Chapter 8
The Younger Heiberg Family
Carl and Asta Heiberg had one daughter, Nanny (5) and three sons.
Nanny, as was said in Chapter 5, married my grandfather Carl Friedrichs (4). (Nanny’s
grandfather, father, brother, and husband were all named Carl, her son was named Karl-MNF)
The oldest of the three sons, Carl was a merchant in Hong Kong and died there. The youngest son
Julius, it is said, wanted to be an actor, but found actors too immoral; so, he studied law and
became a prosecuting district attorney. Later on he became the mayor of the city of Schleswig for
two terms, each term being twelve years. He had a very captivating way of dealing with people. His
specialty was Kaiser’s birthday speeches once every year. His - extremely tall - son, Ulrich,
became an army officer. I have talked with Ulrich’s daughter, the wife of a physician, when I was
in East Germany. She was very unhappy there.
The third son of Carl and Asta Heiberg, Hermann was the one who had introduced my grandfather
to the Heibergs in Schleswig, Hermann became a writer. He was highly regarded at his time;
perhaps he was the first German novelist to employ a quick and fluent way of writing novels. He
was a great charmer. That was described by other writers and it was also told me by my mother.
Hermann applied his charm also in dealing with his creditors. So, when he died, he left great debts.
Since I was one of his godsons, this negative inheritance was also offered to me; but my father
rejected it in my name. I was 8 years old then. Finally, his brother Julius, the mayor of Schleswig,
accepted the negative inheritance, most admirably. He slowly and perhaps painfully paid off the
debt. Hermann’s children were not able to do that at that time.
Hermann’ s wife Ines Vollmer (y Rivas) had come from Venezuela. Her father, a German, was
very rich, but drowned with all his wealth while travelling on a boat between Hamburg and
Caracas. His wife had come from a leading Spanish family; her mother was a first cousin of Simon
Bolivar, the leader of the movement to make Spanish South America independent of Spain. Tante
Ines sometimes told us about her childhood in Venezuela; that was fascinating.
Among the many children of Hermann and Ines Heiberg I mention only Felix and Asta. The
adopted daughter of Felix is my brother’s wife, Eva. Asta’s Jewish husband, Alfred Brandt, was a
Prussian government official (Regierungsrat) in Berlin. Years ago we had close contact with their
daughter Irene and her husband Heinrich (now Henry) Jordan, a diplomat, when they lived in New
York. Later on, (December 28th, 1953 after a stormy, seasick passage on the old Isle de France-
MNF-via Sabina)., Asta’s and Alfred’s son Klaus, his wife Hanna, and their daughters Sabine and
Cornelia moved to New York and soon became an important part of our family circle.
Go to Chapter 9 Go to main History Page
The Younger Heiberg Family
Carl and Asta Heiberg had one daughter, Nanny (5) and three sons.
Nanny, as was said in Chapter 5, married my grandfather Carl Friedrichs (4). (Nanny’s
grandfather, father, brother, and husband were all named Carl, her son was named Karl-MNF)
The oldest of the three sons, Carl was a merchant in Hong Kong and died there. The youngest son
Julius, it is said, wanted to be an actor, but found actors too immoral; so, he studied law and
became a prosecuting district attorney. Later on he became the mayor of the city of Schleswig for
two terms, each term being twelve years. He had a very captivating way of dealing with people. His
specialty was Kaiser’s birthday speeches once every year. His - extremely tall - son, Ulrich,
became an army officer. I have talked with Ulrich’s daughter, the wife of a physician, when I was
in East Germany. She was very unhappy there.
The third son of Carl and Asta Heiberg, Hermann was the one who had introduced my grandfather
to the Heibergs in Schleswig, Hermann became a writer. He was highly regarded at his time;
perhaps he was the first German novelist to employ a quick and fluent way of writing novels. He
was a great charmer. That was described by other writers and it was also told me by my mother.
Hermann applied his charm also in dealing with his creditors. So, when he died, he left great debts.
Since I was one of his godsons, this negative inheritance was also offered to me; but my father
rejected it in my name. I was 8 years old then. Finally, his brother Julius, the mayor of Schleswig,
accepted the negative inheritance, most admirably. He slowly and perhaps painfully paid off the
debt. Hermann’s children were not able to do that at that time.
Hermann’ s wife Ines Vollmer (y Rivas) had come from Venezuela. Her father, a German, was
very rich, but drowned with all his wealth while travelling on a boat between Hamburg and
Caracas. His wife had come from a leading Spanish family; her mother was a first cousin of Simon
Bolivar, the leader of the movement to make Spanish South America independent of Spain. Tante
Ines sometimes told us about her childhood in Venezuela; that was fascinating.
Among the many children of Hermann and Ines Heiberg I mention only Felix and Asta. The
adopted daughter of Felix is my brother’s wife, Eva. Asta’s Jewish husband, Alfred Brandt, was a
Prussian government official (Regierungsrat) in Berlin. Years ago we had close contact with their
daughter Irene and her husband Heinrich (now Henry) Jordan, a diplomat, when they lived in New
York. Later on, (December 28th, 1953 after a stormy, seasick passage on the old Isle de France-
MNF-via Sabina)., Asta’s and Alfred’s son Klaus, his wife Hanna, and their daughters Sabine and
Cornelia moved to New York and soon became an important part of our family circle.
Go to Chapter 9 Go to main History Page
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