Kann jemand helfen?

    A family genealogy indicates Elias Abraham Knisely
    (1683-1762) and Annatarcia Swigart Knisely (1687-1761), both born in
    Berne Switzerland, are buried in the Cologne Cemetery in Germany. I
    entered a memorial for Elias Abraham Knisely today and then found I had
    to guess in which of three cemeteries he might be. I'm afraid I've
    guessed wrong.
    Does anyone know if there's a cemetery in Cologne
    either not dedicated to war dead or containing other than war dead as
    well? I'd sure like to search for his name online so I can ask for a
    picture.
    I know there was a lot of devastation during the wars there
    and perhaps the tombstone is unlikely to be there. Hoping someone can
    help.






    Ich versuche dieser person zu helfen aber auch ich lebe in amerika. Sie hat diese anfrage in find a grave eingegeben.
    Voraus Danke fuer Eure hilfe

    Hallo Lia,


    im Gegensatz zu den USA werden in Deutschland Gräber immer nur für eine befristete Zeit erhalten (so 25 oder 30 Jahre, aber das ist, soweit ich weiß, von Friedhof zu Friedhof unterschiedlich). Die einzige Ausnahme bilden die Gräber von Opfern von Krieg und Gewalt (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gräbergesetz ), die als Mahnmal unbefristet bestehen bleiben. Heute noch einen Grabstein der gesuchten Personen zu finden, halte ich deshalb für ausgeschlossen.


    Viele Grüße,
    Anke

    Hallo Lea,


    it would be easier to search for their birth records in Switzerland, the church books are available. You should be sure it is the City of Berne - in Canton Berne, there would be dozends parishs to check, each kept their own registers.


    Searching in Cologne would be much more difficult, and I doubt you had any chance to find a grave. To estimate at which cemetery it might have been, you should have some verified informations. Where your Knisely reformed, catholic, lutheran, or anabaptists? Citizens of Cologne, or emigrators in transit? With solid death data you could try to find it registered in a church book (check LDS if they have the microfilms). Mind the original spelling in Bern would have been something like Nüssli and Schweighardt, and a German priest would haved spelled closer to that than to the Americanized forms.


    Good Luck!

    as we still don't know their confession, it' tough to locate the right cemetery. until end of 18th century, catholics were buried within city limits. in case they were neither catholic nor jewish, likeliest would have been
    http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Gregorius_im_Elend <-- built on the former "misery cemetery" ground
    http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geusenfriedhof <-- first proper cemetery for protestants just outsides the "weyer"gate streetview possible right opposite of kerpener str. 13: http://maps.google.com/maps?cl…&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ8gEwAA
    or another "misery cemetery" somewhat east of the monastery of the poor clares, i couldn't find any further information on that yet though.
    further links referring to elias :


    http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.co…&db=gdtrowbridge&id=I1668 <-- elias and children, all from berne (city itself or county?)
    http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.co…&db=gdtrowbridge&id=I1661 <-- his son's nicholas, kids already born in cologne, though sally scheer claims nicholas' last born daughter to have been the first american born knisely: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-…cgi?page=gr&GRid=65777479 she might have mixed up mary anne knisely *1748 with anna belle knisely *1750 or there might have been another mistake


    http://searches2.rootsweb.com/…ERLAND/1997-03/0859074695 <-- email discussion forum
    http://www.judithk.com/genealogy/AT_TOC.HTM#CNTC <-- judith hesselberth
    http://www.angelfire.com/oh3/fallsburg1/Knisley/desc1.htm <-- some swiss family tree