Page presented by Cornelius von Baeyer. Meet my family:
Deceased:
- Johann Jacob Baeyer, my great-great-grandfather (1794-1885), was a famous German geodesist. He is regarded as the founder of the International Association of Geodesy. Visit Johann Jacob's Wikipedia page -- in German.
-- See the writer Theodor Fontane on the Tunnel literary club, Berlin 1840s-1850s, including people living in Johann's house (our translation 2022). - Adolf von Baeyer, Johann's son, my great-grandfather, won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1905.
-- See the Nobel Prize website with a picture, biography, and description of the work he did to win the prize.
-- See the chapter on him in K. Manolov's popular book about the lives and work of chemists, translated from Russian in 2022 by M. Vasylyev.
-- See also our translation of his 1905 memoirs mostly about his work, with mentions of his family and life (password provided to family members). - Hildegard von Baeyer -- My grandmother's Guest Book, Heidelberg 1918-1958. Website mainly in German (requires login).
-- See the ad for my German booklet about the Guest Book published in 2019 by the Merkel Family Foundation.
-- See my unofficial English translation of the booklet (password provided to family members). - Hans Ritter von Baeyer -- My grandfather, a professor of orthopedics at the University of Heidelberg.
-- See a brief review of his life and work produced in 2021 in honour of the 80th anniversary of his death.
-- See the ad for the English version of his 1930 book, The Living Arm, Kiener, 2022. Illustrated by his son Eric. Translated by Brian Freeman.
-- See also The Tangled Life of Hans von Baeyer -- an entertaining memoir of his youth, translated into English in 2021 (password provided to family members). - Hans Jakob von Baeyer -- My father's contribution to telecommunications in Canada.
- Renata von Baeyer -- Some of my mother's German poetry with English translations.
-- See The Story of Our Flight from War-Torn Berlin for the origins of the title poem of her collection. - Friedrich Carl Freudenberg -- My maternal great-grandfather, a senior manager of the family firm engaged in leather production in the Black Forest, and author of socio-economic monographs.
-- See our translation of his memoirs written at the age 90 (password provided to family members). - Ernst Freudenberg -- My maternal grandfather, son of FC Freudenberg, a professor of pediatrics in Basel, Switzerland.
-- See German Wikipedia and our translation with a photo.
-- See also the ad for the German book about him with our translation of Chapters 6 & 7 (password provided to family members).
-- See the genealogy of his wife, my grandmother, Ida "Idi" Siegheim. - Walter von Baeyer -- My uncle, a psychiatrist and neurologist. In German.
- Eric von Baeyer -- My uncle, a radiologist, painter and cellist in Cleveland.
- Vera (Gorrell) Clappe -- My mother-in-law who lived to age 99, the later years in Ottawa.
-- See her picture and obituary.
Living:
- Edwinna von Baeyer -- My very nearest, and dearest -- landscape historian, writer, editor, and passionate Manchester United soccer fan.
- Eliza von Baeyer -- Our eldest -- PhD in organizational development & change, and also, as Indie*Go Designs, creator of fun, funky, original jewellery in Ottawa. Visit her on LinkedIn to learn about her consulting practice.
- Jakob von Baeyer -- Our youngest -- senior editor, global integrated content at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), sometime jazz trombonist. Growing family in London UK. Visit him on LinkedIn.
- Carl von Baeyer -- My younger brother, a retired psychology prof (researcher on pain in childhood). Wikipedia entry. Family in Winnipeg. (See his memories of his youth accompanied by photos -- password provided to family members.)
- Cornelius von Baeyer -- Me. Retired public servant, consultant and leader of non-profits. Visit me on LinkedIn. (See the story I wrote in 2012 about a replay of the dramatic events of my early life: The Story of Our Flight from War-Torn Berlin.)
- Hans Christian von Baeyer -- My older brother, a professor of physics retired from the College of William and Mary, living in Philadelphia. (See his story about grandmother Ida and his memories of escaping Germany in 1944 -- password provided to family members.)
- Veronika Finckh, née von Baeyer -- My big sister, who once upon a time painted pictures (see below). Now in Heidelberg. (See her memories of her emigration -- password provided to family members.)
- Chris von Baeyer -- My nephew, an actor, educator and consultant in Toronto. Visit him on LinkedIn.
- Madelynn von Baeyer -- My niece, PhD in archaeobotany, working in Germany.
- Lili von Baeyer -- My niece, a horologist in Philadelphia.
Here are two paintings by Veronika. The first was done in 1952 when she was 16 in St. Patrick, Quebec. The Prime Minister, Louis St. Laurent, passed by and praised it. She replied that it was for her father's birthday. Later, she did a portrait of the Prime Minister's grandson. See his letter of thanks and more of the story.
The second was done by Veronika circa 1955 in Ottawa: a view of Bank Street bridge, shown in Exploring the Built Heritage of Old Ottawa South, 2014, and the Old Ottawa South History website.
Here is some von Baeyer family history.
Here is a list of things and places named Baeyer, compiled by my brother Carl.
Above, there are three stories about the family's escape from Berlin 1944-45, told by each of the three siblings from their own perspective: Veronika, Hans Christian, and Cornelius. (Password provided to family members.)
Life in Ottawa:
See Edwinna's history of our neighbourhood park: Windsor Park in Old Ottawa South. (This report is the basis of an article in OSCAR, the community newspaper, of November 2010.)
See the piece I wrote with Kathy Krywicki on Our Community 100 Years Ago: A Sketch of Old Ottawa South in 1911 for the OSCAR of January 2011.
See the article I wrote with Kathy Krywicki about Slattery's Field in Old Ottawa South: Ottawa's First Accidental Airfield for the OSCAR of January 2010.
See the house where Edwinna and I lived from late 1983 to early 2018, with a bit of its history since 1912: The Marion House, Old Ottawa South. (This article is the basis of an entry in the Old Ottawa South History website.)
See three other reports by Edwinna now on Google Drive:
- The Cultural Landscape of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway from 1826 to 2002, Ottawa, 2002.
- Island Park Drive, Landscape Report, Ottawa, 2000.
- Ontario Rural Society 1867-1930: A Thematic Index of Selected Ontario Agricultural Periodicals, 1985.
Current Project: Baeyer Büchlein (Title Page, Text 1-8, and Last Page) & Baeyer Reisetagebuch 1-8.
