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The brothers FRANZ and DETLEF Staeben, who are respectively the patriarchal ancestors of the American STEHBEN/s and Australian STEHBENS clans, were both born in this simple farm house. JOACHIM Staeben, who migrated to Iowa and is the original patriarch of the American STEBENS family, certainly lived here as a child, though we are not sure of his precise birthplace. Located at Sachendbande or Poppenhusen just north of Wöhrden, Dithmarschen, Germany this building is today merely a farmer's shed. But when Frantz Stebens came to the Dithmarschen in the 1790s and married Catherina Rheder they came to live here, raising their children here. Most of the children were born here, some of them died here as infants in this little house. For most of its history, the building was family home at one end and animal stable at the other. This type of dwelling was typical housing for farm labourers, and it is out of such poverty that the exodus to USA and Australia in the 19th century was birthed. But one of the daughters who married and stayed in the area, lived here in adulthood, as did some of her descendants. These include the Peters and Carstens families. Pictured, in the 1950s, gathered outside their home, is Anna (nee Michaelsen) with her daughter Elly Carstens and her 2nd husband Herr Carstens and his son (with bicycle). Anna was the widow of Peter Peters (who was killed in France in 1915). For all the New World Stebens-Stehbens-Stehben-Konig family, this humble stable must be on our World Heritage List! [Photos: L supplied by Ernst Konig, Canberra; R taken by Ian Stehbens, Sydney]
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