Carola von Wrangel talking about some of the von Wrangel family history at the Nolan Center Tuesday afternoon. The city of Wrangell is named after her ancestor Ferdinand von Wrangel, who governed the area for the Russian Empire in the 1800s.
"For us, this journey is called 'In the footsteps of Ferdinand von Wrangel,' and you are a big footstep," said Carola von Wrangel to the gathered crowd at the Nolan Center.
Ferdinand von Wrangel was governor of the Russian Empire's holdings in Alaska in the early 1800s, as well as an avid explorer and scientist. The city of Wrangell is named after Baron von Wrangel. He also oversaw the construction of the first fortification on Wrangell Island in 1834. He would go on to be a part of the Russian admiralty and as president of the Russian-American company, which had a large stake in the fur trade in Alaska. On Tuesday afternoon, July 24, several descendents of von Wrangel came to town to share their family's history, as well as a piece of Wrangell's history.
The afternoon was filled with food, history, and warm welcomes between the family and the city of Wrangell. Vice mayor Steve Prysunka read a letter from the mayor welcoming everyone to town and wished them a happy visit. Cornelia von Wrangel, the head of the family, introduced several family members from the many branches of the family.
"We're an international family," she said. "We have a Russian branch, we have a German branch, we have an Estonian branch ... and an American branch."
Several members of the family shared some history of Ferdinand and his descendants, one member explaining that the reason some spell their name with one "L" instead of two was because of how widely dispersed the family was, and that the spelling changes happened over time.
Carola, the organizer of the trip, also told an interesting story of Ferdinand's wife. One of the requirements for Ferdinand to take his job in Alaska was that he be married. So, he searched all around for a woman willing to travel with him, and after three months he met Elizabeth.
"She married Ferdinand with the promise of a long trip across Siberia if she married him," she said. "And then she came to Sitka. She really
took under her wing the care of the natives in Sitka, with
medical help. There are writings of her saying 'we have to treat people better' ... I believe that she was the first Caucasian, white woman in Alaska."
After sharing the family history and taking questions from the audience, everyone was invited to mingle and share stories with each other. The evening was put together by Janell Privett, with the friends of the museum. She said the museum staff was involved as well.
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