(23)Viotti in Schenefeld
Schenefeld is a small town near Hamburg where G.B.Viotti stayed in 1798/99.
In most books, articles and documents concerning Viotti, the name Schönfeld or Schenfeldt is used for this town.
These names may come from the original documents, Viotti's letter addressed to Prince Alfonso
(Schönfeldz, 1798)[1] or the AMZ report(Schenfeldt, 1799)[2].
However, the correct name is Schenefeld from Viotti's days to now [3].
Most authors and writers of "Viotti "may not actually access to this town,
although people of Schenefeld consider Viotti as one of the important guests who visited "Schenefeld"[4].
City of Schenefeld belongs to the Pinneberg district, State of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
It is about 5km from east to west and 3km from south to north.
The population is 18000. Viotti was exiled from England and stayed at Schenefeld from 1798 to 1799.
Schenefeld was under Danish rule from 1640 to 1864 and it did not belong to Germany when Viotti stayed there.
(left)The present Schenefeld. Friedlichshulde at the central-upper part was formerly the Scharrenkamper Hof (No.7 farm)
where Viotti stayed.
(right)An outline map of the central-upper part of the "Flurkarte von Schenefeld" drawn in 1788.
4 or 5 houses are recognized in the No. 7 farm.
The No.7 farm was owned by John Smith of Altona and was inherited by his daughter Jane Büsch.
In Schenefeld, land registry arrangement was established during 1786-1788 and 38 landowners were recorded.
The population was about 390 [5]. Among a large number of historical documents of land registry arrangement,
a map of Schenefeld is involved, which is drawn by clear lines.
The map, which is held in Landesarchiv Schleswig-Holstein [6], is very important to locate the place
where Viotti actually stayed in Schenefeld.
The area of Schenefeld at that time is almost same as present and the network of roads is still kept
except the newly constructed Landesstraße Schenefeld-Elmshorn.
In the old map, a row of houses are recognized along the main street, each of houses being drawn with brown color,
and a village is formed at the center of the map.
At a northern part of the map, a small pond, Mühlen Teich, and four or five houses are recognized in the farm No.7.
By comparing the old map and the present one, the pond of Mühlen Teich is now reclaimed
and houses and sports facilities stand there.
The place where the five houses stood was renamed Friedlichshulde in 1828.
In the lower-left margin of the old map, the names of 38 landowners are presented.
The fourth is Glismann, the seventh is Schmidt, and the ninth is Schalfenstein.
It is expected that Mr. Smith who took care of Viotti was the owner of the No.7 farm.
Horst Fürstenau, who is a chronicler of Schenefeld, analyzed the complex changes of land owners in Schenefeld
under Danish rule, 1641-1863[7]. His book gives very interesting facts on the Mr. Smith, the owner of the farm No.7.
He is John Smith of Altona. He bought this farm on 1784 and got another farm No.4 in 1790.
The farm No.7 includes Mühlen Teich as well as five houses which are indicated by brown mark clearly in the map.
Altona is the western part of Hamburg, and John Smith of Altona is expected to be the person
who offered a house to Viotti.
A letter addressed to William Chinnery from Viotti in 1812 provides an interesting fact
that "Mr. Smith of Hamburg" had a daughter to whom Viotti was much attached.
This daughter married Mr. Büsch, and Mr. and Mrs. Büsch visited Viotti and Chinnerys at Gillwell Park in 1806[8].
The fact that "the daughter of Mr. Smith who helped Viotti in Schenefeld married Mr. Büsch" is very important
to identify Mr. Smith of Hamburg.
A decisive fact was recognized in Fürstenau's book that Mr. Smith who helped Viotti is John Smith of Altona,
the owner of the farm No.7. That is the information of the daughter of John Smith who inherited the No.7 farm.
In 1816, perhaps Mr. Smith died this year, Jane Büsch, formerly Smith; a daughter became the owner of the No.7 farm.
The fact that the daughter of Mr. Smith of Altona married Mr. Büsch and Mrs. Büsch visited Viotti confirmed
that John Smith who is the owner of the No.7 farm is the person who helped Viotti in Schenefeld.
Jane may be only child of Mr. Smith because she inherited all her father's property, the No. 4, No. 7, and No.9 farms.
Although John Smith had the No.4 Hof as well in 1798,
it is natural to conclude that Viotti stayed at the cottage in the No.7 Hof which is suitable for an exile.
Hamburg has two main railway-stations, Central Station near the lake Alster and
Altona Station 5km apart from Central Station. To access Schenefeld, the bus from Altona Station is convenient.
The bus arrives at Schenefeld Mitte via City Hall in 30 minute. A modern shopping center is very fine
and people visit from Hamburg. You can get an area map of Schenefeld there.
By walking in the north direction from Schenefeld Mitte, you arrive at Friedlichshulde,
where was formerly Scharrenkamper Hof (No.7 farm) and owned by John Smith.
An article in "Schenefeld Materialien" introduces Viotti as an important guest at Friedlichshulde.
South-west area in Friedlichshulde where John Smith's cottages stood at that time[9].
(left) Riding stables.
(center) The place the cottages stood.
(right) Friedlichshulde from Lindenallee street.
[1] Archivio di Stato di Biella, Famiglia Dal Pozzo Della Cisterna, Storia dell famiglia II, m.11, f56.
[2] "Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung", 14 August 1799, col.762.
[3] I. Puder, "Chronik Schenefeld", Schenefeld, 1997.
[4] "Schenefeld Materialien", 31 August, 1994.
[5] "Stadt Schenefelt-informationbroschüre-", Schenefeld, 2004.
[6] "Flurkarte von Schenefeld", Landesarchiv Schleswig-Holstein, Abt.402 A3 Nr.454.
[7] H. Fürstenau, "Schenefeld unter dänischer Herrschaft 1641-1863", Schenefeld, 1987.
[8] D. Yim, "Viotti and the Chinnerys", Ashgate, 2004, pp.102-103.
[9] O. Kikuchi, "Giovanni Battista Viotti-The father of modern violin playing-", Tokyo, Keibunsha, 2009.
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