Histories
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Protect the History of Soviet Repression (The GULAG Archives)
⚠️ Urgent Alert Protecting the History of Soviet Repression (The GULAG Archives) The Crisis Facing GULAG Research For decades, the International Memorial Society (Memorial International) has been the world’s most vital resource for documenting the victims of Soviet political terror and the history of the GULAG system. Researchers worldwide, including those working on my family site’s (https://many-roads.com) Senger family history, rely heavily on Memorial’s painstakingly compiled databases and records. However, Memorial International was formally ordered to close by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2021/2022. This action is viewed globally as a severe blow to historical truth and freedom of research, placing the entire archive—including the millions of…
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Major Announcement: Completely Revised Genealogy Tutorials
🗺️ A New Home for ManyRoads Tutorials! Hello, fellow researchers and ManyRoads users, I have some exciting news to share about the evolution of our genealogy resources! To provide you with a faster, more flexible, and technologically advanced learning environment, the entire collection of ManyRoads Genealogy Tutorials, Checklists, and Historical Biographies has been successfully migrated to our new, dedicated documentation platform: TreeMagic.org/Genealogy. What This Means for You The new platform at TreeMagic.org is powered by the Ardens Documentation System, a robust and efficient system designed to enhance your research experience. Here’s what you can look forward to: ⚡️ Lightning-Fast Performance: The new system is optimized for speed, ensuring quick access…
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This Is Not a Misstatement. It’s Moral Collapse.
I never, never imagined that grandfathers of Jewish children—figures like [redacted] and Benjamin Netanyahu—would dare to entertain, let alone allow, such words to be spoken in their presence. [redacted], while standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, invoked the Holocaust to draw a grotesque analogy. Speaking of hostages held by Hamas, he asked whether they had received any signs of “love” from their captors—then suggested that Jews in Nazi camps had sometimes received extra food or acts of compassion from their guards. I am incensed. This is not a gaffe. This is not a quirk of language. This is Holocaust distortion. Let us dispense with euphemism: the Nazis engineered a…
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Geopolitical and Socioeconomic Parallels Between 2025 and 1937
A Global Historical Crossroads Introduction The geopolitical and socioeconomic landscapes of 2025 bear striking similarities to those of 1937, a period marked by economic instability, aggressive expansionist policies, and ideological extremism. The years leading to World War II were defined by rising authoritarianism, economic contraction due to policy missteps, and the failure of international institutions to curb escalating tensions. Today, despite the presence of modern global institutions and economic safeguards, the echoes of 1937 remain potent. While Western narratives often frame this comparison through a Eurocentric lens, Asia’s historical and contemporary experiences reveal equally critical insights. From anti-colonial struggles in the 1930s to today’s U.S.-China rivalry, Asia has been both…
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French-America Resources
The following information, documents and maps are provided to help with research. ManyRoads French-America Libraries Maps: If there are additional resources you wish to see added to our collection, please me know. You may get in-touch with me directly via our contact page.
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Searching for Coureur des bois
This document is being built (come back it is changing) Further (in-depth) Research: While a single, definitive list of all Coureurs de bois might not exist (due to the nature of their activities), there are resources that can help you identify them. It’s a matter of piecing together information from various sources. Here’s a breakdown of where to look and what to consider: 1. “Dictionnaire biographique du Canada” (Dictionary of Canadian Biography – DCB): This is an excellent starting point. While it doesn’t list every Coureur des bois, it includes entries for many prominent ones. These entries often provide details about their activities, families, and locations, which can lead you…
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Régiment de Carignan-Salières Soldiers in our ancestry.
The Carignan-Salières Regiment (1665-1668) The Carignan-Salières Regiment: Heroes of New France (1665-1668) In the mid-17th century, New France was facing a significant threat from the Iroquois Confederacy. To protect the colony and its inhabitants, King Louis XIV of France dispatched the Carignan-Salières Regiment, a group of approximately 1,200 soldiers, to New France in 1665. Background The Carignan-Salières Regiment was formed in 1665, under the command of Lieutenant-General Alexander de Prouville de Tracy. The regiment consisted of four companies, each led by a captain: Mission and Achievements The Carignan-Salières Regiment’s primary mission was to protect New France from Iroquois attacks and to establish a French presence in the region. During their…
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Researching Mennonite Regions of Damals Preußen (former Prussia)
For those who research the Mennonite areas of what was once Westpreußen (West Prussia) and Ostpreußen (East Prussia), you know it can be very frustrating. For numerous years I have performed these searches in what can be best described as: the best way I knew how! Recently due to a client opportunity, I decided to establish a more thorough, exhaustive, and rigorous approach to conducting my Mennonite research. Do not confuse this approach with being easy, simple, or highly automated. It is, rather, much more disciplined and focused. To begin with, I use three major Genealogical Resources for obtaining Mennonite source material(s). I have listed them below in order of…
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1666 & 1667 New France Census
If you research New France, as I do; you may find our new ‘sub-site’ of value (link below). The ManyRoads’ 1666/1667 New France Census site focuses on gathering and providing to combined content of both the first and second Censuses of New France. These enumerations were taken by intendant Jean Talon. He conducted the census largely by himself, traveling door-to-door among the settlements of New France. He did not include Native American inhabitants of the colony, or the religious orders such as the Jesuits or Recollets. The initial census was taken during the winter of 1665-66. But because the first census missed as many as 25% of the colony’s French…
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Leo Hubert & Hedwig Schülein (Their Life and Fate)
The following post represents the latest information I have on my partner and friend’s grandparents, mother, and uncle. May they never be forgotten. Leo Hubert, merchant, was born on 14 November 1891 in Cronheim, Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen, Bayern, Germany to Ruben Hubert and Emma, née Ebert. Leo fought with distinction in the First World War and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class, the Bavarian Military Cross 3rd class, and the insignia of the wounded. (Military records are available from Ancestry.com or from the author, if requested via the ManyRoads contact page.) On 16 May 1922 he married Hedwig Sara Schülein. Hedwig Sara geboren Schülein was born 25 Feb 1901 Thalmässing, Regensburg,…
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Soviet Aerial Attacks (2 partial Reports)
The content and material for this post came to my possession via a recommendation of a very good Polish friend who lives in Elbląg, Polska (formerly Elbing, Westpreußen). The Soviet military text was generously translated by Irina Yanushkevich (retired Linguistics Professor and ManyRoads partner). The original source material was sourced and posted on facebook by Szymon Gieryga. English translation of the two Soviet documents (contained in the above folder). Frisches Haff Flucht-Report-1 (English Translation) 3) ACTIONS TAKEN AGAINST THE ENEMY TROOPS RETREATING ALONG ICY ROADS ACROSS THE BAY OF FRISCHES HAFFOn the 18th the division was to perform a special task: to destroy the enemy troops retreating along the spit…
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West Prussian Mennonite Church Records & Land Records
In an effort to simplify and gather crucial West Prussian Mennonite Records, I have developed this small list. Most of the pointers come from Forums and Listings associated with Bethel College, MennonteGenealogy, and Dr. Tim Janzen. Genealogical Resources for the Low German Mennonite Researcher Prussian/Polish Mennonite church record books: Alexanderwohl/Przechowka Danzig/Gdansk Mennonite congregation Elbing/Elblag Mennonite congregation Fürstenwerder Mennonite congregation Heinrichsdorf, Volhynia, Mennonite congregation Heubuden Mennonite congregation Karolswalde, Volhynia, church book notes Königsberg congregation Ladekopp Mennonite congregation Michalin-Gnadenberg-Grace Hill Mennonite congregation Montau Orlofferfelde Rosenort Schönsee-Kulmer Niederung congregation Thiensdorf-Markushof Tiegenhagen Tragheimerweide Land Records: Graudenz and Schwetz land records Mennonite Villages in the Danzig District in 1820 Mennonite villages in the Marienwerder District, West Prussia 1820 West Prussian…
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Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte (German Administrative History) 1871-1990
One of the Internet’s most valuable German research websites has been removed from service, Dr. Michael Rademacher’s: Deutsche Verwaltungsgeschichte von der Reichseinigung 1871 bis zur Wiedervereinigung 1990 (German administrative history from the Reich Agreement of 1871 to reunification in 1990). I do not know the reason for the site’s (and its related facebook site’s) removal; but I happen to have a copy of the original site (reconstructed from the Wayback Machine) and present it here in memory of its author: Dr. Michael Rademacher M.A.. I make no claim of ownership, nor do I acknowledge responsibility for the original site’s content. As per the original site: alle Rechte vorbehalten (all rights…
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Add’l Holocaust Resources Uncovered
For those of you who are seeking good sources of information regarding the Holocaust- Shoah, hopefully you will find the following sites of value. While conducting a Holocaust- Shoah site development activity with a colleague from Germany and in performing Shoah client work, I have recently uncovered several extremely valuable websites. Included among these are: The International Tracing Service “ITS Digital Collections Online“ The European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI)-Countries A general introduction to the EHRI country reports can be found on the EHRI project website. The EHRI also has three very interesting recent BLOG entries: Forced Labourers and the Water Works Camps in the Lublin District Online Finding Aid on…
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Recent Mennonite Record Discovery
If like me you are always in search of new Prussian Mennonite records, my recent discovery of Mennonite Church records located in Berlin may be of interest. The records are I stumbled upon are located in the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin (The Secret State Archives of Prussian Cultural Heritage). The archives offer online (Free) access to the Kirchenbücher von Mennonitengemeinden (Church Books of the Mennonite Communities); they cover the years 1661 – 1905. The communities included in this archive are those Mennonite Communities formerly in Königsberg, Markushof, Montau und Gruppe, Thiensdorf. All of these communities were ethnically cleansed of Mennonites following WW2 by the Soviets and their allies;…
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GULAG
Many families, like mine, were victims of the Soviet GULAG system. My oma (maternal grand mother) spent more than two years in a Central Asian Gulag from 1945 to 1947. You may read her story in an earlier post on ManyRoads: Frieda Senger- Post WW2 Gulag. To celebrate 70 years since her release, I have gathered and provide the following listing of GULAG related Internet sites: Gulags (Links) Should you be aware of additional Internet GULAG resources, please contact me with requisite ‘link information’.
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Luise Senger WW2 and after
Now that my mother is no longer with us, I think it is safe to share her WW2 and post-WW2 military career(s). This written remembrance of Luise Senger’s Military Service was related to Mark Rabideau by Luise (Senger) Rabideau in December of 2005 and was approved by her for publication in our family history after her death. Luise Senger was a Lieutenant in the Deutsche Luftwaffe during WWII. (This is extraordinarily rare as there are essentially “no records” of female officers in the WW2 Deutsche Luftwaffe.) She served in Berlin, Bromberg, Munich as well as other German Air Force bases. On January 14, 1945, she departed Fliegerhorst Bromberg and was…
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Native Peoples & Indian wars of 1665-1779
I am in the process of gathering materials related to the North Eastern (New England/ New York & Bas Canada) Native Peoples, plus the wars between those Native Peoples and the European invaders encroaching upon them. My family, perhaps like yours, comes from both sides of that invasion. The libraries referred to on this page will change and evolve in the coming weeks. Currently our library is approaching 50 Documents (texts), images, etc., with more than 5,000 pages of information. I will publish another notice, both here and on social media, when I feel I have found the bulk of what I am likely to uncover. As with most of…
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Beverwyck, Rensselaerswyck, Fort Orange Research
Long ago and far away, in an alternate universe, there were nascent Dutch Communities in what is today’s upstate New York. These were the communities of Beverwyck, Fort Orange, and Rensselaerswyck, all parts of New Netherland. My family (the Rabideau- Deyos) are directly descended from members of those early Hudson and Mohawk Valley European settlements. As with many communities which were absorbed and subsumed by others, plus with the advancement of time, materials and data become increasingly rare. Because I am actively researching this region, as well as, my ancestors of those times and places, I have scoured the Internet for useful materials. In order to make access to these materials…
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Casualty Lists of World War I Austria-Hungary 1914-1919
A century ago, Austro-Hungarian forefathers fought, lived, and died in the horrors of World War I. Many sons, brothers and fathers were drafted into the military. Millions were wounded, captured or died. Their fates were published in the casualty lists of Austria-Hungary. Unfortunately, there is no effective index for these lists. Any full-text search yields unsatisfactory results due to the poor print quality of the lists. Therefore, GenTeam has decided to create a fully searchable index for these records. This enormous task cannot be accomplished without your help. Will you, please, help the GenTeam through your assistance? Please help keep these soldiers from being forgotten. Particulars on how you can help are available from the…
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The beginning of World War 2- Beginn Zweiter Weltkrieg
Adolf Hitler: Reichstagsrede mit Kriegserklärung an Polen vom 01.09.1939 Abgeordnete! Männer des deutschen Reichstages! The recording of Hitler’s address is below. Note: Adolf Hitler is first introduced and begins speaking about 55 seconds into the recording. Seit Monaten leiden wir alle unter der Qual eines Problems, das uns auch der Versailler Vertrag, d.h. das Versailler Diktat, einst beschert hat, eines Problems, das in seiner Ausartung und Entartung für uns unerträglich geworden war. Danzig war und ist eine deutsche Stadt.Der Korridor war und ist deutsch. Alle diese Gebiete verdanken ihre kulturelle Erschliessung ausschliesslich dem deutschen Volke. Ohne das deutsche Volk würde in all diesen Östlichen Gebieten tiefste Barbarei herrschen. Danzig wurde…
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Mennonites, Zeyer, and the Holocaust
Sometimes genealogy research leads to unexpected places. It can dash assumptions and destroy illusions; such was the result of my casual search for information and photographs from the ‘former’ area of Zeyer in Kreis Elbing. I had hoped to find photos of churches and hidden information about the community; instead I uncovered something more ominous and disturbing. Perhaps like many of you, I had always assumed that Mennonites did their best to avoid military service as well as political involvement in more ‘earthly’ pursuits. I had assumed Mennonites were people of peace. I even have their pages labelled as such here on ManyRoads. But, I was wrong. The first revelation…
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Demise of the Elbing Synagogue and Jewish Community
November 9-10, 1938 – “Kristallnacht” Elbing, Germany (today Elbląg, Poland) On the night of 9 to 10 November 1938 in the presence of the Mayor (Johannes O. H. Woelk), of Elbing, Germany officials of the Gestapo, the SS, the Elbing Fire Brigade, set fire to the Elbing synagogue and Jewish community house. Jewish men were arrested, beaten and robbed of their property. Windows were broken in all the Jewish shops in the city. At two o’clock in the morning, Elbing was steeped in a damp darkness and fog. Lantern light barely broke through the darkness. A large portion of the city was awake. Dressed in long military coats, people marched…
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Quick & Easy History
By way of making history a ‘little bit’ more interesting and fun, here are numerous YouTube presentations. Hopefully they will help provide some historical perspective for what happened to your European/ North American forebears, and when. Be advised the form and format of these videos are ‘diverse’. Their length and ‘professionalism’ (slickness) also varies greatly. Nonetheless, I hope you find the videos informative with easy to digest data. Contents Culture-Gene Interactions in Human Origins European History 3000BC to present History of Europe (3000 BC – 2013 AD) The Holy Roman Empire 1000 Years Time-Lapse Map of Europe (1000 – 2000 AD) Various Major European/ World Wars The Napoleonic Wars: Every…
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Shoah Research (Holocaust) Resources
For those conducting Shoah (Holocaust) research, you know how difficult good resources and information are to find. Recently I came across a number of ‘less well-known’ (to me) web sites that offer a wealth of source and context information. Hopefully, these links will be of some use in your research efforts. Nazi holocaust documents found: 6,300 files discovered behind wall of Budapest apartment Many educators appreciate the value of using primary source materials in the classroom. The documents selected for this section provide many possibilities for classroom discussion or student activities. The Virginia Holocaust Museum BYU Harold B. Lee Library Shoah (Holocaust) Selected Digitized Documents Related to the Holocaust and…
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NEHGS Searchable German Duplicate Records
Today, I received an email from one of our readers (Beth Golden). Beth’s note provided the following information: German Church Book Duplicates (Online at American Ancestors- New England Historic Genealogical Society) Germany, Baden, Church Book Duplicates, 1810-1869 Germany, Prussia, Brandenburg and Posen, Church Book Duplicates, 1794-1874 These collections of church records for the territories of Baden, Brandenburg and Posen, Germany, were obtained from church book duplicates that were annually provided to the German state for use by civil authorities. If a particular region had only one religious institution, the clergy often recorded the births, marriages, and deaths of all local individuals regardless of religious affiliation. Microfilm numbers noted in the…
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Shoah Research- Getting Started
This material has been significantly update and moved to our new tutorials. Are you embarking on Shoah (Holocaust) research? Would you like a little coaching in this area of research? Although I can hardly claim to be a Shoah research expert, I am more than willing to share what I have learned. By way of providing some background, for the past nine months, or so, I have been helping folks attempt to unearth the stories behind their Jewish roots in Poland and Germany, trying to discover ‘lost’ family records, and more. It has been quite the adventure. Needless to say, the Shoah is an area of emotion, sadness, mystery, frustration,…
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Quakers, Mennonites, and the Church of the Brethren
Today whilst, reviewing my ‘multi-days’ old news feeds, I came across an interesting article with new ‘to me’ information and links. The article mentioned and provided a link to the Friends Collection and Earlham College Archives. The Friends Collection at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana includes the college’s books and periodicals on Quakerism, manuscripts related to Friends, and Earlham College historical materials. As good fortune would have it, the first page I selected on their website provided the following list of additional links. These links go beyond Quaker information to include information regarding Mennonites and Church of the Brethren. I have added all these links to the ManyRoads Links Library . …
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Why are so many records missing?
Why is it so hard to find genealogy information in the areas of Prussia, Poland, and Germany? Where did all the information go? Was the information moved to some safe place? I hear this type of question and discussion often. The answers to those questions are actually quite simple and brief; although achieving an appreciation and understanding of their response is often somewhat more elusive. Question: Where did all the information go? Answer: Much was destroyed or lost, never to be recovered. Question: Was the information moved to some safe place? Answer: The truth is there were few, if any safe places. Early ‘on the eve of destruction‘, many ‘crucial’ records/documents…
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Thiensdorf Nachfahrenliste- 2015
ManyRoads Related Materials ManyRoads Articles Cornelius Schepansky Family(ies) Hermann Schepansky Anna Heinrichs Family Hermann Schepansky Marie Claussen Family Source Documents Cornelius Schepansky Families Hermann Schepanski Anna Heinrichs Family Hermann Schepanski Marie Claussen Family credit for the following material belongs largely to: Alfons Szczepanski (the keeper of all things Szczepanski!) … I just added the English ‘bits’, the formatting, the photo, and our Schepansky links (above). Vorbemerkungen/ Introduction: Szczepanski Mennonitenfamilie Geschichte. Nach der mündlichen Familienüberlieferung war der Stammvater ein katholischer Knecht namens Szczepanski (Szepansky), der bei einem mennonitischen Bauern von der Mennonitengemeinde Plauschwarren, Kreis Gumbinnen (Ostpreußen, auch “Preußisch-Litauen” genannt) arbeitete. Dieser Knecht ließ sich mennonitisch taufen und heiratete eine Mennonitin. Als…
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70 years on…
As everyone most certainly knows, this year is 2015. 7 May 2015 marks the official surrender date of German forces, some 70 years ago.For those who focus on 1945 as the end of WW2 in Europe, it was. Sadly, 1945 was not just an ending; it was also the beginning of the total destruction and removal of a ~600 year old way of life, a culture, and the homeland for millions of Eastern Germans. In the years following 1945, some 12 to 14 million people were forcibly removed from their homes and expelled from the recently surrendered German Eastern provinces. To place these events into a reasonably balanced historical context,…
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Researching “Lost” Eastern German Provinces
Many people get confused when conducting searches for their Eastern German forebears; this is especially true if those forebears purport to have been from Prussia (Preussen), Pomerania (Pommern), Silesia (Schlesien). Note: I have written a detailed article on helping you determine whether or not your family was Prussian and if so, what type. It might not surprise you that I encounter a lot of people having trouble doing, or trying to do, ‘their’ Prussian research. Given I have fairly extensive research experience in those regions of Europe, I thought I’d put together a quick tutorial, or key, for identifying and finding clues to those Eastern German ancestors ‘of ours’ who…
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ICRC World War 1 Prisoner of War Database
The International Committee of the Red Cross recently published a Free, online database of WW1 prisoners of war. The ICRC WW1 PoW Database contains some 5 million records and offers exceptional insights into the conditions and circumstances of the time, period and situation. Based on my testing of the ‘tool’, I think a few words of caution are in order: Be certain to read the instructions on How-to use the tool. (It might work in ‘unexpected’ ways; it did for me.) There is a nice tutorial (and it is easy to use). Often the print is faint; look closely at the records. Much of the text is in script; as…
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Might your family be descended from Prussian Mennonites?
Do you believe you might be descended of “Prussian” Mennonites? Are you unsure? Is it worth a look? To get a good idea of who the Low German Mennonites were (and whether you might be descended of this group) please review the Family/ Surname list provided on MennoniteDNA. If you find one of your family names on that list then please “read on.” For those who research family in West & East Prussia (today the area is in Northeastern Poland) an important, but ‘not very well known’, set of genealogical source documents should be included in your search – West & East Prussian Mennonite church record books . I…
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When paths cross
This article is cross posted from the PEP, Inc. website. There are times in life when paths cross. As many of you may know, among my greatest interests are both process improvement (my ‘day job’) and my family (not just those living but also including my past, meaning my ‘genealogy’). Well, yesterday was one of those days where my day job and my family genealogy passions crossed. A couple of years ago through my genealogy work, I had the good fortune of meeting a young man (by my standards pretty much everyone is young). His name is Pawel. As it happens, Pawel and his mother attended some of the same…
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How I came over from [Zeyer] Germany
An “old neighbor” from Zeyer, Karl Jochem (deceased), whose descendants now live in the US, wrote the following school assignment, after his arrival in the US in the early 1900s. Because most of my stories are from the period immediately after the Second World War, I thought our readership might enjoy this tale of adventure and exploration from “a better more hopeful time”. Thank you for sharing Dan! HOW I CAME OVER FROM GERMANY (by Karl Jochem for school assignment) I was born in Germany. The village was Zeyer, which is some eight miles north of the city Elbing, West Prussia. My father was fishing. He afterwards bought a farm…
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The Elbing Streetcars return
Der historische Straßenbahnwagen stehen wieder auf dem Alten Markt in Elbing/Elblag. (The historical streetcars are once again in the Elbing/Elblag Old Market.) Click on the following photo to view a live webcam feed of the Old Elbing/Elblag Market.
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Grete geb. Roschkowski & Hannelore geb. Petroschka- Remembrances of Elbing
Hannelore Petroschka and Grete geb. Roschkowski were among the tens of thousands of Germans forcibly removed from their home by the German Expulsion – “Ethnic Cleansing” of Elbing/Elblag following World War 2. In March of 2013, I was contacted by Hannelore’s grand-daughter who wrote: My Grandmother Hannelore was born in Elbing [West Prussia] in 1923 to Julius Petroschka and Grete Roschkowski (whose family owned a furniture factory in Elbing). After my grandmother died a lot of her belongings were lost but we have recently discovered a box of photographs which included a lot of post cards from Elbing and the surrounding areas. It seems my great grandmother purchased them before…
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Bericht ueber den Untergang der Synagogengemeinde Elbing/ Report on the Destruction of the Elbing Synagogue
World War 2 and its aftermath was a tragic period for the inhabitants of Elbing Westpreussen (Elblag, Poland, today). It is essential to preserve and honor the history and travails of those people and their times. To quote: “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.” Martin Luther King, Jr. “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” Albert Einstein It is in this spirit that I am pleased to announce, courtesy of the Leo Baeck Institute, ManyRoads is able to present a transcribed version of the Bericht ueber den Untergang der…
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Elbing Damals- new photos
For those of you who might be interested in viewing my latest batch of Elbing “Damals” Photos. (Fals Sie interesse darueber haben, hier sind meine lezte Elbing Damals Fotos) The following images were added today (Die folgende Fotos sind jetzt auf ManyRoads): Alte Giebelhaeuser Alte Haeuser Spieringstrasse circa1935 Alter Markt circa 1935 Blick auf St. Nikolai-Kirche 1940 Blick auf St Nikolai durch die Fleischerstrasse 17.1.13 Blick ueber den Elbing-Fluss Brueckstrasse Fischmarkt Markttreiben mit Geschaefte Friedrichstrasse 1916 Lagerhaeuser am Elbingfluss Marktstrasse mit Friseurgeschaeft und Giesskanne Moltkestrasse mit ober Real Schule 1918 Moltkestrasse Realgymnasium 1927 Patrizierhaeuser Spieringstrasse circa 1935 Rathaus mit Erweiterungsbau 1931 Real-Gymnasium um 1900 Sankt Georgen-Bruederhaus circa 1910 Sankt Marienkirche…
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Anabaptist-Mennonite DNA project participation
As many of you may have already guessed, our families and ancestries are crowded with Mennonite and Amish peoples- Anabaptists. For years, we knew of the Rich (Henss Family Branch) connections to the Swiss- Elsass/Alsace, Montbeliard/ Bern communities. More recently, we have come to understand quite a bit of the Senger (Rabideau Family Branch) connections to the West Prussian / East Prussian Mennonite communities. Because of the smallish nature of these original communities, we (Becky, my wife, and I) have elected to purchase DNA tests from 23andMe and submit our DNA test results for inclusion in the Mennonite DNA Project. This past weekend our 23andme DNA test kits arrived! Now…
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“Our” Mennonite Churches in Europe
As you may have noticed, a “goodly portion” (to quote my father-in-law) portion of both sides of the Henss & Rabideau families have roots in Amish/ Mennonite/ Anabaptist traditions. Out of curiosity, actually out of a desire to find church building photos, I did a little web research on our families’ past church homes. As you might have guessed, nothing identifiable remains of our Prussian/ Poland Mennonite congregations, the Second World War took care of that. However, I have stumbled across a number of our families’ Alsatian congregations on the Internet. It is wonderful to see that many of our predecessors’ beliefs and traditions live on and that our family’s…
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Past to future
.revised 5 July 2021 Over the past few years, I have been mulling over the significance of history, war, and the ravages of time. Quite the happy thoughts I know. I suppose this stream of consciousness was initiated by my review of some photos from my mother’s family church in Zeyer, Westpreussen, in what is today Poland. Then today an Internet friend sent an article from today’s Elbląg, Poland (what used to be Elbing, West Prussia, Germany) regarding their German past. Here are the photos and articles that prompt my thoughts. The first sets of photos focus on the Zeyer Evangelische Kirche- Zeyer Lutheran Church as well as the…
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Basketball in Easthampton- one family’s account
In 2010 I published a posting on pro-basketball in Easthampton, Mass. Yesterday Jeffrey Baker, a ManyRoads reader, was kind enough to send these images and family story along. Enjoy! James R Knox was my maternal grandfather. Raised in the Easthampton area, went on to work at the Veterans Hospital in Northampton MA in the Personnel Office, eventually becoming Quartermaster. Unfortunately there is no listing of any of the other ruffians pictured…nor of the coaches. The details were noted by George W Knox, brother of James R. “Beaver” Knox. Interesting on how he has the Celtics in Boston in the 1920’s. The other scan is EHS years ’13 – ’14. No…
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Die Wedhorn Vertreibung (Expulsion)
Note: This account is the product of numerous discussions, interviews and writings between Frieda geboren Wedhorn, her son Norbert Grohmann, and Mark Rabideau. Every effort has been made to remain true to the intent, content and events of this life altering time. During the days preceding Frieda geboren Wedhorn’s capture and deportation by the Soviets, heavy fighting began in and around the Wedhorn family home in Orlofferfelde, Westpreußen. During this time, around March 1945, Soviet Red Army soldiers came to the Wedhorn farmhouse, took possession and refuge within it and while there they attacked and raped Frieda (geboren Wedhorn). Shortly after the rape, the Soviet soldiers were forced to leave…
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Using Cyprien Tanguay’s texts…
Over the past few weeks, I have received numerous requests for guidance on how to use Tanguay’s texts for genealogy research (and where to get them). I have to admit that it does seem a bit odd to me that these genealogy texts are not well understood. But after having received the requests, I did some searching on the web only to note that there are no real guides readily available for novices, so here’s my feeble attempt at creating one. By way of a bit of background, the texts discussed here are called: Dictionnaire généalogique des Familles Canadiennes depuis la fondation de la colonie jusqu’à nos jours (Genealogical Dictionary…
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Prussian Mennonite Research Materials
As many of you may know, my Recht family line (Hermann Recht’s family) has strong roots within what was once the Mennonite Community resident near the former Elbing and Marienburg, Westpreussen. As I conduct my Prussian Mennonite family genealogical research, this page will evolve and develop into something a bit more robust. I am using Mendeley to gather and manage my research findings and source materials (I am also using the tool in an effort to evaluate its effectiveness for genealogy work.) If I end up writing something profound, perhaps Mendeley will also manage my writings. In any event for those interested in viewing and accessing most of my source…
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Hinaus in die Ferne
It probably bears mention that my grandmother- Frieda Senger- was a woman of many verses. So given that my most recent visits with my mother have involved hearing a particular verse frequently; I thought I’d preserve it for posterity, especially since it is a verse I never heard while growing up. It’s a lively little item… Hinaus in die Ferne Mit Butterbrot und Speck. Das mag ich ja so gerne, Das nimmt mir keiner weg. Und wer das tut, Dem hau’ ich auf die Nase, Dem hau’ ich auf die Schnut’, Daß es [ihm] blut’. It turns out to be a music composition with lyrics and so it has an…
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Heimatortskartei gets personal
Almost all ManyRoads readers know that my mother’s family was among those expelled by the allies from the the former German Eastern province of West Prussia following World War 2. Today, I had the great honor to read and view the Heimatortskartei records of my relatives and their friends/ neighbors. I have placed the images I found on line and will update this image library as I find more documents. For those interested, here are the images I managed to obtain.
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West Prussia (near Zeyer) Mennonite Births, Deaths, Marriages
Enhanced, updated, validated new materials may be found on our new tutorial site. The links on this page have been sourced from the Prussian Mennonite Genealogy Resources site. I have rearranged the original links and grouped them for my convenience. Please note, these materials are used without permission because there was no copyright notice or location from which to request usage permission. All ownership and rights of this material belongs to its original author(s). If you wish to use the most current information and links on these topics and more, I encourage you to visit the original site. Any research queries should be directed to one of the Mennonite…
