Bartholomaus SastrowBartholomäus Sastrow, also known as Bartholomew, was a German official, notary, and mayor of Stralsund who lived from August 21, 1520, until February 7, 1603. Written in 1595 at the age of seventy-five, he left behind an autobiography that is signifiant both historically and culturally. At Greifswald's Lange Straße 54, there is a plaque designating the location of his birth. The son of merchant Nicolaus Sastrow (born 1488) and his wife Anna Schmiterlow, a niece of Stralsund mayor Nikolaus Smiterlow, Bartholomäus Sastrow was born in Greifswald. Prior to relocating to Greifswald in 1487, his grandfather Hans Sastrow (murdered in 1494) worked as a tenant farmer in Quilow. Three of eight children, Sastrow's mother and four younger sisters perished in an epidemic in 1549-1550. The only other long-living family members were him, his oldest sister Anna (1516-1594), who was married to Greifswald Mayor Peter Frubose, and their brother Karsten, also known as Christian (1530-1580). At the age of 29 or 30, Johannes, his older brother, passed away. He went on to become a lawyer, provost, and poet. About 1523, his father Nicolaus was compelled to leave Greifswald after killing a well-respected man in a dispute. Read More Read Less