2.2 Scheele’s Childhood
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
3 was born on December 9, 1742 in Stralsund (Fig. 2.3), the
capital of Swedish Pomerania (Vorpommern). Since the peace of Westphalia in
1648, Vorpommern was a Swedish province, and Scheele was born as a Swedish
citizen. Occasionally, Scheele’s birthday is stated to be December 19, but this is
wrong [20]. This date appears to originate from Crell’s biography [21] and may
simply be a printing error. Carl Wilhelm was baptised in St. Nicholas church
(Nikolaikirche; Fig. 2.4) on December 21 and had three godparents: Michael
Christian Küdelback, Karl Heinrich Hagemeister, and a Mrs. Warnekros. Among
the family, he was called Wilhelm [22].
Zekert has traced the origins of Scheele’s family [23], but some aspects of his
genealogical study have been criticised [20]. The oldest undisputed ancestor of
Scheele was Johannes Scheele, born in Tribsees, Vorpommern (Fig. 2.5), in 1526.
After studies at the University of Greifswald, he became vicar in Wiek, a small
hamlet on Rügen, where he died in 1600. With his wife Margarethe von Zuhmen,
he is reported to have had 16 children, 9 of which are known. The oldest son,
Martin (1554–1620), became merchant in Stralsund, where he married Katarina
Bünsow. Their son, also called Martin (1593–1652 or 1662), studied in Greifswald
and became priest in Pasewalk in 1630. Martin Scheele and his third wife, Elisabeth
Dewitz, the daughter of a priest, had a son called Benjamin (1642–1694) who
became merchant and established a brewery in Anklam. Benjamin married three
times, and his third wife was called Elisabeth Suter (1649–1700), the daughter of a
merchant from Anklam. One of their sons, Benjamin (1677–1721), moved to
Stralsund and established a brewery there in 1701. He would become Carl Wilhelm
Scheele’s grandfather. In his 1931 book [23], Zekert named Benjamin Scheele’s
second wife, Anna Dorothea Wulffrath, born 1682 in Stralsund, as Carl Wilhelm’s
grandmother, but in his 1963 biography [24], he changed this to merchant daughter
Katharina Margaretha Scharow (c.1680–1716). On March 1, 1703, Scheele’s father,
Johan Christian, was born. In 1733, he married Margaretha Warnecross, who
actually belonged to another branch of the Scheele family. The youngest son of
Johannes Scheele (1526–1600) mentioned above was called Johannes as his father,
and became burgher in Stralsund. The younger Johannes Scheele (c.1565–1640)
married Anna Nidder and had a son called Bartholomäus (born 1588) who became
merchant in Stralsund. In his second marriage to Margarethe Seelmann, he had a
son called Viktor (1631–1681) who became Mayor in Stralsund. Victor married
Margarethe Klinkow and their son Johan Friedrich (1661–1710) became lawyer. In
1683 Johan Friedrich married Anna Schütte and two years later, Ilsabe Maria
Scheele (1685–1716) was born. She married Christoph Warnecros, the director of
the Stralsund brewer community, and on July 11, 1713, Scheele’s mother, Margaretha Eleonora Warnecross, was born. Thus, the Scheele family had predominantly been burghers and priests in northern Germany for at least two hundred years
before Scheele’s parents were born (Fig. 2.6).
3
Pronounced [‘ʃe:lə], but in Sweden the pronunciation [ɧe:lɛ] is actually more common.
16
2 Bergman and Scheele: Childhoods
Carl Wilhelm Scheele
3 was born on December 9, 1742 in Stralsund (Fig. 2.3), the
capital of Swedish Pomerania (Vorpommern). Since the peace of Westphalia in
1648, Vorpommern was a Swedish province, and Scheele was born as a Swedish
citizen. Occasionally, Scheele’s birthday is stated to be December 19, but this is
wrong [20]. This date appears to originate from Crell’s biography [21] and may
simply be a printing error. Carl Wilhelm was baptised in St. Nicholas church
(Nikolaikirche; Fig. 2.4) on December 21 and had three godparents: Michael
Christian Küdelback, Karl Heinrich Hagemeister, and a Mrs. Warnekros. Among
the family, he was called Wilhelm [22].
Zekert has traced the origins of Scheele’s family [23], but some aspects of his
genealogical study have been criticised [20]. The oldest undisputed ancestor of
Scheele was Johannes Scheele, born in Tribsees, Vorpommern (Fig. 2.5), in 1526.
After studies at the University of Greifswald, he became vicar in Wiek, a small
hamlet on Rügen, where he died in 1600. With his wife Margarethe von Zuhmen,
he is reported to have had 16 children, 9 of which are known. The oldest son,
Martin (1554–1620), became merchant in Stralsund, where he married Katarina
Bünsow. Their son, also called Martin (1593–1652 or 1662), studied in Greifswald
and became priest in Pasewalk in 1630. Martin Scheele and his third wife, Elisabeth
Dewitz, the daughter of a priest, had a son called Benjamin (1642–1694) who
became merchant and established a brewery in Anklam. Benjamin married three
times, and his third wife was called Elisabeth Suter (1649–1700), the daughter of a
merchant from Anklam. One of their sons, Benjamin (1677–1721), moved to
Stralsund and established a brewery there in 1701. He would become Carl Wilhelm
Scheele’s grandfather. In his 1931 book [23], Zekert named Benjamin Scheele’s
second wife, Anna Dorothea Wulffrath, born 1682 in Stralsund, as Carl Wilhelm’s
grandmother, but in his 1963 biography [24], he changed this to merchant daughter
Katharina Margaretha Scharow (c.1680–1716). On March 1, 1703, Scheele’s father,
Johan Christian, was born. In 1733, he married Margaretha Warnecross, who
actually belonged to another branch of the Scheele family. The youngest son of
Johannes Scheele (1526–1600) mentioned above was called Johannes as his father,
and became burgher in Stralsund. The younger Johannes Scheele (c.1565–1640)
married Anna Nidder and had a son called Bartholomäus (born 1588) who became
merchant in Stralsund. In his second marriage to Margarethe Seelmann, he had a
son called Viktor (1631–1681) who became Mayor in Stralsund. Victor married
Margarethe Klinkow and their son Johan Friedrich (1661–1710) became lawyer. In
1683 Johan Friedrich married Anna Schütte and two years later, Ilsabe Maria
Scheele (1685–1716) was born. She married Christoph Warnecros, the director of
the Stralsund brewer community, and on July 11, 1713, Scheele’s mother, Margaretha Eleonora Warnecross, was born. Thus, the Scheele family had predominantly been burghers and priests in northern Germany for at least two hundred years
before Scheele’s parents were born (Fig. 2.6).
3
Pronounced [‘ʃe:lə], but in Sweden the pronunciation [ɧe:lɛ] is actually more common.
16
2 Bergman and Scheele: Childhoods