... 3 Herman von Poll Bef. 1563 - Aft. 1569
........... +N.N. von Berg
......... 4 Obert von Poll Bef. 1609 - Aft. 1645
............... +Anna Hargen
............. 5 Obert von Poll - 1677
................... +Ella (Helle) Budde - 1671
................ 6 Reinhold von Poll 1654 - 1685
....................... +Gertrud von Straelborn Abt. 1660 -
.................... 7 Bela Helena von Poll 1682 -
........................... +Gustav Bernhard von Helffriech
........................ 8 Gotthard Wilhelm von Helffriech - 1771
.............................. +Agneta Dorothea Loeschern-von-Herzfeld 1731 - 1756
............................ 9 Helene Juliane Charlotte von Helffriech 1754 - 1820
.................................. +Christoph Heinrich von Baranoff 1747 - 1818
................................ 10 [9] Karl Gustav von Baranoff 1779 - 1848
...................................... +[10] Helena Luise Anna Juliana von Fock 1793 - 1870
................................ 10 Barbara Dorothea von Baranoff 1777 - 1846
...................................... +Gustav Konrad von Engelhardt 1768 - 1841
................................... 11 Moritz Edwin von Engelhardt 1800 - 1870
.......................................... + Julie Charlotte von Baranoff 1810 - 1886
........................ 8 Bernhard Johann von Helffriech 1712 - 1784
.............................. +Augusta Maria von Staal 1731 - 1776
............................ 9 [13] Julianne Jakobine von Helffriech 1765 - 1838
.................................. +[14] Gideon Ernst von Fock 1755 - 1827

How real are our ancestors?

Yesterday I was listening to CBC talking about St Patrick's day and they mentioned that St Arnulf of Metz was the patron saint of beer. Now it turns out he is not the right St Arnulf, the patron Saint of brewers is St Arnulf of Soissons. The patron of beer thing is only a humourous thing to know and laugh about, but real or relevant is Arnulf to me?

Arnulf of Metz is someone I have paid attention to because he is the earliest ancestor I have that I can trace a descent from. But what does it mean to me to know I am descended from him?

I share him as a common ancestor with a large number of people in the world, but what really has come through from him to me? The amount of DNA that would come from him is miniscule, there are no stories that have come through to me as a family memory of him. All I know of him is from the historical record.

The ancestors I can feel a connection to are the ones that I have a family memory of. This realistically goes back to the 16th century at the earliest and for many of them it ends 18th century. My aunt Sabine speaks of her great grandmother Beate Elisabeth von Gruenewaldt nee von Stenbock. I remember us talking about having to move from the family home 1849 at age 15 because her father died and the estate passed on to the Swedish branch of the family.

She also has spoken of other ancestors that were alive in the early 19th century. These people are much more personally real to me than someone like Henry the second of England.

In my family, stories of Great Northern War still have faint echos, but this war was utterly devasting to my ancestors. "The War" for the older generations still meant this war.

In my genealogical work I have done a lot of interviews with relatives and this has given me a rich sense of the history from about 1850 to 1950 and echos from the times before. Does knowing I am descended from people earlier make any difference to the richness of my family history?

In genealogy there can be a tendency to 'collect' ancestors. Looking for that gateway ancestor to another time and place, but it is not real. I have enjoyed seeing how far I could back in time with my ancestry, but am I doing it at the expense of building and preserving a strong narative of the last two hundred years?

The Estonians are helping a lot by offering a host of old documents online. I am able to build richer history of my people. I know where they lived, what they owned, what they were appointed to, and when they were in court.

There are earlier people I want to know the ancestors because I do feel a family narative connection to them. Specifically Heinrich Scholman, the earliest Schulmann we can trace back to. I would like to know where he came from, how and why the family came to be on Saarema. When did we become enobled and why?

Heinrich appears for the first time in 1495 and nothing from before him.

Inhertiting Things

My family home in Tsawwassen is about to be sold. My parents bought the house in early 1966. It is the only house that has been my family home.

Sheila got back with the truck last night and it was filled with stuff from my mother's house, things that were anchored in the house at 962 Bayview drive. Small stupid things that were always there and are now here. I now have big collection of books related to Baltic German history and genealogy.

I have so many pictures to find a home for on the walls of his house. Old ones related to the history of my family.

The genealogical resources make me want to start up the work I had been doing on my family tree, work that I stopped afterr my father died. I feel a burden on me to be the famy archivist - I collected all the old papers from mother's house. I will have one book shelf solely dedicated to family history in the house.

Some Genealogy Resources

I was doing some looking around for the first time in sometime for what resources there might be for my genealogy online and I found some very interesting sites.

Family History Documents from Estonia This site has numerous church books within it and is a great way for me to confirm details of my ancestors. I am sure there is data there that my other sources over the years have not had. The site is big and will take a long time to go through.

Manors in Estonia - being a Baltic German noble, this site is very interesting. I found some pictures from my families old home Limmat there ( Lümandu in Estonian) I also found this site with pictures of the house in about 2004 - who they are and why they are there, no idea.


This site offers digital images of the pages of the various Genealogical Handbooks for the Baltic German nobility.