Robert Eichert's Page

Places of interest: Insterberg; Königsberg; and Memel in former East Prussia; hamlet of Eichert in Baden Wurttemburg

I can not trace where in Germany my great grandfather, FREDERICK WILHELM EICHERT (1853 -1930), came from but East Prussia is likely - he died at the German Hospital in Hackney and may have been one of its trustees. He left £160-13s-6d to his spinster daughter, ANNIE TERESA EICHERT. Frederick's father was reputed to have lived in Insterberg (other possibilities are Königsberg and Memel), working for the German railways (perhaps as a railway inspector) and having driven the Königsberg express. A family friend, Herman Stenzleit - surname changed to Stanton (1848-1933), came over from Königsberg around 1876; he was a Socialist and active member of the Rose Street Club. My great grandfather, Frederick, a master tailor, came to England some time between 1882 (he is not on the 1881 census) and 1887 (when his first child was born in London). The 1891 and 1901 censuses record his address as Brunswick Place, Shoreditch, residing with his wife, ROSINE EICHERT nee SCHWARTZ (1862-1914), and first four then six children. Frederick may not have taken British nationality (so he could still qualify to emigrate to the USA?) and may have been interned during WW1 as an enemy alien at Alexandra Palace (I have not checked yet). Two of his sons, WALTER RUDOLPH EICHERT (my paternal grandfather and also a tailor) and WILLIAM HENRY EICHERT were privates in the Middlesex Regiment in WW1 and were awarded Victory and British Star medals. WILLIAM EICHERT is reputed to have made friends with MAX ERFURT (son of George Erfurt) at the Somme. Three of Frederick's sons married three daughters of GEORGE OSWALD CONSTANTINE ERFURT, a watchmaker in Stoke Newington: WILLIAM HENRY EICHERT (taxi cab proprietor) married METELLA (Tilly) WANDA ERFURT in 1925 at the German Lutheran Church, Dalston, Hackney; FREDERICK WILLIAM EICHERT (compositor) married ELLA MARGARETHA ERFURT in 1926 at West Ham Register Office; and RUDOLPH HERMAN EICHERT (taxicab driver) married ALWINA (Olive) ANNA SELBOURNE (nee ERFURT) divorced wife of William Albert Selbourne, in 1935 at Westminster Register Office. William Eichert was a member of the Communist Party and, like his brother Walter, he was a good amateur guitarist.

If you have any more information, please e-mail me.