Dieser Eintrag stammt von Lena Buck
Original Source (used under Fair Use Laws)
Ich habe Friedel H., die am 9. September in Ostpreußen geboren wurde, zu ihrer Flucht aus ihrem Heimatland befragt. Hier erzählt sie von ihren Erlebnissen: More
Frau Strack
Original source (used under Fair Use Laws)
Mein Mann, Diakon des Rauhen Hauses in Hamburg, war bei der Wehrmacht. Ich leitete in Breslau ein Altenheim der Inneren Mission für 200 Personen, das, wie auch die Rothenburger-Anstalten, zum Verband schlesischer Altenheime gehörte. More
Die sich in der Elbinger Bibliothek befindenden Zeitschriften und regionale Zeitungen auf Deutsch: More
Autor: www.heiligenwalde.de
Heute musste meine Mutter mit mir und meinen 3 Brüdern das schöne Heiligenwalde verlassen. Mein Vater wurde in den letzten Kriegstagen noch zum Volkssturm eingezogen. Vorher hatte er mit seiner Landwirtschaft auch dafür Sorge tragen müssen, dass er in angemessenem Rahmen die Versorgung der Soldaten an der Front mit landwirtschaftlichen Lebensmitteln sicherstellte. More
Von Carl W. Gaede
Ich bin im Dezember 1936 in Kaiserslautern in der Pfalz in Deutschland geboren. Mein Vater war Offizier in der Infanterie des deutschen Heeres.
Mutter und Carl More
Original Article (used within terms of Fair Use)
By Dr. Alfred de Zayas -The main speaker at the premiere of the documentary travelling exhibition ” In the Claws of the Red Dragon” in Pittsburgh [in 1999], organized in cooperation with Dr. Marianne Bouvier and B. John Zavrel,was Dr. Alfred de Zayas, a prominent expert in international law; he is an American of Spanish-French descent. After law school at Harvard, de Zayas went to Germany on a Fulbright fellowship, took doctorate in History at the University of Goettingen. He works as a legal consultant in New York and Geneva, Switzerland, and is the author of several books dealing with the subject of the Expulsion of Germans in Europe. More
Original Article (used within terms of Fair Use)
Der folgende Bericht beruht auf Datenunterlagen des letzten Oberbürgermeisters der Stadt Elbing Dr. Fritz Leser (in einigen Dukomentationen auch Dr. Hans Leeser genannt); Oberst a.D. Schöpfer dem letzten Kommandanten von Elbing und von Oberleutnant Curth Günther. Die Aufnahmen stammen aus russischen Wochenschauen. More
Alfred Neubert, Hannoversch Münden, Burgstraße 15/16, den 18. August 1946
23. Januar bis 10. Februar 1945
Die Verteidigung Elbings war voraussichtlich gedacht als eine vorgeschobene breitangelegte Sicherung der linken Flanke der Weichsellinie mit linker Anlegung an das Frische Haff, rechts angelehnt an die Verteidigungswerke von Marienburg. Die Stellung Elbings im gesamten Verteidigungssystem wurde als “Brückenkopf Elbing” bezeichnet. – Der um Elbing beabsichtigte Bogen der Verteidigungslinie war weit vorgeschoben, sollte z. B. bei Dörbeck, Rakau und die entsprechenden Entfernungen nach rechts fortgesetzt führen über Grunau-Höhe, Anschluß an den Drausensee finden und über Kerbswalde, Grunau-Niederung zum Anschluß nach Marienburg führen. More
Original Source (used with author’s permission)
Autor: Günter Mauter
Fast ein Kuriosum ist ein Teil der Geschichte der evangelischen Kirche von Zeyer. Als am 22. Januar 1920 der Kreis Großes Werder amtlich wurde, befand sich das Dorf Zeyer im Freistaat Danzig, während die Kirche und die Kirchenhäuser mit ca. 35 Bewohnern auf Elbinger Gebiet lagen. Die Nogat bildete die Grenze und die Kirche lag ja auf dem rechten Nogatufer, damit also im Elbinger Landkreis. Allerdings, und das ist auch bemerkenswert, lag das Pfarrhaus im Dorf Zeyer! More
20 October was a very productive day at the Family History Center. Aside from starting a bit late due to delayed keys, a lot of new information was discovered including:
On 21 October the genealogical records reflecting the above plus more were modified; additionally, updated War death records have been added for:
Auszüge aus dem Text von Charlotte Kaufmann (used within terms of Fair Use)
Die schlimmste Zeit meines Lebens begann vor etwas mehr als 60 Jahren,genau im Januar 1945. Auch nach dieser langen Zeit sind die Narben nicht verheilt. Die Auswirkungen sind bis heute spürbar. Dieses Schicksal teile ich mit hunderttausenden Frauen und Mädchen aus den deutschen Ostgebieten, die noch vor Kriegsende vom russischen NKWD (Volkskommissariat für innere Angelegenheiten; zuständig auch für Angelegenheiten der Kriegsgefangenen und Internierten) verhaftet und dann zur Zwangsarbeit nach Russland verschleppt wurden. Dort mussten wir stellvertretend für das ganze deutsche Volk Reparationsleistungen erbringen unter unmenschlichen Bedingungen. Wir zahlten mit unserem Körper und unserer Seele für ein Verbrechen, an dem wir nicht beteiligt waren. More
This is the major unit during WW1 to which we believe Richard Senger belonged and for which he fought on two fronts.
This is the last unit in the Luftwaffe to which Luise Senger (Rabideau) belonged.
all material which follows on this page © 1997-2005 Michael Holm
Chef des Stabes:
Formed 4.2.38 in München from Luftgau-Kommando XIV. More
This page is concerned with the history of the whole Danzig territory as set up in 1919, not only with the town of the same name.
(Please note the site from which this history was duplicated and edited no longer is functioning: http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Rotunda/)
Richard Senger was a successful German farmer (Landwirt) in West Prussia. He worked and cared for his family’s farm with the help of his wife (Frieda), children (Luise & Erich), his brother Rudolf (Onkel Rudolf, known simply as Onkel) and his sister-in-law Erna Recht (Tante Erna).
The homestead and lands had been in the Senger family since before 1893; when the home was built by Richard’s father and mother, Michael & Adelgunde Senger. The Senger farm was located on the banks of the Nogat River in Zeyervorderkampen (Kreis Elbing in Grosses Werder). At the time of the establishment of Freie Staat Danzig in 1920, the farm was the first farm inside of the Polish corridor as defined by the victorious allies of WW1.
Richard inherited the farm from his parents (Michael and Adelgunde) in 1920, the year of his and Frieda’s marriage. The 50 hectare Senger farm grew apples, cherries, plums, sugar beets, rye, and raised ducks, chickens, cows, pigs. During the Second World War, additional crops were grown as a requirement of the German government, these included rapeseed, poppies and wheat.
Both Erich and Luise were born on the farm; Erich in 1921 and Luise in 1923. Their births occurred during the hyper-inflation years of the Weimar Republic. The hyper-inflation was so bad in 1923 that it cost Richard and Frieda and entire wheelbarrow full of money to purchase a pacifier for Luise.
Luise and Erich were baptized at the Zeyer Evangelishe Kirche (Lutheran); Herr Doebel was Luise Senger’s godfather. Later Herr Doebel became an early member of the National Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiters Partei (NSDAP, Nazi); ultimately he was to become disillusioned and was imprisoned for his opposition to the NSDAP. It is believed that he served more than 5 years for his opposition (we continue to seek hard information on this event).
From the age of 14, Luise Senger lived with her Onkel Robert and Tante Olga in Elbing on 58 Wasserstrasse (today: Wodna 58, Elbląg, Elblag, Polska) . In Elbing, she attended the Elbing Handelsschule. Robert & Olga Senger owned a small Gasthaus and store on the waterfront of the port of Elbing. Luise had a small room above the Gasthaus. The Senger Gasthaus had 4 guest rooms and was described as being ‘plain’ but friendly. During her years in Elbing at the Handelsschule, Luise used to take long walks to a nearby park (in the city); this is where she watched and ultimately met some of the musicians and other members of the ‘artists’ community who befriended her. Some of these same “artists” were to protect Luise when they met once again, this time in Munich during the final collapse of the Third Reich.
“Onkel Robert and Tante Olga” were the family’s city dwellers. Throughout Luise’s youth, Luise and Erich Senger used to “smuggle” small amounts of food (fruit, wheat etc) from the Senger farm to Onkel Robert’s family, so as to avoid paying taxes to the government. One time, Onkel Robert reversed the trend and sent a bunch of bananas to the Richard Senger family in Zeyervorderkampen as a treat; Luise refused to even try the bananas; she had never seen anything like them before!
During the first years while Luise was living with Onkel Robert’s family in Elbing, her cousin Erika and Erika’s husband (Otto Grawert) and their son Karl-Otto came to live with the Robert Senger family. The Grawert’s came from their home on the Dutch border on a doctor’s recommendation. Erika, Robert and Olga’s daughter, had a severe case of TB and the cold, moist air of Elbing was supposed to help her heal. Erika especially enjoyed the Gasthaus and the customers who frequented it. She and Luise became very close friends.
From 1937 through much of the second world war (WW2), the Richard Senger farm was quite successful. The daily routines continued; the work was hard and the crops were quite good.
During the war years, the Sengers were required to host English prisoners of war. One PoW stayed the entire war; his name was Tommy (last name unknown). He had been captured at Dunkirk and arrived in Zeyervorderkampen at the age of 17. Tommy remained with the Sengers up until the time the Russians took possession of the farm in 1945. He escaped just ahead of the advancing Soviets and Poles by foot towards the North Sea (following the route recommended to him by Richard Senger).
Once the war began, Richard’s son, Erich, fought in the Deutsche Luftwaffe as a rear-gunner in a Stuka. He fought and was shot down on both the Eastern (including Georgia and Stalingrad) and Western (France) fronts. In 1944, Erich was taken prisoner by the British when his plane was shot down over France (it is believed). By the early 1940′s Richard’s daughter, Luise, was a administrative aide and Lieutenant in the Luftwaffe, ending the war assigned to Luftkommando 7 München (air defense Munich).
With all of Zeyer’s young people at war, the farm was managed and operated by the two ‘closest’ Senger brothers (Richard and Rudolf) and Richard’s wife Frieda and Frieda’s sister Erna. Finally in March/ April 1945, the family lands and property were confiscated by the Russians.
composite of verbal stories related by Luise Senger Rabideau to her children Linda & Mark
Noël Simard originated from Puymoyen in Angoumois, France and settled on the coast of Beaupré with his father in 1658.
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Claude Bouchard, a tailor from Saint-Cosme-de-Vair in Maine, France, first settled on the coast of Beaupré to the east of Québec. He was nicknammed “little Claude” to distinguish him from a namesake and because of his stature.
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In late winter of 1944/45, the Senger’s farm was overrun and occupied by a command of the advancing Russian armies. The family furniture and possessions were stolen by non-Germans; the lives and history of the Senger family were unalterably, irretrievably changed.
Only the Senger farm and two other farms in the village of Zeyervorderkampen remained standing following the Soviet invasion and bombardment and artillery attacks which accompanied the destructive attack. Ultimately, the Senger farm was left as the sole ‘undamaged’ farm in Zeyervorderkampen. At first, the farm was used to house Soviet commanders; ultimately, possession of the farm, lands, buildings and few remaining possessions were given over to a Polish family.
By the middle of 1945, it was no longer the Senger family farm and lands. The farm had been confiscated by the occupying communist troops and retribution was never offered by either the invading armies or subsequent settlers; nor was any accepted by Richard when it was finally offered by the post-war German Federal Republic government. To his mind, there was simply no compensation adequate to cover the loss of his family’s lands and history. Ultimately, the German government did provide Richard a pension for both his WW1 and WW2 ‘participation’.
Having lost ownership and possession of his farm to the Russians in 1945, Richard was forced, at gun point and under explicit threat of death, to work as an involuntary servant (knecht) or ‘slave’ on his long-time farm. During this time, his wife, Frieda, was captured, incarcerated, and forced by the Russians to leave their home and was interred as a slave laborer in the Gulags of the Central Asia in Chelyabinsk ITL (Work Improvement Camp). Frieda was arrested and enslaved by the Soviet Army on March 17, 1945 (Her 47th birthday was two days later on 19 March 1945.). These hardships and travails were to continue for more than two years.
During this same time period, unbeknownst to Richard, his son (Erich Senger) was interred in an English prisoner of war camp; his daughter (Luise) had survived the war’s end and was working in the American Zone of Germany, in Bavaria.
Finally one day in June of 1947, at the age of 68, Richard could tolerate his situation and servitude no longer. He resolved to leave or die trying. To his mind he had nothing to lose; so far as he knew he had already lost everything except his life. He packed his few papers and possessions into a coffee can and set off on foot, to reach the West German border. As he left what had been his farm, Russian soldiers shouted, pulled their rifles, took aim at his back, and threatening to kill him. Unwilling to suffer his situation any longer, he walked on into his uncertain, unknown future.
He trekked alone on foot across ‘the new’ communist Poland, and then through the ‘new’ communist East Germany. During the weeks and months he walked, he survived by eating uncooked potatoes and vegetables he gleaned from harvested fields. In Poland, his official identification papers and bank books were confiscated by ‘officials’ at the checkpoints he encountered. Finally after an almost 600 mile ordeal, Richard arrived at Murnau in Bavaria (the American Zone).
Shortly after his arrival in Bavaria, Richard began a search for his son Erich via open letters he placed in German newspapers. He only searched for his son Erich because he thought Erich might have survived the war; he was certain that Frieda (Richard’s wife) had died in the Gulags and that Luise (Richard’s daughter) had been ‘lost’ in the final defense of Munich (where Luise was serving as a Lieutenant in Munich’s Air Defense with Deutsche Luftwaffe- Luftkommando 7.). Fortunately, Erich, having returned from his incarceration as a British (Prisoner of War) PoW in 1947, read one of his letters and they were reunited. During late 1947, Luise found and rejoined her family through the good offices and assistance of her employer- the American Army.
Late in 1947, his wife, Frieda weighing a mere 60 pounds, returned from her two plus year ordeal in the Russian gulags. Miraculously, the family had found each other.
Along with their son Erich, the Sengers built a new life for themselves in Bavaria. While in 1950, Luise went on to live with her American husband (Fred Rabideau) and their soon-to-be new family in the United States.
a composite of verbal stories related by Luise Senger Rabideau to her children Linda & Mark, as well as Russian, German and American Documentation
As the Russians invaded West Prussia near the end of World War 2, they rounded up abled bodied Germans to ‘work’ a slave labor in their Gulags. These ‘unlucky’ Germans (some three million) were shipped by train to forced labor camps in the far East. Frieda Senger, along with her friend and neighbor, Edith Ebel, were among those shipped by rail into the Russian Gulags; in her case trip was to prisons some 1700 miles or 2700 kms east. She, like many others, was deported from her and her husband’s lands (which were now in the hands of the Russians) and forced into slavery; she was not seen or heard from again for some 2 and one half years.
She was taken a prisoner by the Soviet Army on March 17, 1945. She had been a member of the Reichsluftschutzbund (RLB) since 1935 (see note 1 below).
On July 7, 1945 she was transfered from the camp 507 (Cheljabinskaja region/ Satkinskij district/ village Bakal) to the working battalion No.1083 (Cheljabinskaja Region/City Kopejsk/ Station Potanino) of mobilized Germans. She was discharged for repatriation on July 1, 1947. Her diligence, hard work and energy made it possible for her to be one of the first Germans released from the camp. Her friend Edith Ebel was not so lucky- Edith died in the camp. Frieda’s two plus years were spent mining rock salt, cleaning the camp floors with broken glass (an activity which left her hands permanently scarred). Her diet consisted of water, cabbage and potatoes.
On 9 October 2011, I received an additional insight into this time from the niece of Frieda Senger, Frieda geboren Wedhorn: [Frieda Wedhorn] [...] mentioned that the deportation of Frieda Senger might have been the result of a mistaken identity, that the Russians were looking for some other Senger, but they went to the wrong farm where they found Frieda Senger and they did not want to continue searching. Frieda Wedhorn remembers her Tante Frieda telling her that the Soviets probably were looking for Johanna Senger who was also called “Tante Hannchen” because she supposedly had not been nice to some Poles. Johanna was the wife of Julius Senger who must have been neighbors of Richard and Frieda Senger. The Soviets just went to the wrong house and discontinued their search because they had found a woman with the name Senger. This Johanna Senger later died of “Fischvergiftung” (fish poisoning) while still living in Zeyersvorderkampen, Westpreußen.
Based upon research conducted on our behalf by the Deutsches Rotes Kruez we finally know the names and location of the Gulags in which she was interred. Until we find better photos, Perm in the Urals provides a reasonable example.
The photo is of Frieda Senger in 1951 following the marriage of her daughter Luise to Frederick Rabideau. She is wearing a coat sent to her by Leona Rabideau, mother of Frederick Rabideau.
Note 1:
The Reichluftschutzbund was placed under the authority of the Luftwaffe and performed mainly non-combat support roles such as ground crew training and search and rescue. The group remained relatively small and, as a paramilitary organization, was overshadowed heavily by the National Socialist Flyers Corps.
During World War II, the Reichluftschutzbund performed in air defense support manning anti-aircraft emplacements in Germany’s major cities. In 1945, the Reichluftschutzbund ceased to exist with the fall of Nazism. The Reichluftschutzbund, however, was not condemned as a criminal organization since the group was technically a branch of the Air Ministry and not a paramilitary group of the Nazi Party proper.
-source Wikipedia
In order to classify our early Canadian forebears, we have decided to use the descriptions of The Filles a Marier developed by Peter Gagne.
Note all those without links will soon have information pages for you to read… please be patient while the information is added to our site. All others have their tales described on this site. We certainly appreciate all the work of those who provided us with their stories! More
The information contained in this Posting was sourced from numerous websites (all noted below) and is presented here to facilitate our genealogical research. All rights belong to the original authors. This is being used under the laws of ‘fair use’.
Source of the original materials that follows.
Between 1634 and 1663, 262 filles à marier or “marriageable girls” emigrated to New France representing one quarter of all the single girls arriving in New France through 1673. They were recruited and chaperoned by religious groups or individuals who had to assure and account for their good conduct. In general, they were poor, although there were some members of the petty nobility among their ranks. More
The information contained in this Posting was sourced from numerous websites (all noted below) and is presented here to facilitate our genealogical research. All rights belong to the original authors. This is being used under the laws of ‘fair use’.
Wikipedia has an article on the subject of the Daughter’s of the King (Les Filles du Roi) as well.
The filles du roi, or King’s Daughters, were some 770 women who arrived in the colony of New France (Canada) between 1663 and 1673, under the financial sponsorship of King Louis XIV of France. They were part of King Louis XIV’s program to promote the settlement of his colony in Canada. Some 737 of these women married and the resultant population explosion gave rise to the success of the colony. Most of the millions of people of French Canadian descent today, both in Quebec and the rest of Canada and the USA (and beyond!), are descendants of one or more of these courageous women of the 17th century.
The following information was sourced from: http://www.fillesduroi.org/src/soldiers.htm and is presented here to facilitate our genealogical research. All rights belong to the original author. This is being used under the laws of ‘fair use’.
This listing is a copy of one the original to be found at the following link:
Alphabetical listing of the Carignan-Salières Regiment Officers and Soldiers (who settled in Canada). Those highlighted are Rabideau ‘family forebears’.
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Anne was born on January 19, 1626, in St. Jean De Mortagne, Perche France. She was just eight years old when they arrived in Quebec and her father was always stirred up about something; constantly feuding with Robert Giffard. Despite that, the family did quite well.
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Jean Nicolet was a well known Coureur Des Bois, who first arrived in Kebec in 1618, settling amoung the Algonquins in Upper Ottawa, and the Nipissing on Allumette Island; learning their language and customs. While on the island, he married a local woman and they had a daughter Euphrosine Marguerite, born in 1630. At the age of 13, she would marry Jean Leblanc, but spent most of her life on the first “Indian Reservation’ in Canada at Sillery, where she died on September 30, 1689. More
The Senger family had lived in Kreis Grosses Werder area of West Prussia since at least the late 1600′s. Both 20th Century World Wars took a heavy toll on the entire ‘clan’. Many family members and all the Senger lands and possessions were either destroyed or taken.
The those who were not killed in the fighting were forced to leave their homes as a result of the WW2 allies ethnic cleansing pograms following the defeat of Germany. Along with as many as 12 million other Germans the Sengers were either force marched to work in Russian labor camps or left behind to work as slaves on their own lands.
Finally ending up in Bavaria with none of their possesions except their lives… the Richard Senger family were among the fortunate ones, they found each other and survived.
This article has been translated and reworked with family events.
Erinnerungen eines Amtsvorstehers des Amtsbezirkes Zeyer.
Johannes Jahn, Landwirt und Hofbesitzer in Zeyersvorderkampen.
Der Amtsbezirk Zeyer lag in der nordöstlichsten Ecke des Freistaates Danzig, im Kreis Großes Werder und umfasste die Ortschaften Zeyer, Stuba und Schlangenhaken. Er zog sich entlang der Nogat, beginnend bei der Ortschaft Einlage bis zur Mündung der Nogat in das Frische Haff. Das Gesamtareal betrug etwa 2510 Hektar Davon fielen auf Zeyer 480 Hektar, Stuba mit der Ortschaft Neudorf circa 610 Hektar,Zeyersvorderkampen circa 1020 Hektar und Schlangenhaken 400 Hektar Die Gesamteinwohnerzahl betrug etwa 1735 Einwohnen deutscher Abstammung und Herkunft. Die Bevölkerung gehörte ausschließlich der Landwirtschaft und der damit verbundenen Berufe.
Die Höfe befanden sich bis 1945 in gutem Zustand. Die Größe der landwirtschaftlichen Grundstücke lag durchweg im Mittel —und Kleingrundbesitz.
Besonders günstig lagen die Verhältnisse in Zeyersvorderkampen, wo die größeren Betriebe dem Herdbuch angehörten und seit längerer Zeit Raps- /Weizen und Zuckerrübenanbau betreibe.
Während Zeyer und Stube geschloßene Ortschaften bildeten, waren Zeyersvorderkampen und Schlangenhaken sogenannte Streusiedlungen. Zeyer ist im Amtsbezirk als die älteste Siedlung anzusehen.
Nach einer Schulchronik die Besiedlung bereits im Jahr 1200. Danach folgt die Ortschaft Stuba. Zeyersvorderkampen, das aus mehreren Inseln des Nogatdeltas bestand, ist erst wesentlich später,um 1730 besiedelt worden.
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Völliges Neuland war die Ortschaft Schlangenhaken, die erst um 1929 aus Strauchkampen an der Nogatmündung durch die Initiative des Danziger Senats entstand und besiedelt wurde.
Von ausschlaggebender Bedeutung für die landwirtschaftlichen Betriebe im Amtsbezirk war die Milcherzeugung.
Eine noch während des Krieges auf das modernste ausgebaute Molkerei im Privatbesitz, befand sich in Zeyer, während eine zweite sich als Genossenschaftsmolkerei sich in Zeyersvorderkampen befand. Eine dritte Molkerei war in Stube, die während des Krieges stillgelegt wurde und die Lieferanten Zeyer zugewiesen.
Auf kaufmännischem Sektor gab es in der Ortschaft Zeyer vier Geschäfte mit Kolonialwaren—und Materialwaren. Davon eine mit Mühle(Wind) und Landwirtschaft, eine mit Gasthausbetrieb-Bäckerei und Landwirtschaft, eine mit Textil—Schuhwaren und- Kurzwaren, eine Bäckerei und Landwirtschaft und ein weiteres mit Gasthaus und Landwirtschaft.
An gewerblichen Betrieben waren in Zeyer eine Molkerei, eine Fleischerei; eine Stellmacherei, eine Schmiede und zwei Korbflechtereien vorhanden. An öffentlichen bezw. staatlichen Gebäuden gab es in Zeyer zwei Schulen
zwei Zollbeamtenhäuser, ein Postamt ein Pfarrhaus sowie drei Gemeindehäuser und ein Spritzenhaus.
Die zu Zeyer gehörende Kirche lag auf der anderen Seite der Nogat im Kreis Elbing. Sie wurde im Verlauf der Kampfhandlungen am 3.2.1945 in Brand geschossen, Zeyersvorderkampen hatte eine Molkerei,drei Gastwirtschaften davon zwei mit Kolonial-und Materialwaren und Landwirtschaft und eine mit Schmiede. Öffentliche Gebäude:Eine Schule, fünf Gemeidehäuser und eine Spritzenhaus.
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Am 21.1.1945 erreichten die ersten russischen Panzer überraschend das 8 Km entfernte Elbing und die Bevölkerung des Amtsbezirks Zeyer erhielt nachts vom Landratsamt Tiegenhof die Aufforderung zur sofortigen Räumung. Obwohl die Räumung theoretisch vorbereitet war, kam es nicht zu dem angeordneten Treck über die Weichsel, da am frühen Morgen sämtliche Chausseen von der flüchtenden Bevölkerung überlaufen und verstopft waren. Zum anderen konnte sich die Landbevölkerung nur sehr schwer zum Verlassen ihrer Höfe entschließen. Außerdem bildete die deutsche Wehrmacht entlang des Elbingflusses sofort eine Front, hinter der sich die Bevölkerung einstweilig sicher fühlte. Lediglich die Bevölkerung von Zeyer und Stuba setzte sich nach Zeyersvorderkampern und Schlangenhaken ab.
Inzwischen wurde der gesamte Viehbestand durch Räumkommandos abgetrieben und auch die Getreidevorräte abgeholt.Es blieb nur dort was zur Ernährung der Bevölkerung für kurze Zeit notwendig war.
Die Pferdebestände übernahm die Wehrmacht. Bei den einsetzenden Stellungskämpfen hielt sich die Zerstörung der Gebäude in Zeyer in Grenzen. Es brannten lediglich 3 Grundstücke nieder. Allerdings erlitten sehr viele Gebäude erhebliche Schäden durch Artillerie-und Bordwaffenbeschuss. Die größten Schäden sind erst nach der Besetzung durch Russen und Polen entstanden.
Inzwischen war für die Zurückgebliebenen an ein Wegkommen nicht mehr zu denken,da der Russe bereits durch Pommer zur Ostsee durchgestoßen war.
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Am 8.3.45 war die deutsche Wehrmacht gezwungen die Stellungen an der Nogat aufzugeben, wodurch die zurückgeblieben Bevölkerung gezwungen wurde sich bis auf die Frische Nehrung zurückzuziehen, wo sie mit Schiffen, zumeist nach Dänemark gebracht wurde Ein kleiner teil in Zeyer konnte sich nicht entschließen die Heimat zu verlassen und erwarteten den Einmarsch der Russen.
Es waren zumeist Arbeiterfamilien und alte Leute.Aber auch einige Bauernfamilien.
Auf die Aussagen einer Reihe von diesen die nun die folgende Zeit überlebten und später von den Polen ausgewiesen wurden stützen sich folgende Angaben. Nach dem Einrücken der Russen in Zeyer am 9. 3. 45 wurde die gesamte dagebliebene Bevölkerung zusammen getrieben.
Alle Männer zwischen 16 und 60 Jahren wurden in Richtung Osten abtransportiert.
Durch brutalste Behandlung sind durch Vernehmungen eine Reihe zu Tode gequält worden. Schon bald nach dem Einrücken der Russen ereigneten sich in Zeyersvorderkampen die ersten Morde. Ohne ersichtlichen·Grund wurden die Landwirte Franz Thießen(7O Jahre) und Adolf Block erschossen. Später fand man die Leichen von Hulda Janzen und deren Tochter Klara Eichhorn mit ihrem 1 Jahr alten Söhnchen, sowie die Leichen des Ehepaare A. Mierau. Weiter fielen den Russen zum Opfer, die 18 Jahre alte Christel Wichert, sowie Anna Braun Zeyersvorderkampen und die vierköpfige Familie des Bauern Fritz Dudenhöft.
Sämtlich dagebliebenen Frauen wurden ein Opfer der russischen Willkür und mussten es bleiben bis zum Abzug der russischen Truppen.
Die übrige Bevölkerung wurde nach Elbing verjagt und versuchte sich dort irgendwie zu ernähren. Spurlos verschwunden ist das Ehepaar Rathke Zvk.
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Die russischen Truppen zogen ab und die ersten Polen zumeist abenteuerliches Gesindel zogen ein. Sie plünderten restlos die Häuser von dem aus was die Russen noch da gelassen hatten. Die Russen hatten alles noch lebende Vieh und die besten Möbel mitgenommen. Ackergeräte und Maschinen wurde von den Polen zusammen getragen, verschachert und verschleppt. Weichsel und Nogatdeiche waren gesprengt und dadurch das ganze Land unter Wasser gesetzt. Die Russen hatten nach Bedarf Brücken und Laufstege gebaut und hierzu das Material aus den beschädigten Gebäuden und Ställen geholt. Unter den Polen ging die Verwüstung der Gebäude weiter. Da kein Heizmaterial vorhanden war haben sie leer stehende Gebäude abgebrochen.
Nach Berichten standen viele Häuser ohne Fenster und Türen da. Auch weitere Menschenverluste durch Selbstmorde waren zu beklagen. Die Deutsche Bevölkerung lebte in Polen unter denkbar schlechten Verhältnissen,bei völlig unzureichender Ernährung musste sie täglich Schwerstarbeit verrichten und waren schweren Misshandlungen ausgesetzt.
Die Deutschen waren vogelfrei. Man konnte mit ihnen machen was man wollte. Ebenso brutal wurde 1947 die Ausreise eingeleitet.
Alte, hinfällige Leute, Frauen mit kleinen Kindern, mussten 15 Km nach Tiegenhof gehen,wo sie bei strengem Frost in offenen Bahnloren verladen und nach Marienburg gebracht wurden von hier aus ging die Fahrt in die Ostzone wo die Ausgewiesenen zumeist in der Nähe von Halle untergebracht wurden. Alles Gepäck das über 30 Pfund wog wurde ihnen in Tiegenhof abgenommen. Eine Reihe der Ausgewiesenen hat die Strapazen nicht überstanden und ist gestorben.
In den Ortschaften wurden Kolchosen gegründet weil die Polen nicht in der Lage waren die Ländereien zu bestellen.
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Source document may be found at: The Real Blaze source has been removed
Die Panzerabwehrschlacht südlich Gumbinnen
von Oberstleutnant a. D. W. Salomon
Die Panzerabwehrschlacht war für den Kreis und die Stadt Gumbinnen von höchster Bedeutung. Sie vereitelte den Plan der Russen, durch einen Umgehungsvorstoß über Nemmersdorf—Branden (Ischdaggen) nach Mallwen (Mallwischken, Kr. Pillkallen), Gumbinnen einzukesseln. Ein geglückter Vorstoß hätte viele Gumbinner Landsleute in die russische Gefangenschaft gebracht.
Schlacht von Gumbinnen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Schwifting(m).
Schnittblumen, Blumenschalen, köstliche Getränke und weitere Präsente schmücken das Wohnzimmer im Hause ‘der Familie Senger in der Schwiftinger Siedlung. Vor wenigen Tagen feierte der „Senior” des Hauses, Opa Richard Senger, seinen 90. Geburtstag. Anlaß genug für dieMitbürgerschaft, um Schwiftings derzeit altesten Mitbürger zu ehren und zu erfreuen, ihm ‘ die herzlichsten Glückwünsche für den weiteren Lebensabend mitzugeben.
Richard Senger stammt aus Westpreußen. In seinen Adern fließt urwüchsiges bäuerliches Blut. Am 2. Februar 1879 wurde er in Zeyersvorderkampe bei Danzig geboren. Wie seine Eltern Bauern waren, so wurde auch Richard Senger Bauer, um einmal das Erbe seines Vaters, einen Stättlichen Hof, zu übernehmen. Mit mehreren Geschwistern wuchs der Jubilar in seinem Heimatort, der über 40 ansehnliche Bauernhöfe zahlte, auf. Im Jahre seiner Eheschliesung, 1920, übernahm er von seinen Eltern den Hof, um ihn mustergültig, in zäher, unermüdlicher Arbeit und in Verbundenheit zur heimatlichen Scholle weiterzuführen und bewirtschaften. Seine Gattin Frieda schenkte ihm 2 Kinder, einen Sohn und eine Tochter. Ueberstand Richard Senger den ersten Weltkrieg als aktiver Teilnehmer heu und gesund, so karnen mit dem zweiten Weltkrieg und den Nachkriegsjahren schwere Zeiten auf ihn zu. Im Herbst 1944 besetzten die vorrückenden Russen Ost- und Westpreußen, auch der Hof von Richard Senger wurde von den sowjetischen Truppen beschlagnahmt. Senger selbst mußte als Knecht auf seinem eigenen Anwesen arbeiten. Seine Gattin wurde von den Sowjetzt in ein Arbeitslager hinterm Ural ge-steckt, von wo sie erst 1947 in die; Heimat zurückkehren durfte. Ohne von den Schicksal seiner Familie etwas zu wissen, machte sich Richard Senger eines Tages auf, von seinem Hof zu fliehen und die deutsche Grenze zu erreichen. Er konnte es nicht mehr ertragen, als einstiger Hofbesitzer von den Russen als gedemütigter Knecht auf eigenem Besitz behandelt zu werden. Im Alter von 68 Jahren begab sich Senger, stets rüstig auf seinen Füßen, auf den Marsch, der ihn über Polen und Schwerin nach Westdeutschland und dort nach Murnau am Staffelsee führte. In Polen sind ihm dabei sämtliche Ausweis-und Wertpapiere, darunter auch die Sparkassenbücher, abgenommen worden. Richard Senger war aber unverzagt und fand dann im Oberbayerischen wieder eine feste Wohnstätte. Die Tochter, die heute in den USA verheiratet ist, bemühte sich damals erfolgreich um die Wieder-Zusammenführung der Eltern. Im Jahre 1963 siedelten Richard und Frieda Senger von Murnau nach Schwifting über, wo die Familie des Sohnes, der auf dem Tower des Flugplatzes Penzing tätig ist, ein Eigenheim erbaut hat. Unter der Obhut von Sohn und Schwiegertochter verbringt der Jubilar mit seiner Gattin nun einen geruhsamen ebensabend.
Zum 90. Geburtsfest stellten sich auch Bürgermeister Kaindl, zweiter Bürgermeister Nuscheier und der evangelische Pfarrer Uhl mit Gattin als Gratulanten ein, um die offiziellen Glückwünsche zu überbringen. Das „Landsberger Tagblatt” schließt sich diesen Gratulanten herzlichst an.
Februar 1969. „Landsberger Tagblatt”
Michael Senger History -as related to Mark Rabideau by Luise (Senger) Rabideau (Michael’s grand daughter) Jan 2006
Note: additional source materials are currently being obtained.
Johann Hermann Recht History -this is an account that has evolved significantly from what began as an oral history related to Mark Rabideau by Luise (Senger) Rabideau (Hermann Recht’s grand daughter) on 9 Jan 2006; today this history is augmented with numerous additions and amendments from Mark Rabideau’s subsequent research as well as family information and stories from Otto Wedhorn family descendants most notably Frieda (Wedhorn) Mimietz.
- His second wife’s name was Else Auguste Recht (geboren Nahme / maiden name Ekrut).
- She is said to have once been a consort of the Kaiser.
- Frieda geb. Wedhorn recounts that Frieda geb. Recht once held a temporary job near Danzig. While in Danzig, Frieda Recht visited Fräulein Else Auguste Ekrut, before Else’s marriage to Herman Recht (as his 2nd wife). Frieda attempted to talk Else out of this marriage, without success. Much to the surprise of Hermann’s daughters, Else Auguste did not let herself be ordered around by Hermann Recht. Once, she even walked out on him. Hermann had to travel to Danzig to get Else to come back.
- Else Auguste Recht, reportedly, never went out to work on the fields. Instead, she took care of the house, milked the cows and was an excellent cook.
- Else’s brother Wilhelm Ekrut was a “Baumeister” in Danzig (it is thought that he either was an architect or owned a building company), constructing one- or two-family houses in a district or suburb of Danzig. Wilhelm himself supposedly lived in one of those houses and Else Auguste lived there, as well, before she married Hermann Recht and came to live in Pietzkendorf. Frieda Wedhorn also remembers that Wilhelm Ekrut and his wife Emma (maiden name unknown; she is the woman in black who is on Hermann Recht’s 1939 birthday photo) had a car, which at that time was fairly significant.
- Else’s death/ disappearance:
- Otto Wedhorn reportedly said that after the end of WW2, when the Soviets turned governmental administration in Westpreußen over to the Poles and ethnic Germans were being expelled from Poland, Else Auguste Recht (geb. Ekrut?) did not flee with the remaining members of the Wedhorn family to Fichtenwalde, near Berlin. Rather than joining Otto Wedhorn’s sisters in Fichtenwalde, she is believed instead to have fled to Danzig where she likely still had family or friends. It was at this time the Wedhorns lost contact with her.
- Another family story reports that Soviet occupation troops “beat, assaulted and threw Else into the Nogat river” near the Senger farm in Zeyersvorderkampen, Westpreussen.
Name: Erich Recht
Dienstgrad: Gefreiter
geboren: 12.02.1924, Tattamischken
Truppenteil: 1./Pi. 198
Erkennungsmarke: -1-Marsch Komp.Eisb.Pi.Ers.Btl.4
Todestag: 09.09.1944
Todesort: Raum Vallecchio
Bestattet: Gem.Montecolombo-Ca Menghino/Forli Feldgrab
Umgebettet nach: Futa-Pass / Italien
Block: 48
Grab: 815 821
Futa-Pass ist die größte deutsche Ehrenstätte des Zweiten Weltkrieges in Italien, auf der über 30 660 deutsche Gefallene ihre letzte Ruhestätte gefunden haben. Der weitaus größte Teil der dort Bestatteten ist in den vom Herbst 1944 bis zum April 1945 andauernden Kämpfen gefallen, die zwischen Carrara am Ligurischen Meer und dem Raum von Rimini an der Adria stattfanden. Die Gefallenen wurden von dem erfahrenen Fachpersonal des VOLKSBUNDES aus Feldgräbern und Gemeindefriedhöfen der umliegenden Provinzen auf den Soldatenfriedhof Futa-Pass umgebettet. Die Ehrenstätte wurde am 28.06.69 im Rahmen einer Einweihungsfeier der Öffentlichkeit übergeben.
Information on the battle in which Erich died may be found Wikipedia.
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Samuel de Champlain sent Recollet priest Georges le Baillif to France as his delegate to King Louis XIII, on September 7, 1621. He was carrying a request to his Majesty from the principal residents of the country. This appeal is said to have been composed by Pierre Desportes, August 18, 1621, and signed by many others.
Pierre Desportes was literate, so he was better educated than most of the men of his era. He came from the diocese of Lisieux in Normandy. Before leaving France he married Francoise Langlois, the sister of Marguerite Langlois wife of Abraham Martin, who is also an ancestor in this genealogy. Pierre and Francoise arrived in Quebec in 1619.
Francoise was delivered of a daughter on July 7, 1620. This daughter, Helene, was born in l’Habitation of Samuel de Champlain. Champlain’s wife, Helene Boulle served as the godmother of little Helene. Helene was the first white child born in New France.
Champlain’s wife lived in l’Habitation from 1620 to 1624, when she returned to a gentler environment in France. The Langlois sisters were her main feminine companions in this little settlement at Quebec.
The company of 100 Associates had the franchise for trade in New France at this time. Champlain was one of its principals as was Pierre Desportes. The cost of a share was 3000 livres. This would indicate he was a man of means. While in Quebec he was in charge of the warehouse and fur trading. He was also the baker for the small village.
Francoise Desportes was a godmother twice in Quebec, in 1627, and again in May 18, 1629, only months before the conquest of Quebec by the Kirk brothers. The Kirk brothers sent Champlain and most of the colonists to France by way of England. The Desportes family and all or most of the Martin family were in the group repatriated.
Jane Goodrich’s source: “One Hundred French Canadian Family Histories” by Phillip J. Moore, 1994.
Who Was Pierre Des Portes?
Who exactly was Francoise’s husband Pierre Des Portes, and what was his capacity in the Colony of New France?
His name does appear on the list of directors for The Company of One Hundred Associates or “Compagnie des Cent Associes”; run by Cardinal Richeleu; so we might assume that he held that position. He certainly did handle correspondence and filed reports to France on the condition of the settlement as early as 1621.We know that he and Francoise were deported to France in 1629, by the Kirke Brothers, and most believe that they either died enroute or soon after in France; since only their daughter Helene returned later to Quebec, with her aunt Marguerite and Uncle Abraham Martin, as her guardians.
But herein lies the problem. There is a marriage contract registered in Paris that reads, in part:
“Pierre DesPortes, son of Louis DesPortes, attorney at the Parliament of Paris, and of Anne duPoteau, formally signed his marriage contract on 13 June 1599 with Genevieve duPuy, daughter of Jean-Baptiste duPuy and of Genevieve LeCuyer. He is to be one of the members of the future Company of the One Hundred Associates”. (14359.FTW Your Ancient Canadian Family Ties – Page 95)
So was this the same Pierre Des Portes who would marry Francoise Langlois almost twenty years later? Remember, she was only born in 1599.Another piece to the puzzle is in The Beginnings of New France 1524-1663; Marcel Trudel, Page 195-196; where he states ” On Cape Breton, Captain Charles Daniel had withdrawn from his Fort Ste. Anne in the Grand Cibou, but on February 26, 1633; The Hundred Associates conceded the whole island to a new company formed by Pierre Desportes and Jean Belleteste, members of the Hundred Associates, who at once sent a shipment worth 6,200 livres to Fort Ste. Anne. Late in 1633, Desportes and Belleteste formed another new company with a capital of 45,000 livres; this company obtained the Cape Breton trade monopoly for a period of four years….”
And on page 203: “Cape Breton had been conceded by the Hundred Associates in February 1633; to two of their members; Pierre Desportes and Jeanne Belleteste, together with a trade monopoly for a four-year period. Desportes continued to maintain Fort Ste Anne in Grand Cibou Bay and entered into partnership with two members of the Hundred Associates, Charles Daniels and Nicolas Libert Le Jeune.”
It would certainly appear that on the surface, they were the same person. However, this Pierre Desportes went by the name Pierre Des Portes de Liguere.
It’s quite possible that Francoise’s husband was born about 1580, not 1599, as stated in many geneologies, and that he had been married before to a Genevieve Dupuis. It is also possible that only Francoise died while exiled in France, and her husband returned to the New World, shifting his interest to Capte Breton.However, I have another hypothesis. What if her husband was the son of Pierre Desportes, Senior, and Genevieve Dupuis; and that Louis Desportes and Anne Dipideu, were actually his grandparents? There is certainly enough of a time frame to allow for the addition of a generation.
