Foreword

Most histories rely on dates, official records and later interpretations. They explain what happened, but often fail to convey how events were experienced by the people who lived through them.

Impressions provides a different perspective. It consists of newspaper articles, letters, personal recollections and other accounts written at the time the events occurred. They preserve not only facts, but convey the language, attitudes and emotions of their period.

Some describe moments of success, others record personal tragedy, public controversy or unexpected turns of fortune. Together they illustrate how members of the Seilern, Uhl, Woerishoffer and Ottendorfer families were viewed.

Many of these documents are difficult to locate today and are scattered across archives, libraries and private collections. Bringing them together in one place provides a better understanding of the people behind the family trees and timelines.

The material has been arranged as closely as possible in chronological order and, wherever appropriate, is linked to related biographies, documents and the Timeline. 

No attempt has been made to rewrite or modernise the original sources. They reflect the language and social conventions of their time, which do not necessarily correspond to modern views. Their value lies in their authenticity.

These impressions help bring the history of the family to life in a way that names, dates and genealogical charts never could.

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