Considering Harry Speck von Sternburg, let’s delve into the tale of a family intertwined with Leipzig’s history. The Speck von Sternburg family’s story begins with Maximilian Speck. He arrived in Leipzig at 20 and became a merchant. In 1818, Maximilian established his own wool business. He acquired land in Leipzig, known as Specks Hof.
In 1822, he obtained the Lützschena manor. Maximilian created a model estate for livestock breeding. His agricultural success led to an invitation from Tsar Alexander I. In 1825, the Tsar granted him the title Ritter von Speck in St. Petersburg. Visits to Bavaria followed in 1829. There, Maximilian acquired more land and shared his knowledge of sheep breeding. King Ludwig I of Bavaria gave him the hereditary title Freiherr von Sternburg.
At Lützschena, Maximilian founded a brewery based on Bavarian brewing practices. This became the famous Sternburg-Bier. After his death in 1856, the Bavarian estates were sold. However, Lützschena manor remained in the family. It became a family trust including his valuable art collection.
Maximilian’s son, Alexander Maximilian, continued the family legacy. Alexander had twelve children. Among them were Hermann, a diplomat, and Joseph, who served in the imperial service. Later family members continued to manage the Lützschena estate. Gustav Harry, followed by his son Wolf Rudolf managed the Lützschena estate.
After the Second World War, the Lützschena estate was seized during land reforms. Ilse Speck von Sternburg and Wolf-Dietrich Speck von Sternburg legally represented the family. Wolf-Dietrich Speck von Sternburg, born in 1935, maintained ties to Leipzig. He also stayed connected to the family’s ancestral seat in Lützschena during the DDR era.
He repurchased the Lützschena palace gardens. Then he began restoring the English landscape park. Since 2003, the palace has been owned by the Truchsess and Erffa families. The Maximilian Speck von Sternburg Foundation was established. Since 1996, it ensures the public display of the art collection. The art collection is located in the Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig. Wolf-Dietrich Speck von Sternburg leads the foundation’s board.
The Speck von Sternburg family archive was initially housed at Lützschena Palace. After the expropriation, family documents were moved to the Leipzig City Archives. Later, they went to the Landesarchiv Leipzig in 1955. Wolf-Dietrich Speck von Sternburg gathered additional family documents. In 2015, the family archive was deposited at the Staatsarchiv Leipzig.
The archive contains over 700 files and almost 2,500 photographs. It includes 55 maps and plans reflecting the family’s significance over three centuries. An exhibition in 2017 at the Staatsarchiv Leipzig showcased the family’s history. It highlighted Maximilian Speck von Sternburg and his descendants.
The exhibition featured family relationships across six generations. It also showed their engagement in Lützschena and their travels. Of particular note were the letters from Theodore Roosevelt to Hermann Speck von Sternburg. Also the photo album of Gustav Harry Speck von Sternburg. It captured his impressions of Japan in 1914. The story of Harry Speck von Sternburg is therefore also a reflection of the family.