Families from East Prussia

  • I am looking for any families who lived in the towns of Gross Schmuckwalde or Theuernitz Osterode East Prussia who would have known my Great Grandparents Friedrich Konopka and Louise Galka Konopka. Last heard of in 1914 when Caroline died. My Grandmother was married in Gross Schmuckwalde on 26 Nov. 1889 Caroline Konopka to gottlieb Chmilewski. They immigrated to the US right afterwards.


    Thank You for any information.




    Dick S.

  • Gross Schmu"e"ckwalde, Kreis Osterode, hatte ein eigenes Kirchspiel und gehörte zum Standesamtsbezirk Peterswalde. Von den Kirchenbüchern hat das Staatsarchiv Leipzig Filme von 1741 bis 1874; die Mormonen haben davon Filmduplikate. Vom Standesamt Peterswalde werden Standesamtsregister, soweit sie älter als 100 Jahre sind, ab 01.10.1874 im Staatsarchiv Allenstein, soweit sie jünger sind, bis 1938 [Geburtsregister bis 1943, Sterberegister bis 1944] beim Standesamt Osterode verwahrt.
    Theuernitz, Kreis Osterode, gehörte zum Kirchspiel Groß Schmueckenwalde [s. o.!] und zum Standesamtsbezirk Warweiden. Vom Standesamt Warweiden hat das Staatsarchiv Allenstein Standesamtsregister nur: * 1874-1896, 1938, oo 1874-1895, + 1874-1896, 1929.
    Mit freundlichen Grüßen
    Friedhard Pfeiffer

  • Hello Friedhard;


    Thank you for the information, now is there anyway I can access those records from Warweiden online? Does any site have those records for people to look through?


    Regards


    Dick Smith

  • Die Standesamtsregister von Warweiden sind nicht online. Da muss man das Staatsarchiv Allenstein anschreiben. Die Adresse ist:
    Archiwum Panstwowe w Olsztynie
    ul. Partyzantów 18
    PL-10-521 Olsztyn
    Mit freundlichen Grüßen
    Friedhard Pfeiffer

  • Hello Dick,


    Out of curiosity I clicked on the East Prussia query and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the name KONOPKA, which I'm also researching.


    My research takes a different twist in that my grandmother, Anna WIENRICH [her maiden name] b. 7 JUL 1881 in Kr. Heiligenbeil/O.P. married one unknown KONOPKA abt. 1910-1915. Two sons were born into this union, 1. Heinrich Konopka b. 1917 in Schettnienen, near Heiligenbeil, O.P. and Willie Konopka, DOB unknown.


    Heinrich Konopka, an officer in the Luftwaffe was shot down but survived and spent the rest of his life in the DDR.


    He was married and has two children with whom I'm corresponding.




    Can you tell me where in the US [state/county/town] your grandmother settled?




    Best wishes,




    Ursula from Michigan.

  • Ursula, I have been researching further into the Konopka's in O.P. and I have found an Andre living in Germany who's father fled the oncoming Russians. He has helped me with more records of my family.
    His father lost a brother during he war as a pilot.