Correspondence primarily between members of the Höpken and Sommer families. Includes several candid letters from Eduard Höpken that describe his experiences during and after World War II as well as the political climate in Germany during the 1950s. Of special interest is a family newsletter written on January 6, 1971 by Eduard and his wife Elisabeth Höpken that provides biographical information about their children including Gisela Sommer and her husband Ulrich Sommer, Johann Höpken, Walter Höpken, Karl Höpken, Wilhelm Höpken, and Peter Höpken. Records include letters and postcards.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family. Includes letters interspersed with details about family life such as Ulrich Sommer and his wife Gisela Sommer’s immigration to Canada with their two children Cornelius Sommer and Angelika Sommer in 1954. Also contains letters confirming Ulrich and Gisela Sommer passed an exam designed for new Canadians that was established by the Government of Ontario’s Department of Education Information Branch. Records include letters, greeting cards, postcards, children’s drawings, pamphlets, hand-drawn floor plans, wallpaper samples, a cross-stitch sampler, and photographs of family members.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family. Includes letters describing Eduard and Elisabeth Höpken’s impending trip to Canada and letters discussing Ulrich Sommer’s adult adoption by a man named Friedrich Joachim who lived in Germany. Records include letters, greeting cards, postcards, floor plans, and a wedding invitation.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family. Of special interest is a letter written by Eduard Höpken on May 29, 1965 revealing that he was a dedicated member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany since 1930. Eduard claimed that he reinstated his support for the political party after 1945. In this letter, Eduard wrote about the development of laws to provide the state increased control during emergencies. Also contains correspondence between the Sommer family and Friederich Joachim. Friederich Joachim adopted Ulrich Sommer as an adult and he lived in Germany. Records include letters, post cards, birth announcements, and a funeral invitation.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family. Includes letters interspersed with details about family life such as Ulrich Sommer and Cornelius Sommer’s studies in university, Angelika Sommer’s pending visit with her grandparents, and Lina Neumeyer Raatz’s declining health. Lina Neumeyer Raatz was Ulrich Sommer’s aunt and she lived in Germany. Also contains correspondence between the Sommer family and the Altenmueller family from Cooksville, Ontario. Records include letters, postcards, and pamphlets.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family. Includes letters interspersed with details about family life such as Cornelius Sommer’s university graduation and his plans to open his own law firm as well as Angelika Sommer’s move to Hamburg, Germany. Also contains letters describing Isle Stein’s upcoming visit with Ulrich Sommer and Gisela Sommer in Canada. Records include letters, greeting cards, and postcards.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family. Includes letters sent between Gisela Sommer and Ulrich Sommer that were written while Gisela visited her parents in Germany. Also contains a copy of the last will and testament of Friederich Höpken. Friederich Höpken was Eduard Höpken’s brother and he lived in Brazil. Records include letters, greeting cards, and postcards.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family. Includes letters sent between Gisela Sommer and Ulrich Sommer that were written while Gisela visited her parents in Germany. Of special interest are German press clippings about the development of the German Democratic Republic in the 1980s. Records include letters, greeting cards, and press clippings.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family. Includes letters sent between Gisela Sommer and Ulrich Sommer that were written while Gisela visited her parents in Germany. Of special interest is a letter by Ulrich to Gisela that describes his experience attending Barker Fairley’s birthday celebration at University College in Toronto, Ontario on May 21, 1986. Records include letters, greeting cards, postcards, funeral invitations, and photographs of family members.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family and Wilhelm and Helga Höpken. Wilhelm and Helga Höpken are Gisela Sommer’s brother and sister-in-law. Of special interest is a programme for an exhibit presented by the University of Guelph from January 12, 2001 to March 17, 2001 titled, The John & Gisela Sommer Collection: 40 years of collections at Gallery House Sol. The exhibit featured 111 items, mostly books and prints, collected by Ulrich and Gisela Sommer for their art gallery, Gallery House Sol. All of the items featured in the exhibit were subsequently donated to the University of Guelph. Records include letters, greeting cards, post cards, a programme, press clippings and, photographs of family members, friends, plants, art, and animals.

Correspondence primarily between members of the Sommer family. Includes letters discussing Gallery House Sol, an art gallery opened by Ulrich Sommer on Saturday, July 21, 1962. The gallery was located inside Ulrich Sommer’s home at 45 Charles Street in Georgetown, Ontario. Records include letters, greeting cards, postcards, press clippings, children’s drawings, a matinee program and a photograph possibly of Elisabeth Höpken reading on a ship in 1961.

Correspondence primarily between Ulrich Sommer and Lina Neumeyer Raatz. Lina Neumeyer Raatz was Ulrich Sommer’s aunt and she lived in Germany. Includes letters interspersed with details about family life such as Lina’s death on January 21, 1969. Records include letters, postcards, poems, amateur drawings, and photographs of family members and friends.