August Kavel: Difference between revisions

[[File:August Kavel.jpeg|thumb|rightupright=1.2|August Kavel about {{circa|1840}}]]

'''August Ludwig Christian Kavel''' (3 September 1798 – 12 February 1860). Pastor Kavel was a founder of [[Lutheranism]] in Australia.

Kavel was born in [[Berlin]], where he attended the ''[[Evangelisches Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster|Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster]]'' school and went on to study theology. In 1826, he was [[ordained]] and installed as the Pastor at the church in the village of [[Klępsk|Klemzig]], located near the city of [[Sulechów|Züllichau]] (Sulechów) in thenwhat southeasternas [[Province of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] inthen the German state of [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]] and is now [[Klępsk]], [[Poland]]. Between 1798 and 1840, the [[Protestant]] churches in Prussia had been subjected to a number of changes, brought about by the decrees of King [[Frederick William III of Prussia|Frederick William III]]. These decrees were intended to unify the Lutheran and Reformed Churches into one [[Prussian Union (Evangelical Christian Church)|Evangelical Christian Church]]. By 1826, there was some opposition to the intentions of Frederick William. This escalated in 1830, when Frederick William announced a number of changes that outlawed the traditional [[ritesChristian liturgy|rite]]s of the churches and prescribed a form of [[worship]] which many Lutherans believed was against the [[Will of God]]. It was in this environment that dissent against the decrees of Frederick William arose.

Pastor Kavel began to look for avenues to lead his congregation in an exodus from Prussia to a place where they could worship in freedom. In early 1836, Kavel travelled to [[Hamburg]] to enquire into the possibility of migrating to [[Russian Empire|Russia]] or [[the United States]]; however, both of these options were not possible.

Pastor Kavel, as the leader of the group of immigrants, acted as a negotiator for securing land for the settlers. These new migrants rented {{convert|150|acre|km2}} from George Angas and established their first settlement in Australia at [[Klemzig, South Australia|Klemzig]]. On the arrival of the third ship, ''Zebra'', the town [[Hahndorf, South Australia|Hahndorf]] was established. A third settlement of the Prussian migrants was established at [[Glen Osmond, South Australia|Glen Osmond]] by many of the passengers from ''Catharina''. One of Kavel's followers, [[Johann Friedrich Krummnow]], taught the girls en route but was deemed "not completely satisfactory and the community did not allow him to teach in Australia".<ref name="Nutting">{{cite web | url = http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/dnutting/germanaustralia/e/krummnow1.htm | title = J. F. Krummnow | last = Nutting | first = David |publisher = Teachers on the Web | year = 2001 | accessdateaccess-date = 31 October 2012 }}</ref>

On 23 and 24 May 1839, Kavel convened a meeting of the [[Elder (administrative title)|elders]] of the three villages. At this meeting, the constitution of the new [[Lutheran Church of Australia, synodical history|Australian Lutheran synod]] was adopted. At the following synodical gathering in 1840, a letter was drafted and subsequently sent to the "Old Lutherans" in Prussia. Its purpose was to encourage others to emigrate and, most importantly, have a second pastor immigrate to Australia. On 28 October 1841, 224 further Prussian immigrants arrived in Adelaide on the [[Skjold (ship)|''Skjold'']], among them Pastor [[Gotthard Fritzsche]]. This group formed the main part of the settlements at [[Lobethal, South Australia|Lobethal]] and [[Bethany, South Australia|Bethanien]]. At Lobethal Krummnow, who was now a naturalised English citizen and wastherefore able to purchase land, was provided by the settlers providedat himLobethal with funds to establish a community:; Krummnow wanted itthis community to be based on his own principles of shared property and fervent prayer.<ref name="Nutting"/> The Lobethal settlers rejected Krummnow's vision and legally disputed his right to the land titles.<ref name="Nutting"/> In 1842, [[Tanunda, South Australia|Langmeil]] was settled. Kavel remained in South Australia until his death.

*August Kavel married Anne Catherine Pennyfeather, an English woman, on 28 March 1840. She died on 25 December 1841 after giving birth to a stillborn son<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://sahistoryhub.comhistory.sa.gov.au:443/people/august-kavel?hh=1&|title=SA History Hub: August Kavel|author=David Schubert|access-date=10 December 2017}}</ref> and was buried in the tiny Klemzig cemetery (KavelsKavel's parents would also be buried there).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59018188 |title=The Pioneer German Cemetery |newspaper=[[The Register (Adelaide)]] |volume=LXXXIX |issue=26,056 |location=South Australia |date=1 July 1924 |accessdateaccess-date=10 December 2017 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> Kavel married again in 1851, to Johanna Beata Irrgang; they had no offspring.

*His sister Maria Charlotte Sabine Kavel (2 August 1806 – 6 April 1880) emigrated aboard ''Prince George'' in 1838 and married (Johann Friedrich) August Fiedler (21 February 1796 – 17 September 1880).<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article228959859 |title=Tod eines alten Kolonisten |newspaper=[[Australische Zeitung]] |volume=XXXII |issue=38 |location=South Australia |date=21 September 1880 |accessdateaccess-date=10 December 2017 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>