Hilda von Zedlitz Archives - bruckfamilyblog.com

POST 204: TRACING A LACE BEDSPREAD FROM A DISTANT RELATIVE’S 1914 MARRIAGE TROUSSEAU [REVISED]

POST CORRECTED AND UPDATED 6/19/2026

(PREVIOUS VERSION REMOVED)

Note: In this post I discuss how I helped a researcher at the upcoming Guimard Museum in Paris trace a lace bedspread manufactured by Paul Mezzara. He was the owner of the Hôtel Mezzara where this Art Nouveau museum, built by the architect Hector Guimard, will be housed. I also explain why I was approached for help.

POST 179: WHAT BARON CLEMENS VON ZEDLITZ, AL CAPONE, AND GUY DE MAUPASSANT HAVE IN COMMON, A RANDOM FACT LEARNED WHILE RESEARCHING THE CONNECTION OF THE BRUCK AND ROOSEVELT FAMILIES

In what clearly falls into one of the most unusual requests received since my blog’s inception in 2017, I was recently contacted by Ms. Louise Fiorio (Figure 1), a researcher working for the future Guimard Museum in Paris. Specifically, Louise is studying the Parisian lace manufacturer Melville & Ziffer that was active from roughly 1900 to 1915.

Figure 1. Ms. Louise Fiorio, researcher at the future Guimard Museum in Paris

Briefly, a little background on the Guimard Museum and a few words on the lace manufacturer Melville & Ziffer and its founder, Paul Mezzara.

The Musée Guimard will be a new museum dedicated to the Art Nouveau architect Hector Guimard. Scheduled to open in 2028, the museum will be permanently housed in the Hôtel Mezzara in the Auteuil neighborhood of Paris’s XVIe arrondissement. While much less well known than Hector Guimard’s “metro” entrances, the Hôtel Mezzara is one of the architect’s most interesting buildings.

Paul Mezzara, for whom Hector Guimard built the Parisian mansion, was a painter born in France in 1866, who turned his enormous artistic skills to industrial art, founding a lace and embroidery company in Venice and then in Paris. This secured him a solid financial position. Having become a recognized figure in the field of decorative art, he was appointed vice-president of the “Societé des Artistes Décorateurs” in 1910, at the same time as Guimard. Paul Mezzara’s changing social status and his rapport with the architect made it possible and logical for him to commission his mansion that same year, 1910.

As the “Le Cercle Gumard‘s” website notes: “. . .the hôtel Mezzara reflects the evolution of Guimard’s style, which had become more subdued and elegant, while remaining faithful to the principles he had established in 1899. The facades and interior spaces display a decorative refinement. . . by an architect who knew how to forge alliances with industry, while still being able to produce priceless pieces such as the dining room furniture. . .”

Paul Mezzara founded his lace and embroidery manufacturing business, Melville & Ziffer, in 1891 after moving to Venice from Paris. It was a prominent, high-end fashion house that operated between the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, with factories and workshops located in France and Italy. According to Bruno Montamat, author of a book about Paul Mezzara: “Through lace, intended for the home and for women’s clothing, Mezzara was engaged in the revival of the French decorative arts. And in keeping with the philosophy behind the Arts & Crafts movement, he made sure his expensive lace production financed the more affordable lace production, making it available to all.”

The exact reasons for calling his lace firm Melville & Ziffer, instead of Mezzara, are not explicitly recorded. What is known is that Ziffer was the name of Paul Mezzara’s business partner in Venice.

After Mezzara returned to France in 1900, he had shops in Venice, San Rémo, Saint Moritz, Berlin, and Paris (Rue de Faubourg, Saint-Honoré), and sold lace through mail order and through haberdasheries.

Louise contacted me hoping I could help her locate a specific piece produced by Melville & Ziffer, a piece she described as follows: “a needle-lace bedcover, catalog reference no. 16152, measuring 2.3m x 2.53m, with 36 Venetian point medallions on an embroidered ground and a fine lily-of-the-valley lace border. The piece was personally exhibited by Paul Mezzara at the 5eme Salon de la Societé des Artistes Décorateurs in Paris in 1910 (published in the journal Art et Décoration, p. 123, displayed in a bedroom interior designed by Léon Jallot . . . (Figures 2-3)

Figure 2. Photo of the bedspread, which comes from a period magazine published by the Melville & Ziffer manufacturing company (Courtesy of: “Centre d’archives et de documentation Cercle Guimard”)

Figure 3. Black-and-white photo of the bed décor (Courtesy of: “Private collection”)

Readers will rightly wonder what prompted Louise to contact me asking for my help to track down the provenience of this lace bedspread. Based on the information available to her, this bedcover was acquired by one of my relatives by marriage, Hilda von Zedlitz und Neukirch (1891-1954), most likely as part of her trousseau ahead of her 1914 marriage to Gerhard Bruck. (1885-1961) (Figure 4) According to Louise, the piece “is a beautiful reflection on Hilda’s taste on the eve of her wedding.”

Figure 4. Wedding of Gerhard Bruck with Hilda von Zedlitz und Neukirch on the 21st of March 1914

To remind readers what I discussed in Post 179, in an unnecessarily cleverly titled post, Gerhard Bruck’s parents were Wilhelm Bruck (1849-1907) and Margarete von Koschembahr (1860-1946); Wilhelm Bruck was the youngest brother of my great-grandfather, Fedor Bruck (1834-1892). Following his marriage, under pressure from one of his von Koschembahr aunts, Gerhard adopted the baronial surname, initially in hyphenated form (Bruck-von Koschembahr), then upon his arrival in America completely dropping the Bruck cognomen. Thereinafter, this branch of the family has been known as von Koschembahrs. Gerhard Bruck (von Koschembahr) and Hilda von Zedlitz und Neukirch had 13 children, which is relevant to the challenge posed tracing the lace bedcover Louise inquired about. (Figure 5)

Figure 5. Gerhard Bruck von Koschembahr and his wife Hilda von Zedlitz und Neukirch with their 13 children

While the connection to both the von Koschembahr and von Zedlitz und Neukirch noble families was something previously known to me that greatly impressed my uncle Dr. Fedor Bruck (1895-1982) and something he carefully noted on his ancestral trees (Figure 6), this barely registers for me. As a few early pictures of my uncle on horseback attest, he fancied himself an aristocrat. (Figures 7-8)

Figure 6. My uncle Dr. Fedor Bruck’s abbreviated family tree showing the family link to two aristocratic families, von Koschembahr and von Zedlitz

Figure 7. My uncle Dr. Fedor Bruck in 1926 atop his horse in Liegnitz [today: Legnica, Poland] dressed as an English gentleman

Figure 8. My uncle Dr. Fedor Bruck in 1926 atop his horse in Liegnitz [today; Legnica, Poland] dressed as Frederick the Great

Louise Fiorio surmised that the lace bedcover that was part of Hilda von Zedlitz und Neukirch’s wedding trousseau may have been among the family belongings the von Koschembahrs brought to New York aboard the SS Paris on October 1, 1938, and subsequently passed down to one of the thirteen children after Hilda’s death in 1954.

Over the years various members of the von Koschembahr wing have contacted me through my blog to share or ask for information. One of those individuals is Christopher von Koschembahr (Figure 9) who I introduced to readers in Post 173 as one of Gerhard and Hilda’s grandchildren. Louise asked me to place her in touch with Christopher hoping he could inquire among his relatives about the possible provenance of the lace bedcover. I was happy to comply, realizing that given the size of the von Koschembahr clan, the chances of tracing the piece would be remote.

Figure 9. My third cousin, Christopher von Koschembahr, in July 2024 at Żarki Średnie, Poland with his family’s dilapidated “castle” in the background

I transmitted Louise’s request to Christopher shortly before Mother’s Day this year. In speaking with his mother on the occasion, Christopher mentioned Louise’s email. Astonishingly and as improbable as it seems, Christopher’s mother thought at one time she and her former husband, Dietrich E. F. Von Koschembahr (1929-1995), did have it. As Christopher announced: “well. . .at first I thought what are the odds our part of the tree would have it—given 13 brothers and sisters dividing up the household inheritance. . . but today as I wished my mom a Happy Mother’s Day—I just happen [sic] to mention this email—and to my surprise, she said she thinks we DID have it. . . what are the odds??”

When Christopher’s parents divorced, the putative bedcover was taken by his father. Christopher’s mother later found a photograph of it being used at the time as a cover over a four-poster bed. (Figure 10) He forwarded the photo to Louise who was able to unequivocally confirm this is the lace piece that she has been seeking, which was a very moving experience for her: “A lot of emotion seeing this photo: this is indeed the lace we have been looking for, without any doubt!” This was the good news.

Figure 10. Photo of the lace bedspread manufactured by Melville & Ziffer that was part of Hilda von Zedlitz und Neukirch’s 1914 wedding trousseau that was being used as a bed cover over a four-poster bed at the time; it was destroyed in a fire in 1995 following Dietrich von Koschembahr’s divorce (Courtesy of: Christopher von Koschembahr)

The bad news is that the house where Dietrich von Koschembahr moved to upon his divorce was destroyed in a fire in 1995, an event that tragically killed Dietrich and likely resulted in the destruction of the lace bedcover. So, while the existence of the exquisite lace piece once owned by Hilda von Zedlitz und Neukirch was confirmed in the form of a photograph, its fate has also been determined.

REFERENCES

Harmsen, O. (2020 December 29). Hôtel Mezzara, 60 Rue de la Fontaine, Paris. About Art Nouveau. Hôtel Mezzara, 60 Rue Jean de la Fontaine, Paris | About Art Nouveau

Le Cercle Guimard. The future Guimard Museum within the Hôtel Mezzara (https://www.lecercleguimard.fr/en/our-actions/guimard-foundation-hotel-mezzara/)

Montamat, B. (2018). Paul Mezzara, 1866-1918 – un oublié de l’Art. Mare & Martin.

“Paul Mezzara.” (2024, December 4). In Wikipedia. Paul Mezzara – Wikipedia

“Point de Venise.” (2026, March 12). In Wikipedia. Point de Venise – Wikipedia

POST 179: WHAT BARON CLEMENS VON ZEDLITZ, AL CAPONE, AND GUY DE MAUPASSANT HAVE IN COMMON, A RANDOM FACT LEARNED WHILE RESEARCHING THE CONNECTION OF THE BRUCK AND ROOSEVELT FAMILIES

Note: Photos recently sent to me by my third cousin caused me to investigate the Bruck family connection to former President Teddy Roosevelt’s family, and in the process learn a trivial fact and uncover some inaccurate information in a so-called “Roosevelt Genealogy.”

I was astonished to discover that “ChatGPT” (see end of post, Figures 22a-c) correctly divined the connection between Baron Clemens von Zedlitz und Neukirch and the infamous American gangster Al Capone and the celebrated 19th century French author Guy de Maupassant, a disparate group to say the least. Having thought I’d merely come up with a catchy title for my post, I was quickly brought down to earth by artificial intelligence. Let me be clear, I have no known ancestral connection to either Al Capone nor Guy de Maupassant, and only a distant link by marriage to Baron Clemens von Zedlitz. Regular readers may vaguely recognize the von Zedlitz surname as it came up briefly in Post 177.

The current post is inspired by high-quality pictures my third cousin Christopher von Koschembahr (Figure 1) recently sent, including several of Baron Clemens von Zedlitz. (Figure 2) Family photos for me are always an inducement to researching and writing about people, as they make them come to life. As I will explain, these photos caused me to further explore the connection between the Bruck and Roosevelt families. This is a link I’ve long known existed. I’ve never previously investigated this because the Bruck von Koschembahrs, through whom I’m connected to the von Zedlitz family and by extension the Roosevelts, dropped the Bruck portion of their surname upon becoming naturalized American citizens. Having never interacted with the von Koschembahr family means I never thought much about the connection to their von Zedlitz kinsmen. I don’t mean to sound dismissive but am merely reflecting reality and the fact that for me connections to German aristocracy are just coincidental. This may simply reflect the fact I’m American.

Figure 1. My third cousin, Christopher von Koschembahr, in July 2024 at Żarki Średnie, Poland with his family’s dilapidated castle in the background

Figure 2. Five photographs from a Facebook account belonging to a George Weissgerber, Jr. with photos of Baron Clemens von Zedlitz and family

That said, the hand drawn ancestral trees left to by my uncle Dr. Fedor Bruck, though very incomplete, include the von Koschembahr and von Zedlitz relatives. (Figure 3) I think this was intentional on my uncle’s part, as I think he fashioned himself an aristocrat and wanted to draw the connection to aristocrats in the family, even if they were only related by marriage. There are two photos of him taken in 1926 in Liegnitz, Germany [today: Legnica, Poland] on horseback that illustrate my uncle’s self-perceived sense of himself as part of the aristocracy. (Figures 4-5) They recall a snippet in Amalie von Koschembahr, née Mockrauer’s diary which was the subject of Post 177. The quotation is about her son Stanislaus von Koschembahr, patriarch of the family following her husband’s death, when he greets his mother atop a recently acquired stallion. Quoting: “Stanislaus arrived on horseback; the horse was newly acquired, and we were supposed to inspect it. It was indeed a charming animal, and I was delighted to see my son as a rider.”

Figure 3. My uncle Dr. Fedor Bruck’s abbreviated family tree showing the family link to two aristocratic families, von Koschembahr and von Zedlitz

Figure 4. My uncle Dr. Fedor Bruck in 1926 atop his horse in Liegnitz [today: Legnica, Poland] dressed as an English gentleman

Figure 5. My uncle Dr. Fedor Bruck in 1926 atop his horse in Liegnitz [today; Legnica, Poland] dressed as Frederick the Great

To help readers understand the link between the Bruck and Roosevelt families, I need to first review the link between the Bruck and von Koschembahr families. My great-grandfather Fedor Bruck’s (Figure 6) younger brother Wilhelm Bruck (Figure 7) married Margarete “Gretchen” von Koschembahr (Figure 8) and was henceforth known as Wilhelm Bruck von Koschembahr, as I discussed in Post 177. Wilhelm and Margarete and their five children were favorites of Margarete’s mother, Amalie von Koschembahr, née Mockrauer, who often mentioned them in her memoirs.

Figure 6. My great-grandfather Fedor Bruck

Figure 7. My great-grand-uncle Wilhelm Bruck who married Margarete “Gretchen” von Koschembahr and adopted her surname in conjunction with his own

Figure 8. Wilhelm Bruck’s wife Margarete “Gretchen” von Koschembahr

The oldest of Wilhelm and Gretchen Bruck von Koschembahr’s five children was Gerhard Bruck. In Post 177, I included a very poor-quality photograph of his wedding in 1914 to Hilda Zedlitz und Neukirch (Figure 9), with whom he would go on to have thirteen children (Figure 10), all of whom were known in America as von Koschembahr. As readers will surmise, Hilda von Zedlitz was the daughter of Baron Clemens von Zedlitz. Baron Clemens von Zedlitz married Cornelia Roosevelt in 1889 in New York as reported in the New York Times. (Figure 11)

Figure 9. Wedding of Gerhard Bruck with Hilda von Zedlitz und Neukirch on the 21st of March 1914

Figure 10. Gerhard Bruck von Koschembahr and his wife Hilda von Zedlitz und Neukirch with their 13 children

Figure 11. New York Times article dated the 17th of January 1889 reporting on the planned marriage of Cornelia Roosevelt and Baron Clemens von Zedlitz

One photo shared by Christopher von Koschembahr is an endearing one of Hilda as a child embracing her father. (Figure 12) Another photo shows Hilda as a baby with her mother, none other than Cornelia Roosevelt, a cousin of the former American President Theodore Roosevelt. (Figure 13) Another photo shows Cornelia standing alone. (Figure 14)

Figure 12. Hilda von Zedlitz as a child with her father Baron Clemens von Zedlitz

Figure 13. Hilda von Zedlitz as a baby in the arms of her mother Cornelia von Zedlitz, née Roosevelt

Figure 14. Cornelia von Zedlitz, née Roosevelt as a young woman

The “smoking gun,” so to speak, showing beyond a doubt the Bruck family connection to the Roosevelt family comes from Gerhard and Hilda’s 1914 wedding certificate where her parents are identified. (Figures 15a-b) Having none of my normally reliable translators currently available to me to translate the entire certificate, I’ve simply circled the relevant and very legible sections of it that show the Bruck and Roosevelt surnames. Interestingly, Gerhard Bruck, who would later adopt the von Koschembahr surname in America, still self-identified as a Bruck when he got married in 1914. Two of the witnesses at his wedding were his youngest brothers, Friedrich (1889-1963) and Heinz Bruck (1892-1915).

Figure 15a. Page 1 of Gerhard Bruck and Hilda von Zedlitz’s 1914 wedding certificate with the Bruck and Roosevelt names circled

Figure 15b. Page 2 of Gerhard Bruck and Hilda von Zedlitz’s 1914 wedding certificate with the names of Gerhard’s two youngest brothers, Friedrich and Heinz, circled identifying them as witnesses

Christopher sent several photos of Baron Clemens von Zedlitz including one with his elderly father Benno von Zedlitz with his stepmother Anna (Figure 16), and a charming one of Clemens with his sister Hedwig as children. (Figure 17) I turned to ancestry seeking additional information, specifically about Baron Clemens von Zedlitz. Here’s where things took a completely unexpected and fascinating turn.

Figure 16. Baron Clemens von Zedlitz with his father Baron Benno von Zedlitz and his stepmother Anna

Figure 17. Baron Clemens von Zedlitz as a young boy with his sister Hedwig von Zedlitz

On one page of a document entitled “Roosevelt Genealogy” (Figures 18a-b), clearly part of a lengthier compilation, was a notation about Baron Clemens von Zedlitz claiming he died in 1901 in a boating accident involving none other than the last German Kaiser’s yacht. This fact alone made Clemens’ death of interest to me. The last German Kaiser was Wilhelm II, and he reigned until the end of WWI in 1918. Regular readers may recall him as my Bruck family had several interactions with him during his reign and following his abdication after German’s defeat during WWI.

Figure 18a. Cover page from ancestry.com for the “Roosevelt Genealogy” discussing Baron Clemens von Zedlitz’s purported cause of death

Figure 18b. Page from the “Roosevelt Genealogy” with the section circled explaining the purported cause of Baron Clemens von Zedlitz’s death and incorrectly naming his surviving daughter as Olga

The fact that Baron Clemens von Zedlitz, an aristocrat, would have been in the company of Kaiser Wilhelm II came as no surprise. As just implied, what was of far greater interest was that he was involved in a boating accident involving the Kaiser’s yacht during a regatta that resulted in his death in 1901, as the Roosevelt Genealogy claims.

Subscribers to ancestry may occasionally come across reference to newspaper accounts of contemporary events; typically accessing these articles requires a separate subscription to newspapers.com. I could tell from ancestry there are multiple articles about Baron von Zedlitz, so I asked a friend with a subscription if he could track these down for me, which he gratefully obliged to do.

Naturally, given the prominence of the Kaiser, I assumed newspapers of the time would have reported the boating accident. Sure enough, the Salt Lake Tribune published an article on the 19th of August 1896 describing the mishap in detail (Figure 19), and indeed a Baron von Zedlitz died as a result. The problem is that the news account was from 1896, not 1901 as the Roosevelt Genealogy reports. Also, a closer reading of the article showed that Baron von Zedlitz, notably no first name given, was crewing the boat with his brother, obviously another Baron von Zedlitz, again with no prename. Another detail noted in the 1896 article is that the Baron who died was not yet 40 years of age. Born in 1857, had Clemens died in a boating accident in 1901 as the Roosevelt Genealogy claims, he would have been over 40. Yet another clue something was amiss in the Roosevelt Genealogy is that his surviving daughter was supposedly named Olga; as implied above Clemens’ only child was named Hilda.

Figure 19. Salt Lake Tribune article dated the 19th of August 1896 reporting on the death of a Baron von Zedlitz that year with no forename provided

Since first names were not provided for either von Zedlitz brother, I was compelled to search elsewhere. Fortunately, I uncovered the death certificate for Baron Clemens von Zedlitz, and he did in fact die in 1901. (Figures 20a-b) Unable to read the certificate and ascertain his cause of death, I asked my German friend if he could decipher it. He found the cause of death not on the death certificate but on a contemporary Lutheran Church burial register, another document I’d downloaded from ancestry. (Figures 21a-b)

Figure 20a. Cover page of Baron Clemens von Zedlitz’s death certificate showing he in fact died on the 17th of October 1901 in Berlin

Figure 20b. Baron Clemens von Zedlitz’s death certificate showing he in fact died on the 17th of October 1901 in Berlin

Figure 21a. Cover page from Lutheran Church burial register bearing Baron Clemens von Zedlitz’s name showing his date of death

Figure 21b. Baron Clemens von Zedlitz’s name on the Lutheran Church burial register identifying his cause of death as “Lähmungsirrsinn,” paralytic madness from late-stage syphilis

According to the church register, Baron Clemens von Zedlitz cause of death was supposedly “Lähmungsirrsinn,” what my friend thought might be “paralytic madness.” Having no idea what this means, I investigated on my own. I also asked my English fourth cousin, Helen Winter, née Renshaw, if a comprehensive German encyclopedia she recently purchased might have an explanation about this disease. Independently, we came to an identical conclusion, namely, that Baron Clemens died because of untreated syphilis, the final stages of which result in unpredictable behavior which manifests someone going mad. Since 1943, syphilis has been treated with penicillin or another antibiotic, though the first effective treatment was salvarsan (arsphenamine), discovered in 1909 by Paul Erhlich and Sahachiro Hata.

The realization that Baron Clemens died from untreated syphilis contracted much earlier in life recalled to me the movie “Scarface” about Al Capone starring Al Pacino. For readers who’ve seen the movie, towards the end of his life Al Capone exhibits increasingly erratic behavior, like what I assume Baron Clemens experienced. Helen’s own research had her learn that the famed French writer Guy de Maupassant suffered from and died from untreated syphilis. So apropos of trivial discoveries having virtually nothing to do with my family, Baron Clemens von Zedlitz, Al Capone, and Guy de Maupassant all died of the same condition. (Figures 22a-c)

Figure 22a. Part 1 of explanation from ChatGPT explaining the common link among Baron Clemens von Zedlitz, Al Capone, and Guy de Maupassant

Figure 22b. Part 2 of explanation from ChatGPT explaining the common link among Baron Clemens von Zedlitz, Al Capone, and Guy de Maupassant

Figure 22c. Part 3 of explanation from ChatGPT explaining the common link among Baron Clemens von Zedlitz, Al Capone, and Guy de Maupassant

One final thought about the misinformation I found in the Roosevelt Genealogy about the cause and timing of Baron Clemens von Zedlitz’s death. This is hardly the first time I’ve found incorrect ancestral information. The Russian proverb “Doveryai, non proveryai,” translated as “trust, but verify,” comes to mind. It was popularized by Ronald Reagan during nuclear negotiations with the Soviet Union during his presidency. As I’ve regularly stressed, I strongly urge ancestral researchers to logically and systematically analyze data found in ancestry.com and on ancestral trees. Little should be taken at face value absent primary source documents.