Glückliches Neues Jahr

Here are some ornate German New Year's cards. These were the cards that the Schweigert family sent to Adolf Stoltz in 1911, 1912, and 1913.  They were sent from Markirchen, Germany, which appears to be the town that Adolf emigrated from.  He settled in Lawrence, Massachusetts with his family and the Lutz family sometime around the turn of the century.

Albert Schweigert must have been a very good friend of Adolf's, because I have a lot of postcards that he sent. Adolf appears to have tried to fit them in an album of limited size, so some of the cards have been trimmed. It's a shame, but they're still beautiful.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

I won't transcribe all three cards, since they don't relay any great news. The message on the one above reads:

Dear friend I wish you and your mother a happy New Year. Everything good, everything beautiful. Heartfelt greetings from Schweigert.

Happy New Year, Herr Stoltz

Adolf Stoltz moved from Markirch, Germany to Lawrence, Massachusetts. Markirch became part of France after World War I, but by then Herr Stoltz had been in Massachusetts for a number of years.
This is a card wishing Herr Stoltz a Happy New year. It was postmarked on Christmas Day, 1910.

And here's the back of the card.

The handwriting is not so tidy, and it's that awful old German script, but I was able to make some of it:

Dear Friend I wish you a Happy New Year...We received your package with joy. Thank you for that....Greetings from Schweigert Henri.

To Herr Stoltz

I have a small collection of very beautiful cards that were sent to Adolf Stoltz in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Most of the cards were sent from friends in his hometown of Markirch, Germany. The town of Markirch was located in the Alsace region of Germany, but is now part of France and known as Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines.

This card was sent on the 20th of December,1909 to wish Herr Stoltz a Happy New Year. The child on the front is carrying a giant 100 Mark note.

Here's the back of the card.

The message reads:

Your friend from home sends you a thousand greetings and kisses. Wish you and the Lutz Family good fortune and blessings in the New Year.  I hope to get a card to read soon. Work in Marckirch is very bad. Best Wishes  Georges Scherdel

According to this genealogy website for Sainte-Marie-Aux-Mines, Joseph Lutz and Adele Stoltz married in June of 1899.  Adolf may have moved to the United States with them shortly thereafter.