City of Edmonton Archives

The City of Edmonton Archives may be searched on-line.

"[Gustav Koermann]." Photograph. 1910. Gustav Koermann, first editor of the Alberta Herold, is pictured in a sketch which appeared in that newspaper, c. 1910. EA-267-137.

"Austrian ambassador." Photograph. 1973. The Austrian Ambassador at the Vienna Opera Ball in Edmonton. EA-499-52.

"Edelweiss Club construction site." Photograph. 1964. November 1964, at 9663-101A Avenue. Three photographs showing the construction site before construction of new building.  See also EA-97-162, EA-97-170.  EA-97-160.

"Edelweiss Club house". 1908. Two photographs of the first clubhouse of the Edelweiss Club of Edmonton built in 1908 at Kinistino Ave. and Elizabeth Street = 9568-102 Avenue. Both photographs copied from the Alberta Herold. Kinistino Ave = 96 Street, Elizabeth Street = 102 Ave. See also EA-267-96. EA-267-95.

"Ethnic dancing - Canora Community League." 1955. Young people performing a German folk dance (Lederhosen and Dirndl).  EA-10-1114.

"German Baptist Church Strathcona." Photograph. 1911. The German Baptist Church in Strathcona. (Taken from the Edmonton Bulletin).  EB-26-56.

"German Baptist Church." Photograph. 1908. German Baptist church in Edmonton. EA-500-113.

"German Bethel Baptist Church." Photograph. 1976. German Bethel Baptist Church at 8205-79 Street in Edmonton. EA-245-77.

"German Consulate." Photograph. Ca. 1975. The German Consulate at 11618-100 Ave. in Edmonton.  EA-62-342.

"German Moravian Church." Photograph. Ca. 1910. The German Moravian Church in Strathcona looking east. EA-444-8.

"German Zion Baptist Church." Photograph. July 1976. German Zion Baptist Church at 9802-76 Ave. in Edmonton. EA-245-93, 94.

"Germania Choir of Edmonton." Photograph. Edmonton, Alta., 1908. Germania Choir of Edmonton, 1908, taken at the Edelweiss Club at Kinistino Ave and Elizabeth Street. Picture taken from Alberta Herold. EA-267-88.

"The Alberta Herold Building." Photograph. 1905. Alberta Herold Building, 1905. Exterior shot of Alberta Herold Building (Herold Block), located at 254 Namayo Avenue (97 Street), taken in 1905, two years after the newspapers began operations. Beside the Herold Block, to the right, may be seen the German Bookstore, at 260 Namayo Ave. EA-267-235.

"The German Bookstore." Photograph. 1905. German Bookstore, Edmonton, 1905. Shown to the right in a picture of the Herold Block (home of Alberta Herold, Alberta's first German newspaper), is a good exterior view of the German Bookstore, operated by L. Brüg(g)mann at 260 Namayo Avenue (97 Street).  EA-267-235.

Public Archives of Canada, Ontario

"Activities and occupations of various immigrant groups." Photograph. 1958-1960. Activities and occupations of various immigrant groups across Canada, including Germans.  1971-200.

"German immigrants en route to Canada, in lumber camps, and on homesteads." Photograph. 1930s. Lumber camps at Ashmond, Beaver River, Vilna, White Rock employed many German immigrants, as depicted in some of these pictures. Other photos in this group show Germans on ship en route to Canada and Germans on homesteads on the Prairies. 1980-079.

"German immigrants to Canada on their Prairie homesteads." Photograph. 1930s. Among other photos of immigrants en route to Canada and German immigrants in lumber camps are a series of pictures depicting German immigrants to Canada on their Prairie homesteads. 1980-079.

"Group and individual portraits of the farm families of various ethnic groups." Photograph. 1894-1934. Farms of various ethnic groups, including Germans, in Canada. Group and individual portraits of the various families that own and operate those farms. 1972-020.

"The Fred Tessel family at Dunmore and Neudorf (Saskatchewan)." Photograph. Ca. 1900. Two photographs of the Fred Tessel family at Dunmore and Neudorf, Sask., in early 1900's. 1977-014.

Medicine Hat: Esplanade Arts and Heritage Center

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"Carl Beny's General Stores." Photograph. 1914. Irvine: Carl Beny's General Stores. Photo of Beny's first store, 1911-1914. It burnt down early in 1914. Carl Beny is shown in front of broom. Another photo, taken in 1917, is also available as P(PC)83.14. Contained in A new beginning: Irvine and district (20 Mile Historical Post Society, 1914). P(PC)83.5.

Wetaskiwin Archives

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"Louisa Krause, Wetaskiwin, Alberta." Photograph. April 8, 1927. Studio portrait of local pioneer Louisa Krause. She was born Louisa Grodzicki in Kriesrosenberg [sic], Germany on December 25, 1862. On June 9, 1888 she married Rudolph Krause and came with him to Steinbach, Manitoba, where they lived for two years before residing briefly in Dunmore, Alberta. John filed for a homestead in the Pleasant Prairie district in 1892, and he and his wife finally settled there in 1894. In: Carl Walin fonds.

"Rudolph Krause, Wetaskiwin, Alberta. " Photograph. April 8, 1927. Studio portrait of local pioneer Rudolph Krause. Mr. Krause was born in Germany on August 17, 1864. On June 9, 1888 he married Louisa Grodzicki and they moved to Steinbach, Manitoba, where they lived for two years before residing briefly in Dunmore, Alberta. In 1892 he filed for a homestead in the Pleasant Prairie district west of Wetaskiwin and settled there with his wife in 1894. In: Carl Walin fonds.

"Reverend H.G.H. Klingbeil of St. John's Lutheran Church (Pleasant Prairie district), and confirmation class, Wetaskiwin, Alberta. " Photograph. April 10, 1928. Studio portrait of a confirmation group from St. John's Lutheran Church in the Pleasant Prairie district near Wetaskiwin, Alberta. Reverend H.G.H. Klingbeil is seated at center holding a German sign which translates as "Be faithful until death." In: Carl Walin fonds.

"Adam Kaiser Sr., Wetaskiwin, Alberta. " Photograph. November 14, 1930. Studio portrait of local pioneer Adam Kaiser Sr. Known as one of the largest-scale farmers in the Wetaskiwin district, Mr. Kaiser was born on May 8, 1857 in Reichenau, Germany and immigrated to Canada in 1885. He settled in Manitoba for seven years, then moved to a homestead near Wetaskiwin in 1892 with his wife Caroline (nee Dwardowski). In: Carl Walin fonds.

"Synodical Convention, St. John's Lutheran Church (German Lutheran Church), in the Pleasant Prairie district west of Wetaskiwin, Alberta. " Photograph. July 8, 1933. Synodical Convention at St. John's Lutheran Church (German Lutheran Church), in the Pleasant Prairie district west of Wetaskiwin, Alberta. Reverend Klingbeil is in the back row, third from right. In: Carl Walin fonds.

Millet and District Historical Society

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"Wiesenthal Baptist Salvation Band." Photograph. July 20, 1938. Photo shows members of band performing in church. Clockwise from L: Rev. E. A. Hoffmann, Ralph Smith, Bernard Ertman, Gus Ertman, Norman Kern, Charles Neiman (behind horn), Martin Smith, Ernest Smith, August Ertman, Louis Ertman, Arthur Smith, Bill Pohl. Wiesenthal Baptist Church (formerly Wiesenthal German Baptist Church) was located northwest of Millet. Photograph Collection.

Red Deer and District Archives

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"German Canadian Club, Red Deer." Photograph. February 11, 1978. Participants at a German Canadian Club event held in Red Deer, Alberta. In: Kanata Studios fonds.

Town of Okotoks Archives

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"Austrian internment camp, near Jasper." Photograph. [ca. 1912]. Four men (two in uniform) in front of log building. There were 250 men with their guards at the camp. In: Daggett family fonds.

University of Calgary, Canadian Architectural Archives

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Mawson, Thomas Hayton. "The Civic Centre of Calgary as It May Appear Many Years Hence."1914? Thomas Hayton Mawson (1861-1933) was an English landscape architect and town planner. A strong and eloquent proponent of the City Beautiful Movement, he made four North American tours and promoted town planning schemes for a number of Canadian cities. On January 8, 1913, Mawson was commissioned by the City of Calgary to design a plan for the city's future development. The following year he published "Calgary: A Preliminary Scheme for Controlling the Growth of the City." An ambitious, but unrealized, concept, it eventually became known as `Vienna on the Bow.' This image, titled "The Civic Centre of Calgary as It May Appear Many Years Hence," was one of thirty drawings prepared for the presentation of Mawson's plan to the city. Accessed on January 1, 2009.

Jewish Archives and Historical Society of Edmonton and Northern Alberta

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John Dower family fonds, 1895- 1959, 1999. The Dower family, originally from Austria, immigrated to Canada in 1896. John Dower was born in 1897. Mr. Dower owned several businesses in the Edmonton area including Dower Brothers, Stirling Shoes, and the Northwestern Manufacturing Company. Mr. Dower was active in Edmonton community organizations such as the Edmonton Boy Scouts, the Edmonton Jewish Community Council, and the Edmonton Flying Club. Mr. Dower was appointed Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 1945 for his work in the war effort, and received an honourary doctorate from the University of Alberta in 1954, the first Jew to be so honoured. Mr. Dower died in 1959. Mr. Dower’s son, Marvin, married Mozanne Baltzan. The fonds consists of materials created or collected by the Dower family of Edmonton, Alberta from 1895-1999. The fonds consists of family photographs of the Dowers and Baltzans, newspaper clippings, and correspondence. DOW.99.1.

Florence Weinlos Soifer-Ovics fonds, 1913-1999. The fonds consists of materials collected and created by Florence Weinlos Soifer Ovics from 1913-1999, including a family history, newspaper articles and photos. SOI.99.1.

J.J. Weinfield fonds, 1918-1992, predominant 1918-1927. John Joshua Weinfield, 1879-1985, was born in Zbarash, Austria. He came to Montreal with his parents in 1886, and in 1903 was the first Jewish graduate of the Montreal College of Pharmacy. He ran two drugstores in Montreal. In 1911 he married Sophia Sereth, ?-1971, daughter of Henry N. Sereth of Calgary. They had four sons including Jack and Stanley (Winfield). The family moved to Calgary in 1913 and in 1917 J.J. established the John J. Weinfield Drug Company Ltd. at 238-8th Avenue SW. He subsequently operated drug stores at several locations. From 1929 to 1934 he was a travelling salesman for Benson and Hedges and from 1937 to 1943 he worked at an Alberta Liquor Store. He moved to Vancouver in 1944 and practiced pharmacy until his retirement in 1959. M 8318; PA 3338.

Peter Owen family fonds, 8 December 1937 - 18 January 1944. Correspondence between H.A. Friedman and various parties concerning Peter Offenbach's (Owen) immigration to Canada from Germany during WW II. Peter was the only Jewish child allowed into Canada from Germany during World War II. JA-OWE-99-004.

Dr. Morris Weinlos family fonds, 1942-2002. Morris Weinlos was born in Austria in 1902 and came to Canada with his family in 1921. After arrival in Canada, he studied medicine at the University of Alberta graduating in ca. 1929. During the Second World War, Dr. Weinlos served overseas in the Canadian Army Medical Corps. Dr. Weinlos founded the Weinlos Clinic and served as the Chief of Staff at the Misericordia Hospital. Dr. Weinlos was an ardent Zionist, heading the Edmonton Zionist Council and was co-chair of the Israel Bonds and UJA campaign. He was also active in the Edmonton community serving as president of the Beth Israel Synagogue and as an Edmonton City Councilman for 11 years. In 1946, he married Merle Laskin. The Weinloses had three daughters, Lynn, Honey, and Valerie. In 1958, Morris and Merle Weinlos were Negev Dinner honourees. The area of Weinlos in Millwoods in southeast Edmonton is named after Dr. Morris Weinlos and Dr. Harry Weinlos. Harry Weinlos and Morris Weinlos were brothers. Dr. Morris Weinlos died in 1980. WLS.02.1.

Henry Kreisel fonds, 1964-1989. Dr. Henry Kreisel came to Canada under arrest, a British prisoner of war, in 1940. He was born on June 5, 1922 in Vienna, Austria. He and his brother, Kurt, fled to England in 1938. His parents, Leo and Helene, were arrested attempting to flee to Belgium in 1939. They ended up in Dachau and Ravensburg, respectively, but were able to escape to England before the war broke out. He and his father were arrested on May 16, 1940 as enemy aliens, and shipped to a Prisoner of War camp in Fredericton, New Brunswick, called Camp B or Camp 70. In 1941, they were released. In 1942, Kreisel enrolled in the English Department at the University of Toronto. In 1947, he graduated with a Master's Degree, and married Esther Lazerson. Together, they set off for the University of Alberta. In 1948, he published his first book, "The Rich Man." In 1952 he took a two-year leave of absence to return to England for Doctoral studies. He returned to U. of A., eventually becoming head of the English Department, Dean of Graduate Studies, VP Academic. He turned down the chance to serve as University President in 1975. In 1989 he was awarded the Order of Canada. He is the author of many books, including "Another Country" and "The Betrayal" (1964). Henry Kreisel died in 1991, Esther in 1994. KRE.02.1; ABB.01.1; GOR.01.1.

Berkowitz family fonds, 1985-1999. Norbert Berkowitz was born in Berlin, Germany in 1923, the only child of Paul Berkowitz (1896-1969) and Rachel Hadassah Wurm (1899-1973). His grandparents, Israel and Sima, perished in the Holocaust in 1941. Norbert was part of the Kindertransport for England in 1939 and lived with a London family for two years while awaiting his mother’s escape to England in May 1939. Norbert obtained his Honours BSc Degree in Chemistry in 1943 and his PhD in 1947 from the University of London. Between 1943-1945, he was a part-time British army officer. In 1952, he came to Edmonton to assume a post as Senior Research Chemist at the Alberta Research Council. In 1954, he married Sheila Lipsett, (born 1931), daughter of Joel Lipsett and Vera Bregman of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Sheila had her BSc (Lab. Tech.) from the University of Alberta, where she worked. They had three children, Jonathan, Brian Saul and Cheryl Anne. Norbert’s work and publications, which included more than 150 papers in scientific journals and four textbooks, gained him wide international recognition and many honours, including the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 and the Order of Canada in 1984. Norbert and Sheila Berkowitz were killed in a car accident in June 2001. BER.99.1.

Peter Owen family fonds, [1910]-1999. Peter Owen was born Peter Offerbacher in Frankfurt, Germany in 1924. In 1937, Harry Friedman of Edmonton applied to Canadian Immigration for a permit to bring Peter to Canada. After a year of correspondence with various intermediaries, Mr. Owen was allowed into Canada by an Order-In-Council, dictated by the federal cabinet, which allowed 22 people into Canada, including eight Jews. Mr. Owen was the only Jewish child allowed to immigrate to Canada during the war period. Mr. Owen graduated in law from the University of Alberta and practiced law in Edmonton. He was active in several community organizations, serving as vice-chairman of the Racing Commission, chairman of the University Hospital Board 1978- 1985, president of the Edmonton Art Gallery, and the first secretary of the Jewish Community Council. Violet Rose was born in 1930. In ca. 1953, she married Peter Owen. The Owens had three children, Susan (Owen Kagan), Tom, and Mia. Violet Owen is a well-known sculptor and artist in Edmonton. OWE.99.1.

Lutheran Historical Institute

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"St. Peter's: 100 Years: 1904-2004." History of St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Edmonton. Virtual Tour with links to scanned documents. Accessed on September 15, 2004.

"Life and activities in a mission parish at Mellowdale, Alberta." Based on the diary of Albert Schwermann, a Lutheran pastor, who pleaded that he "would rather go to the North Pole than to spend my days in that altogether intolerable heat near the equator" for his mission work, and was sent in 1913 to Mellowdale, Alberta. Virtual Tour with links to scanned documents. Accessed on September 15, 2004.

"Plan to emigrate to Mexico" During the winter of the year 1923 the St. Mathew Congregation of Stony Plain sent Rev. Eberhardt, Mr. Jakob Mueller, and Mr. Heinrich Goerz on a trip to Mexico to study the conditions for the establishment of a colony. The Stony plain congregation was considering to emigrate to Mexico because the Alberta Government had threatened to close their congregational school. The school was indeed closed down, but not for long. Even before the church delegation returned from their trip to Mexico, the Department of Education in Alberta had given permission to re-open the church school and, consequently, the congregation did not have to emigrate. Virtual Tour with links to scanned documents. Accessed on September 15, 2004.

"Stony Plain Conflict: The St. Matthew School at Stony Plain, Alberta". History of the St. Matthew School and the conflict with the Alberta government. Virtual Tour with links to scanned documents. Accessed on September 15, 2004.

Other on-line repositories

Menonnite Historical Society of Alberta

Virtual exhibits by Archives Canada

Archives Network

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The Archives Society of Alberta

The Archives Society of Alberta (ASA) has created three online databases for locating records relating to people, businesses, institutions and events in Alberta’s past. The Archives Network of Alberta (ANA) database contains descriptions of archival fonds (fonds are documents, regardless of their form or creation, used by an individual, family or corporate body in the course of that creator’s activities or functions) housed in the province’s archival repositories. Alberta InSight and Alberta InWord databases contain digitized archival images and textual records available at the click of a mouse. All three archival databases are accessible through the ASA website (www.archivesalberta.org/).

The ANA database contains 8,500 fonds-level descriptions of archival records pertaining to Alberta’s history. The database informs teachers, students and researchers where records are located, who created them, how voluminous the records are, what format they are in (for example, textual, photographic, sound recordings and film), and what types of records are included (correspondence, diaries, minutes of meetings, financial records, and so on). The database also provides links to other records in the database.

ANA’s sister databases, Alberta InWord and Alberta InSight, contain digitized images and textual records that have been selected by archivists from their own holdings. Unlike published library resources, which can usually be found in multiple locations or borrowed through interlibrary loans, archival materials are unique and normally can only be accessed in the institution in which they are held. The availability of digitized records online is therefore a boon to researchers who are unable to travel to do their research, or who need access to records outside of regular operating hours. As of November 2004, InSight contained nearly 24,000 digitized images, while InWord contained 655 documents (approximately 25,000 pages of textual material).

All three of Alberta’s archival databases have grown over the years. Alberta Centennial Legacies funding has made much of this growth possible by providing funding through ASA to archival institutions to complete fonds descriptions and records digitizing. More records are uploaded to the ASA website each month.

Teachers and students are encouraged to access the databases regularly to check what new records have been added, and to visit Canada’s national databases: Archives Canada (www.archivescanada.ca/) and Images Canada (www.imagescanada.ca/).