Klemzig, South Australia

Klemzig Adelaide, South Australia
Street scene of Klemzig painted by George French Angas in 1846
Population	5,016 (?)
• Density	2,010/km2 (5,200/sq mi)
Established	1837
Postcode(s)	5087
Area	2.5 km2 (1.0 sq mi)
LGA(s)	City of Port Adelaide Enfield
Suburbs around Klemzig: Manningham Hampstead Gardens Greenacres Collinswood Klemzig Campbelltown Vale Park Marden Felixstow

Klemzig is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It was the first settlement of German immigrants in Australia and was named after the village of Klemzig, near Züllichau in southeastern Brandenburg in the German state of Prussia, where they originated from. That Klemzig is now in western Poland and is now known by the Polish name Klępsk.

The initial establishment of Klemzig as an Old Lutheran settlement in the South Australian Colony is attributed to a decision by Pastor August Ludwig Christian Kavel. Pastor Kavel was determined to help his loyal parishioners emigrate from Brandenburg, Posen and Silesia to escape religious persecution by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia.

Pastor Kavel initially planned to move his parishioners to Russia near the Black Sea, where there were already numerous German settlements, but that had proved not to be feasible. Early in 1836, Kavel travelled to Hamburg to investigate possible emigration to America, but lack of available financial assistance caused this plan to collapse.

While in Hamburg, Kavel heard of the wealthy philanthropist, George Fife Angas, who was Chairman of the South Australian Company and likely to assist the Old Lutherans with their migration plans.

Kavel and a representative of his congregation travelled to London in March 1836 and met a very sympathetic George Fife Angas. Angas was a Baptist and was convinced that the Old Lutherans, who placed such high value on their religious beliefs, would make excellent settlers in the South Australian Colony.