Hallo/Hello

    Hallo. Ich bin Nsane und eine Amerikanerin (US).


    I won't go much farther than that since I'm still trying to get my cases right in German (Dativ? was?). I'm a crazy, blue-haired college student from Nebraska (German and History majors with a French minor) and was hoping to do some research on ancestors that came from that side of the Atlantic. One of my problems is that the records that I have of these relatives isn't always complete or is spelled wrong. I finally figured out that my family meant Bromberg when they wrote Brumborg or Bramberg. The areas that I'm currently looking to do research in/about are Pommern, Westpruessen, Bayern, and 'Waldeck.' Family names include Schmidt (Bayern), Steinacker ('Waldeck'), Hirtzel (Pommern und Westprussen), and Krause (??? Hessen oder Bayern... Falkenburg is what family records say, but it might also be Falkenberg). I'm not sure what my family records meant by 'Waldek, Germany.' As far as I was able to find, there's a town named Waldek that is now in Hessen and there was a principality that was named Waldeck-Prymont that contained the city of Waldeck... blah.


    Could anyone tell me if there were copies of documents from former Prussian territories made and taken to Germany or will I have to make a special trip to Poland when I study abroad this fall?

    Hi Nsane, welcome to our forum. I think it is always a problem for Americans to figure out the proper spelling of the places where the ancestors have lived and then find out which archive may hve records of them. Names as Schmidt and Krause arevery common unfortunately. Steinacker and Hirtzel are not just rare, but maybe a little bit easier to find.
    Just put your questions in the local parts of the forum to see if someone can help you.
    Good luck!
    Rotraud

    Hello,


    Welcome to the forum. To be able to help you, it would be good to know which geographical area and period you're referring to exactly, and if your ancestors were protestants or catholics. Very generally speaking you'll have to check the church registers for any events before 1874-76 and the civil registers for the time after that.


    Very probably the most convenient way for you is to go to a Family History Center of the LDS in your neighborhood and take a look at the church registers from Germany/ Poland/ Prussia on film there. I'm sure you know the http://www.familysearch.org website. You'll find all the info there.


    Also, if you could provide a more precise list of the family names and especially places (Bavaria is not small) that would be great.


    Best regards,
    Simone

    Zitat

    Could anyone tell me if there were copies of documents from former Prussian territories made and taken to Germany or will I have to make a special trip to Poland when I study abroad this fall?


    Hi nsane,


    Welcome to the forum :)


    Many documents from the former german territories have been transfrred to Germany, but as others have said, the more information the better, as the relevant documents may be in several different places.


    And, let us know, when you are coming over in the fall (autumn) and where - we may be able to give you tips where to search :)


    regards,
    Bob

    Hello all,


    rotraud,
    I know what you mean exactly. It's even worse when the people who I'm getting information through don't know what they're talking about. The main mix-up being that they thought Prussia was Russia. Granted, many of the Volga Germans made there way here in Nebraska (there's actually a museum to them here that people can research at) but still.


    Berlin-Bob,
    I'll be studying at the Goethe Institut in Berlin from September to December. I'm already planning to search out universities while I'm there, so some extra points of interest should be within my budget :)


    Zimba123,
    I would say Lutheran all around. That's what they all were/are over here anyway. As for more information, I know these are family, and I should be able to look up deaths here, but I just learned I had these records so that part is incomplete.
    *Maria Schmidt (geb. Steinacker 21 March 1870) - Waldeck, Germany
    *Johann Friedrick "John Fred" Schmidt (geb. 6 October 1868- Grieselbach, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany) ------ (death 30 Moarch 1931 Plymouth, Nebraska, USA)
    *Adam Schmidt (geb. 14 December- Bayern, Germany)------ (Death- 5 June 1923)
    *Maria Schmidt (geb. Ruff 8 August 1839 - Illenschwang, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany)------ (Death- 22 January 1875 Grieselbach, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany)
    *Johann Ruff (geb. 1807 Illenschwang, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany)------ (death ???)
    *Anna Ruff (geb. Brehmer 1808 Mönchsroth, Ansbach, Bayern, Germany)------- (death ???, same city as birth)
    *Herman Krause (geb. 6 June 1867 Falkenburg [Falkenberg?], Germany)--S.S. Ida 14 April 1892 NYC--- (death- 27 February 1922 Jansen, Nebraska, USA)
    *Kriedricka Krause (geb. Hirtzel 8 December 1869 Bromberg, Pommern, Germany)--Seno, Posen Province, Germany--- (death- 20 January 1962 Beatrice, Nebraska, USA)
    *Herman Hirtzel (geb. 6 October 1845 Kemnis, Germany) --S.S. Polinesia 24 May 1893 Baltimore-- (death ???)
    *Fred Hirtzel (geb. 14 Sept 1878 Newishen, Germany)--- S.S. Ungaria 4 August 1893 Baltimore-- (death ???)
    *Julius Herman Hirtzel (geb. 26 January 1887 Pierlen, Germany) --S.S. Allo 25 May 1891 NYC-- (death ???)
    *Lois/Lewis Hirtzel (geb. 18 April 1873 Berlinichen, Westpreussen, Germany)-- Chemnitz 28 December 1904 NYC-- (death???)
    *Paul Friedrich Hirtzel (geb 2 July 1891 Seno, Posen Proveince, Germany)-- S.S. Stuttgat 1 October 1891 Baltimore-- (death???)
    *Herman Hirtzel (geb. 5 March 1887 Beldschon, Germany) -- S.S. Carlsvuh 4 March 1902 Detroit-- (death ???)
    *Ludwig Albert (or Albert Ludwig) Hirtzel (geb. 18 April 187? Berlinichen, Westpreussen, Germany) --S.S. Chemnitz 18 December 1904 NYC-- (death???)
    *Augusta Korthals (geb. Krause 9 Jan 1854 Bromberg, Pommern, Germany) ----(death???)
    *Albert Korthals (geb. 20 June 1846 Sandorf Krone, Posin Province, Germany) --S.S. Dresden 21 August 1883 Baltimore-- (death???)

    Hello Nsane,


    for identification of place names zip codes can sometimes help:
    91749 Illenschwang: 7 km ESE of Dinkelsbühl,
    91685 Mönchsroth: 7 km SSE of Dinkelsbühl,
    91634 Greiselbach (not: Grieselbach): 10 km SE of Dinkelsbühl.


    Falkenburg/Falkenberg next to Dinkelsbühl is:
    95685 Falkenberg.


    Kind regards
    Detlef

    Zitat

    Berlin-Bob,
    I'll be studying at the Goethe Institut in Berlin from September to December. I'm already planning to search out universities while I'm there, so some extra points of interest should be within my budget


    There are lots of forum members in and around Berlin, so I'm sure we can help with something or other :)
    And you can get to meet us too. We try and meet up every 2 months or so (Example: next meet is this saturday)


    All the best,
    Bob

    Ò_Ó ...I've been trying to find information on that side of the family for about four years and you find them in like 5 minutes. I think it's official: American sites like Ancestry.com suck. They seem to think that everyone in America is descended from English speaking countries.


    Danke Msi1862 and Detlef.


    And Berlin-Bob, sounds fun :)

    Hi nsane,


    and here you can find something about Waldeck.... http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldeck


    Postings for this area belong to the sub-forum "Hessen". I think you can find the church records for lutheran Hesse in Kassel. but I´m no specialist `cause my ancestors were 100% catholic.... :D


    Good luck and have fun :thumbsup:


    Assi


    Und was ich nicht ändern kann, da bleibe ich weiter dran... (Herbert Grönemeyer)