-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
“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…
-
Finding Former Eastern German Place Names
One of the great challenges in researching areas like the former German Eastern Provinces is that they are all gone- governments, people, Churches, libraries, Universities, and yes, in many cases, houses and villages as well. In an effort to help me, and perhaps others, identify place names, I am creating this document with its eclectic cross reference materials. Hopefully these documents, websites, etc. will prove useful to those of us who have difficulty in finding ‘our family’s’ former German places and locations. Former Prussian Places & Locations (Westpreußen u. mehr/ West Prussia & more) Documents Ravenstein’s Atlas des Deutschen Reichs 9000-Village-Names-in-Prussia 1.5 MB Errata for document: Zeyersvorderkampen = Kępiny Małe…
-
Hermann Schepansky Family
At this point, we believe that our research has produced a rather complete image of the Families and Children of Hermann Schepansky. If you know of additional source materials or information, we would love hearing from you. HERMANN1 SCHEPANSKY was born about 1754 in Kerbshorst, Westpreussen, Germany1. Herman Schepansky was baptized in 1802 in Marcushof, Westpreussen, Germany2. He died on 18 Dec 1824 in Schwansdorf, Westpreussen, Germany1. He married (1) CATARINA ANNA HEINRICHS (daughter of Jacob Heinrichs and Miss Koeller) on 06 Nov 1800 in Kerbshorst, Westpreussen, Germany1, 2. She was born on 05 Aug 1781 in Kerbswald, Westpreussen, Germany1, 2. Catarina Anna Heinrichs was baptized in 1797 in Marcushof,…
You May Also Like
Luise Rabideau geboren Senger
Zeyersvorderkampen (1945)
Luise Senger WW2 and after
-
Do genealogy? Really?
Perhaps, it was Friday or maybe the day before… Becky (my wife) and I were discussing why I do genealogy work. More precisely, the question we were discussing focused on what advantages or benefits I (the genealogy fanatic) actually attain from my endeavors. Because, wealth most certainly was not among them. But in all seriousness, this posting is really nothing more than a catalog of my thoughts on this question/ topic. It is simply a topic I thought our readership might find interesting. And, I thought it might be worthwhile for me to archive my ponderings here, as well. Perhaps my reasons might provide others with some food for thought;…
-
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…
-
The 200,000th visit
We are extremely pleased to report that last night (3 June 2012) ManyRoads received its 200,000th visitor. We know that does not put us in anything like “a high traffic mode”. But, we are pleased to have gathered and perhaps even sustained a loyal readership. Thank you very much for visiting our site; we look forward to your continued and on-going presence. Obviously, we are extremely pleased that 200,00 visitors have stopped by. We will continue to do our best to provide information and knowledge as we accumulate it. As always do not hesitate to contact us with your comments or requests for information and/or pointers. Your interaction is always…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
You May Also Like
“Dit” Names
-
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…
-
Copyright, copyleft, protect your stuff…
Assuming you write materials and you’d like to get protection and/or keep some credit for your work, here are a few thoughts. (Note: do not confuse this Blog posting with any manner of legal advice.) Firstly, you ought to decide if you really want your materials to be shared and/or protected. No matter what you do, remember that anything placed on the web is subject to being copied and reused. Having said that, protection and ‘legal’ sharing of your materials really need not be an all or nothing proposition. You can, if you are so inclined, offer your writings or other creative content to the world with varying degrees of…
-
Pre-WW2 Maps of Poland & the former German East
In keeping with my map theme, I have provided links and pointers to what I consider 4 of the Internet’s best sites for genealogically useful maps covering the regions of pre-WW2 Poland (Polska) and the former German Eastern Provinces (mainly, Ost und West Preussen, Silesian, Pommern). When used in combination with current map tools such as Google Maps, you should meet with fairly high success in finding old place locations, names, etc. At least, I have had that good fortune. Kartenmeister The most comprehensive database of its kind in the world. It contains 90820 locations with over 38.691 name changes once, and 5,500 twice and more. All locations are EAST…
-
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…
-
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.
-
Samuel Ferdinand Recht- Caroline Henriette Sczepanski
Note: additional source materials are currently being sought. Aside from the birth records of Samuel Ferdinand Recht and Caroline Henrietta Sczepanski we have very sparse information regarding the lives and existence of our couple and their family/ children. Caroline Henriette Schepansky- Birth 16 March 1844 7.6 MB Samuel Ferdinand Recht- Birth 12 February 1841 7.9 MB The second place we find the couple mentioned with certainty is in the marriage record of their son Johann Hermann Recht to Auguste Kunz. There we find mention of them and their deaths having occurred before the Recht-Kunz marriage in Ellerwald, Kreis Elbing. Additionally, we have found evidence of one Samuel Recht living in…
-
Eastern Germans, a cold case?
Searching for missing or lost family members from the former German Eastern Provinces can be quite a challenge. As you may already know, following the WW2 defeat of Germany by the allies, almost all ethnic Germans were ‘cleansed’ from their former homes in East/ West Prussia, Pomerania, Silesia, etc. (as well as much of Eastern Europe). In both the Expulsion process and the bombardments that preceded the Expulsions much was destroyed. Churches, City and Governmental records, family bibles, photographs, keepsakes, books, notes, were almost all gone. In the case of my opa (grandfather), he was able to salvage the bottom half of a coffee can worth of keepsakes and treasures.…
-
Presenting family genealogies on the web
Presenting readable, genealogical information, data, and stories is a complex challenge. It seems to me that people’s lives ought to be expressed as more than family trees, dates, and lineages. I have been struggling with this problem for quite a while. Perhaps you have as well. Over the years, I have noticed a few ‘special’ difficulties in making this type of information, useful, accessible, easy to find not to mention human. The major problem areas, for me, have centered around the following: genealogical data & stories can run deep & wide (they may, and often do, involve a lot of data from many locations, sources, and media) genealogical data/ information…
-
Johann Recht Family(ies)
Note: This material/ history is incomplete. Any/ all suggestions or pointers are most appreciated! Johann Recht had two, perhaps three, marriages. His first documented marriage was with Elisabeth Barwich (Baarwich)- our progenitor; his second documented marriage was with Florentine Barwich (a cousin? of Elisabeth). As far as we can tell, Johann and his families lived in and around the Zeyer ev. Kirche until Johann’s death. Johann’s death record indicates that he died on 7 September 1854 at the age of 54 years and 10 months (0 days). He was buried evangelisch in the Zeyer ev. Kirche graveyard. Based upon Johann’s documented age at death, we calculate his birth to have been…
-
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…
-
Mennonite Histories of West Prussia
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 archives in Canada or the U.S. Danzig District The 1661 Census of Mennonites in…
-
Cornelius Schepansky Family(ies)
At this point, we believe that our research has produced a rather complete image of the Families and Children of Cornelius Schepansky. If you know of additional source materials or information, we would love hearing from you. Our information and resources have been and continue to be packaged for submission to the Schepanski Family Archives in Delmenhorst Germany as well as to Grandma (The Online Mennonite Archives). CORNELIUS1 SCHEPANSKY was born on 11 Feb 1806 in Kerbshorst, Westpreussen, Germany 1. Cornelius Schepansky was baptized on 19 May 1823 in Marcushof, Westpreussen, Germany1. He died on 27 Feb 1861 in Ellerwald, Westpreussen, Germany2. He married (1) CORNELIA MARTENS on 14 Aug…
-
Danzig- Westpreussen (West Prussia) Heimatortskartei
For those wishing to gain access to photographic images of the actual Heimatortskartei from the towns, cities & villages which were near what used to be Danzig in West Prussia, they are available on FamilySearch. (LINK to Danziger Gebiet (Area ) Westpreussen (West Prussia) Heimatortskartei). These represent images of a civil register (handwritten and printed works) of refugees from the former province of Danzig-Westpreußen, Germany, now Gdańsk and Bydgoszcz provinces in Poland. For those of us whose families were expelled from their homes by the allies after World War 2, this represents a set of documentation that could contain the handwriting of ‘our’ family members, from that place and time.…
-
German Expulsions & the Diaspora
While doing some research for an email response, I came across a body of work related to Die Vertreibung (The Expulsion). These papers are presented on the website of Dr. Stefan Wolff. Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham, England, UK. A political scientist by background, he specialises in the management of contemporary international security challenges, especially in the prevention, management and settlement of ethnic conflicts and in post-conflict stabilisation and state-building in deeply divided and war-torn societies. Stefan Wolff, “Stefan Wolff,” political research, academic, Stefan Wolff, n.d., http://www.stefanwolff.com/. Ethnic Germans in Poland and the Czech Republic: A Comparative Evaluation Co-authored with Karl Cordell and…
-
John Hall c. 1732 – 1794
This page is under development; research is on-going Note: additional source materials are currently being sought. The Grandfathers Vol.I, The Hall and Overstreet Families Carrol Carman Hall, Springfield, IL, 1981 Section I Chapter 3, Page 19 From his will of 1794 John Hall c. 1732 – 1794 Miller on Rockcastle Creek It is common among Hall family searchers to say with a great deal of respect, ‘Our John Hall.’ This is the way they distinguish him from the numerous John Halls they meet with in their researches, within or outside the immediate family. Well, he was ‘quite a man.’ But — we are not descended from him. We are descended…
-
William Hall 1707? – 1757
This page is under development; research is on-going Note: additional source materials are currently being sought. The Immigrant Grandfather Source: The Grandfathers The death of William Hall on the first of May, 1757 at the hands of the Cherokee Indians, not only thrust upon John Hall, his oldest son, the responsibility of heading the family but also the settling and managing of his estate. Many of the old-timers made their Wills on their deathbeds, but in the case of William Hall, death came suddenly and as a consequence he had no Will. Fortunately, Bedford county which had been organized just three years prior to the fateful Spring of 1757 had…
-
Christian and Mary (Roth) Wenger- A Brief History
This page is under development; research is on-going Note: additional source materials and records are currently being sought. Christian Wenger was born 2 DEC 1799, Basel, Switzerland Mary Roth was born 15 NOV 1807, Dornach, Switzerland They were married 7 SEP 1830, Burgfelden, Elsass Christian Wenger and family migrated from Germany through Basel, Switzerland to near Hamburg, Ontario in 1835. The family lived here for 9 years. In 1844 they moved to Washington Co., Iowa north of Wayland by covered wagon, stopping overnite in Chicago where they could not find a place to stay. All the clothing they owned was on their backs as their clothing had been stolen before…
-
August Ferdinand Kunz – Catherine Elisabeth Albrecht
The family of August Kunz and Elisabeth Albrecht lived in Neuteicherwalde in Kreis Marienburg, Westpreussen (West Prussia). August was a Hofbesitzer (Farmer). It is believed that Hermann Recht and Auguste geboren Kunz inherited the family farm with their marriage three plus years following the death of August Ferdinand (facts are being sought to confirm this). We do know that as late as 1895 Elisabeth continued to live in Neuteicherwalde (even after Hermann and Auguste Recht had moved to Pietzkendorf). This fact is confirmed via the birth and baptismal record of Erich August Albrecht. August Ferdinand Kunz (was born on 7 Feb 1844 in Neuteicherwalde the son of Andreas Kunz and…
-
Hermann Recht- Auguste Kunz Family History
Hermann Recht and Auguste Kunz were married in Baarendorf ev. Kirche Kreis Marienburg, West Preussen. To quote from the church records: Johann Hermann Recht, born 16 June 1869 in Zeyersniederkampen, married Auguste Alvine Caroline Kunz on 10 March 1891. (page 192 Baarendorf ev. Kirche). Based upon an oral family history/ tradition obtained by me from Luise Rabideau geboren Senger, their grand-daughter, the Recht-Kunz marriage took place just after the death of Auguste’s father, August Ferdinand Kunz. The truth of the matter was that the marriage actually took place some three years after August’s death. Hermann and Auguste had five children, that we have identified, four of which lived into adulthood.…
-
New FamilySearch Film Ordering
This week I used the new FamilySearch.org microfilm (microfiche) ordering system for the first time. As you might expect, like any new service there are a few wrinkles but overall the new system is simply a magnificent advancement. Here’s what I learned with my orders. NOTE: If you did not already know, recently FamilySearch.org placed a new online ordering mechanism on their site. According to their site this offering is being rolled out across the world and is currently available in my area (Colorado). Click this link to read the complete announcement. As most of you know, I do a lot of Prussian research (which means I order quite a…
-
Sometimes… magic happens
Today was one of those amazing days. It is often unbelievable what the universe has in store for you. Today, I received a small insight. A cousin of mine, Norbert Grohmann contacted me. Mind you, I had no idea that I had a cousin by that name or that his part of the family had even survived the Second World War. My mother, my primary source for such information, had not even known. But today a message (comment) came to me here on ManyRoads and it was Norbert… my cousin (Gott sei dank!). Since early this morning, we have numerous email exchanges. I have gathered photos and information from Norbert. …
-
Auguste Alvina Caroline Kunz
It was another one of those days a genealogist only dreams of… one, when a huge brick wall comes tumbling down. Today my daughter and I were reading through our latest bunch of 11 Family History Center tapes, hoping to eek out a simple clue regarding our Prussian German forebears. We had already viewed 9 tapes when on our 9th tape we saw a birth/baptism record for Eduard Ferdinand Kunz. The name Ferdinand Kunz had appeared as being in attendance at my great aunt (Tante) Ella’s baptism. Did we have the right family? As readers of ManyRoads may already know, Auguste Kunz (my Uhr-Oma) on my grandmother’s line has been…
-
The Former German Provinces & Missing Persons Search
If you, like me, research and search for family through the area of West Prussia (Westpreussen)- East Prussia (Ostpreussen) and Pomerania (Pommern), these sites will be of interest. I have also listed all these sites on the links page of ManyRoads. (Please Note! the links to external webpages are in the headers themselves and they appear before the individual site descriptions, when one exists.) If you are looking to find information on missing relatives from the Second World War, these sites are most helpful: DRK-Suchdienst (German Red Cross Tracing Service) The German Red Cross Tracing Service has always been on the side of those in need and by taking this…
-
Clyde Ross- photos found
If you know of anyone related to and/or seeking images of a young Clyde Ross born in Cambridge Illinois, USA in the year 1896, we have 5 original photos of Clyde. The photos show Clyde at the ages of 3 months through 7 years (approx.). We found these wonderful photos in an antique store in Denver and simply could not let the collection be broken up any more than it already had been. Besides, the images of Clyde growing up simply charmed us. If you are related to and are seeking images of Clyde, we’d love to send digital copies of Clyde’s photos back to…
-
Alexis Menard- Louise Pageau family history
Notes: For those of you who follow ManyRoads, you will recall that I have been looking for years for my great-grandmother’s family (Exina Menard- Deyo). I am sharing my work and data as it evolves (I hope much like a tutorial or case study.) for three reasons: to help me keep things in one place (a running log?) share the process of research with anyone interested in seeing my work as it stumbles, jerks and ultimately unfolds to use in my September tutorial Be aware, this page is being actively worked and its content will change! This material grew in large part from a forum posting originally created by Bev…
- Ancestry.com Thoughts, German Genealogy Pointers, Quebec Genealogy Pointers, Search Tricks & Tips, Technology & Tools
Kick-starting your genealogy efforts
I have put this little reminder checklist together to help me and others quickly examine our obvious options when we either are stuck or just getting started. This list is hardly exhaustive and if you try everything here without success you should not feel like you have to throw your hands up in despair, there are still many avenues to examine. Hopefully though, using these tools will prove useful and productive and fun. Enjoy! Have you checked? For basic name searches try these out. Not all of these tools are genealogy focused but they are all quite robust and helpful. Google Mocavo FamilySearch Ancestry If the above hasn’t provided you…
-
Polish Archives
For those interested in such things, a number of ‘online’ Polish Archives have recently come to my attention. They include: Archiwa Panstwowe- State Archive in Poznan Archiwum Archidiecezjalne w Poznaniu (Archidiocese of Poznan Archive) Genealogical Society of Great Poland “Gniazdo” Although many of these site pages offer English translations, I find the translated documents to be only marginally easier to use than the Polish original pages (and my Polish is limited to the ever present and marginally accurate Google Translate). Nonetheless, these archives look to be a very positive resource and representative of a very hopeful trend! Should you know of other online Polish Archives you believe we should share,…
-
WW1 German Casualty Lists – 1.WK Armee-Verordnungsblatt Verlustliste
We have moved our tutorials! Please visit our new site and updated materials. Since I originally wrote this article, a number of new source material sites have come online. Be advised the only records listed here are those for German War Dead or Wounded. In the event that you are unaware of key statistics involving German troops in WW1 here is a rough sketch: Killed in Action: 1.7 to 2 million Wounded: 4.2 million 65% of all mobilized men were casualties (killed or wounded) A word of caution, Austrian or other German Central Power Aligned Troops are listed elsewhere, as are those of the Allied Powers. As of 8 Feb.…
-
Evolution of Germany from 1867
The territorial evolution of Germany from 1867 to today. This video is in German although hopefully the graphics will be understandable to those who speak no German. Die Geschichte des deutschen Staates seit 1867 – staatliche und territoriale Entwicklung. Didaktikvideo zur staatlichen und territorialen Entwicklung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.
You May Also Like
Pre-WW2 Maps of Poland & the former German East
-
Another Deyo adventure!
I guess I could have entitled this posting, out with the old, in with the new. But as with most genealogy not very much of this information is actually new; including the fact that I had yet another problem in my Deyo lineage. Here’s the long and short of what has happened. Barb (one of my Deyo ‘cousins’) reviewed my latest Deyo line and noticed that my information and hers were not in synch. She is the proud owner of many things Deyo including photos, death certificates, folklore and the like. And as luck would have it, Barb’s copy of Mary (Bonah) Deyo’s death certificate indicated that Mary’s parents had…
- Uncategorized
Adreßbücher- Address Books
ManyRoads is pleased to provide this collection of address books from West/ East Prussian, as well as other former Eastern German Provinces. Be advised, not surprised. These are German language texts. We are continually seeking additional texts for inclusion on these pages. Should you know of additional West Prussian address or business books that you believe we should archive and present, please use our Contact page to let us know. Former Places & Locations Former Eastern German Place Names External Address Books (Former German Eastern Provinces) Einwohner-, Adress- und Telefonbücher von Danzig, Elbing & Westpreußen 1741 – 1942 (Rainer Mueller-Glodde’s collection) To seek additional materials you might try: Portal Historischer…
- Uncategorized
Adreßbücher usw. von Pommern und Schlesien
Because of limited funding we are forced to consolidate all of our library into a single “database.” Our complete collection of addressbooks is available here! This page contains links to a partial version of our total number. All links on this page take you to the original source libraries (for which we accept no responsibility). Read me! This page is no longer maintained! Many of our available texts are not on this page. Please visit our new Addressbooks! Köslin 1909 BaÅ‚tycka 1910 BaÅ‚tycka 1911 BaÅ‚tycka 1913 BaÅ‚tycka 1914 BaÅ‚tycka Neustettin 1933 BaÅ‚tycka Stettin Adress- und Geschäfts-Handbücher für Stettin: 1900 Szczecin 1901 Szczecin 1903 Szczecin 1904 Szczecin 1905 Szczecin 1906 Szczecin…
-
Worse than War
In keeping with our emphasis on die Vertreibung and Ethnic Cleansing, we recommend you either view Daniel Jonah Goldhagen’s documentary “Worse Than War” or read his book of the same title. To quote Dr. Goldhagen: (source website- disappeared) I hope that you choose to have a look at it. Whether or not you end up agreeing with every conclusion and proposal in Worse Than War, the [documentary] offers a plethora of new information and perspectives not just on genocide or eliminationism but on critical aspects of humanity and modernity, society and politics. I hope to rouse your intellect and conscience, even if I at the same time challenge your views…
-
A new ethnic group? Prussian-Quebecois.
Everyone claims an ethnicity. Me, too. So far as I know, my sister and I form a rather distinct, maybe even a unique, ethnic group. Yep, we are Prussian-Quebecois. We like to think of ourselves a being fairly unique and special. After all our parents said we were special, and they wouldn’t lie. Would they? The really sad thing is it looks like our ethnic group is about to die out. Today, we are both approaching 60 and in our youth we demonstrated immensely poor ethnic planning skills when it came to choosing our spouses. Neither of us remained within our ethnic group! My sister chose an Irish-German guy; and…
-
“Dit” Names
The use of Dit names in French Canada (Bas Canada) is both very common and confusing. Currently, I am working with another Deyo cousin to attempt to unravel yet another Deyo mystery. This part of my family line is now being reworked for the fourth time! I think I might be getting good at it. Briefly here’s the mystery… It appears, now, that I might be descended from a woman we believe was named Honoree Beaulac. Her family name (surname) has the following common dit names (there may be others as well): Desmarais Lake Lefebvre Marest Beaulaque Hertel (a nice German sounding name, eh?) By the way you will also…
-
Rituel du Diocèse de Quebec
If you are performing research in Quebec, the Rituel du Diocèse de Quebec may prove useful in providing clues regarding the name or names of your ancestors. To quote the PRDH: Among Catholics, choice of first name wasn’t left to chance or parents’ imagination. On the contrary, the church liked to control the attribution of first names to ensure that on the day they were baptised, children received the name of a saint who would guide them throughout their life. In the Rituel du Diocèse de Quebec, which laid out the rules to follow for writing baptismal, marriage, and burial certificates in Quebec, Monsignor de Saint-Vallier stipulated, “The Church forbids…
You May Also Like
“Dit” Names
-
Flucht aus Polen
They said, the war was over. Still, the suffering continued. They were hungry. Alone. Afraid. Father had never come home, from Stalingrad. Brother, an infant, was dead. Home was gone, given to others. Of the family, Mother and the two sisters survived. They had their fear, their lives, their uncertainty, and each other. Mutti had sent Lilli to beg a cup of food from another expelled family… (photo, Lilli, age six or seven, is in the dark coat with cup). Her face shows the the feelings of humiliation she still remembers. This poorly written piece is true. Circumstances such as Lilli’s Vertreibung can never be justified; yet, they continue. Different…
-
Finding German War Dead
If, like me, you seek relatives who fought on the German side of a war, you might have experienced difficulty in finding information about these forebears. One of the most useful online services I have encountered in this area is the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge (link below). It is through the wonderful efforts of the Kriegsgräberfürsorge that I have been able to find information about two of my great-uncles, who lost their lives in WW1: Adolf Senger Albert Senger and three cousins who died in WW2: Willi Wedhorn Egon Recht Erich Recht To quote the Kriegsgräberfürsorge site: The Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e. V. is a humanitarian organization which is charged by…
