Why did Hermann Gustav Guttenbeil leave Germany for the tiny island Kingdom of Tonga at the opposite ends of the earth?  How did he even know such a place existed?  And what sort of life did he build for himself in such a strange land?

This book attempts to answer those questions, while chronicling the history of the family in Germany, and telling the rich story of Hermann, his children and his grandchildren in Tonga.  This book is thoroughly researched and illustrated, and contains material from a variety of sources.  Of special interest is some never-before published secret material revealing just what the Germans in Tonga got up to during the Second World War, and why they were interned in New Zealand.

“….an important contribution not only to the history of [the Guttenbeil] family but also to the history of emigration from Germany.” Professor Reinhard Wendt

“It was a great read, concise, well researched and informative.” Paul Guttenbeil

“An incredible compilation of family history and information of what was going on in the World/South Pacific at the time, etc. I’m envious of all the history you’ve been able to gather on [the Guttenbeil] family.” Malia Narruhn

About the Author

Tony Muller holds a medical degree from the University of Auckland.  He has been researching the Guttenbeil family history since 2004, and soon realised that the information he uncovered was too fascinating to keep to himself.  He has been working on From Prussia to The Pacific since 2007, and has been fortunate to travel to Tonga, Europe and the USA in furtherance of this work.

Highlights

The book is over 100 pages long, and is thoroughly illustrated.  It contains family trees, maps, letters, photographs and even newspaper cuttings.  It will be of interest to members of the Guttenbeil, Bartley, Heitmann and Witzke families of the Pacific and their descendants.

Outline of Contents

Chapter 1

• The origins of the Guttenbeil family in Germany; where they came from and what they did
• The meaning of the surname

Chapter 2

• Why did the Hermann Guttenbeil leave Germany?
• Why did he choose to go to Tonga?

Chapter 3

• What was it like for Hermann Guttenbeil when he arrived in Tonga? What did he do there?

Chapter 4

• The story of Lucy Bartley’s (Hermann’s wife’s) family

Chapter 5

• The starting and growing of Hermann & Lucy’s family in Tonga
• Where the family lived and what they did

Chapter 6

• The First World War, the global Influenza Epidemic, the Great Depression and their effects in Tonga and on the family

Chapter 7

• The effects of WWII on Vava’u
• The real reason why the Germans in Vava’u were interned in New Zealand – includes newly released secret documents that were kept by the British Consul for Tonga at the time

Chapter 8

• The scattering overseas of the Guttenbeil family
• Contains several long lost photographs of family members

ISBN: 978-0-473-25505-3

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