Germany and German Ancestry

This group was created for anyone interested in researching German Ancestry.
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  • Albertus Lang

    Catherine ,Thanks though thats what you were looking for ,cheers Albertus.
  • Linda Steele Winter

    I am trying to find information on the Charles Augustus Winter line.  He was born in Leipzig, Germany.  Other surnames I am looking for are: Gaiser, Schultz, Mast, Wurth, Hess/or Haas and Finkbeiner.

  • Anne

    Trying to find immigration or ship records for Lieckert (alternate spellings Lickert, leickert, leichert, etc) immigrated to the US abt 1881 and was born abt 1854.  Would have been a single male on arrival and most likely came from Sachsen.  I have also seen some sketchy info that he was from near Eisleben.  When he moved to Kentucky and Married he went by the name George Adam Lieckert or Adam.  I do not know if this is his real name.  I am trying to find his birthplace and the names of his parents.
  • Catherine Davis

    Anne, what about this, from ancestry.com:

    G. A. Luckhardt, 30 yrs, single, occupation= laborer country of origin=Germany

    sailed on SS Rhynland from Antwerp to NY, arriv NY 30 June 1883

     

  • Anne

    Catherine: I'll check it out, thanks!  (Luckhardt. lol another one for the variations list)
  • Stephen Burton

    I am just starting to look into my Frush lineage. I believe that Frush is a German name but am not sure yet. Can anyone help me? I see from looking at immigration records in general many people with that name also came from England to America.
  • Rick Elgin

    Does anyone have information on where to get Catholic archive information from the Bavarian state of Germany?
    My ancestor left Germany in 1867, but I do not know what section of Bavaria there left from.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Rick
    Rwe38133@yahoo.com
  • Catherine Davis

    Stephen-

    www.last-names.net has info on meanings and sources of many surnames. 

    But, note that while this type of info is interesting, it doesn't really help much when trying to find your family.  The only way you can do this is to start with yourself, work backwards through US censuses, vital statistic records, military records, etc. until you find that the birthplace of an ancestor is another country.  Then you can start looking in that country's records.

  • Catherine Davis

    Rick,

    http://wiki-en.genealogy.net/Bavaria_Archives , about half-way down the page.
  • Lesley Ann Edwards

    Hi! I am looking for Kuechler/Kuchler family from Mannheim. I have found some records on LDS, but cannot find some death records and other info. My Gr Gr Grandfather came to Australia and married in NSW and died in QLD. I am trying to find    info of his surviving siblings. My Gr Gr Grandfather was  named Julius Henrich (or Henry in Aust) Kuchler. I have found one possible shipping index online that culd match Julius. I am seeking info regarding his siblings and his parents. The parents names were Johann Phillip (aka Phillip) a Policeman and spouse Sussanah Foeringer/Feringer. I have found their marriage info on LDS. As far aw I am aware they remained in Germany, and did not come to Aust. However, they may have emigrated to another country.

    Hope some one can help with some info

    Cheers!
    Lesley Qld Aust.

  • Cathy Dolinar

    Looking for Schmid, Grieshaber, Engesser, Messmer, Christ, Schrenck from around the Druchhausen area of Germany.  It would be nice to meet a few distant cousins.
  • marguerite Sykes

    I have found sketchy information on family search recently.  In the "box" where an image might be included, the words "image not available online".  O.K., but does that mean an image MIGHT be available if one requested the corresponding film?  The volunteers at our local LDS center didn't know.  Can anyone help on this question?  

     

  • Catherine Davis

    M

    arguerite, yes, I have found relatives on familysearch.org with the "no image available" box and then found the microfilms of the actual records at the LDS family history center.  The film # is given at the bottom of the new familysearch.org record.  Double check the film number in the LDS catalog, however, to make sure, it is the microfilm of a real record and not a microfilm copy of a transcription (sometimes referred to as "typescript").  If there is no film number, I would guess that would mean that the information came from somewhere other than LDS,  but then there is usually a link in the "no image" box that tells you where the record can be found, usually at a cost. 

  • marguerite Sykes

    Thanks, Catherine, for your very prompt answer! The one's I'm interested in indeed have film #s, so I'm hoping a bit more information can be found than is summarized on the page.You mentioned checking the film # in the LDS catalog--can this be done online?
  • Catherine Davis

    Marguerite,

    Yes, you can check the catalog online.  On the homepage, just above the spot where you enter the name for which you are searching, there is line in smaller font that starts "Historical Records."  The third item on that line, in blue, is "Library Catalog."  Click on it.  On the new page, in the first box, use the drop-down arrow to find "film numbers."  Then in the box next to that, put the film number you found for the record in which you are interested.  You'll get the title of the film in purple.  Click on it to get to the details of the film.  If there is more than one title, that means that there is more than one church or whatever on the same film; just click on the name of the one in which you are interested.

  • marguerite Sykes

    again, thanks.  you are a treasure trove of info!
  • Jim Biehn

    Are there any connections available to the Palitine region of Germany for researching the "Biehn and Merten" Surnames?
  • Bob Mooney-Pa

    http://www.genealoger.com/german/ger_emigration_records.htm

    I don't know anyone here has ever seen this site.

    Some of the links are in German and may need to be translated.

    I used babelfish you may want to use something else.

  • Bob Mooney-Pa

    My 2 German names are Wipfler and Stohner. If anyone has these I'd love to know.
  • Ellen Healy

    HI, Bob, Thanks for posting that link. I checked a few as I was scrolling through it- no luck yet, but it will take a while to check it all out. Have a good weekend.

     

    Ellen

  • Robin Borchers

    Hello,

    I am interested in the Borchers family from Hanover, Niedersachen, Germany. Johann Heinrich Borchers, b.14Jul.1797; emigrated to the US and settled in Ohio in the 1820's. He married Catherine Lehmkuhl b.6Jun.1806. They were both born in Germany. Any info on the family anyone has would be appreciated. Thank you.

  • Rod Blaker

    Hi - I am doing a One Name Study of the name Blaker, found everwhere the old German language was used - Scandanavia, Germany, Netherlands, UK, eastern Europe and so on. If you come across this odd beast, I would be very pleased to know about it and thank you.

    rod.blaker@gmail.com

     

  • Susan Teresa Holmes

    Wilhelmina Nesensoh
    my great grandmother 
    Birth 21 May 1855 in Germany, Baden, Karlsruhe area
    Death 30 Jul 1940 in Oakland, Alameda, California

    any sites where I can search the name Nesensoh, all I can find are Male,Nesensoh, No Wilhelmina, or Father's name Matthew

  • Sherril Edward Bilky Jr

    I am researching my German ancestors, I believe that they came from northern Germany possibly the Prussia area no Poland. As i understand the area people did not have surmanes before 1800 so could anyone help point me in the right direction of how to research family in that time frame. It is also my understanding that the government supplied surnames to the people unless they were royalty. any help would be appreciated.
  • Sherril Edward Bilky Jr

    I am searching for the family of Boehlke or Bohlke
  • Catherine Davis

    Sherill, most of Germany had adopted the use of surnames by the 1500s.  A few areas may have used patronymics (Adolph son of Johann know as Adolph Johannson, for example) until the early 1700s.  See https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Germany_Names,_Personal
  • Peter Stines

    I am looking for the Wolfiens in Hannover. Frederick Alexander was born in 1834. His father was a sea captain. The name was changed to "Wolfean" after Frederick came to America in 1854.
  • Peter Stines

    I'm looking for the Fiesels and Tschiedels in Buhlendorf. August and Antonia. August was born around 1858. Not sure of Antonia's birth date. Othe surnames with this line are "Gute"
  • Janet L. Vanderpool

    I am lookong for my Great-granddad,Johann Grob,his 2 wives(Katharina Weiser 1871,Susanna Kistler 1885).The marriages ere in Stinsfurt,Germany.Janet Vanderpool
  • Donna Collmar

    I am looking for any information RE: Gottlieb Collmar born approx:  1821 in Wuettemberg, Germany.  He arrived in the US approx:  1840's.  He married Maria Magdelena Bower/s or Bauer, she was born in Bavaria and has her parents listed on the US census born in Elsas, France.  They settled in different areas of PA.  The last known residency was in Wetzel, WV in 1880.  They had 4 children, William, Catherine, John, and George.  I too, have hit a brick wall.  Any help would greatly be appreciated.  Thanks!

  • Catherine Davis

    @Donna Collmar:  on ancestry.com, I found a ship's manifest for a 16 year old Gottlieb Kollmer, arriving NY on 3 Nov 1840.  He sailed on the Formosa from Le Havre, France.  He was travelling with his parents and siblings:

    Gottlieb Kollmer, 43, farmWuerttemberg                                             Frederica, 46, Wuerttemberg                                                                  Gottlieb, 16, Wuerttemberg                                                                      Barbara 10, Wuerttemberg  Jacob 7, Wuerttemberg

     

    I also found 2 different, entries in naturalization indexes for Philadelphia: 

    Name: Gottlieb Collmar
    Place of Origin: Germany
    Declaration of Intent Date: 7 Nov 1848
    Declaration of Intent Court: Quarter Sessions
    Oath of Allegiance Date: 29 Dec 1854
    Oath of Allegiance Court: Common Pleas
    Signature 1:
    Signature 2: Gottlieb Collmar
    Comment: 17720
  • Catherine Davis

    Sorry, for some reason, my computer locked up and I wasn't able to finish what I started.  Forget my comment that said I found 2 index entries.  The first was just a condensed version of the second, so I only sent the second below. 

     

    The ancestry entry also included the following information on how to obtain a copy of the naturalization record: 

    By writing to the court(s) referenced in this data set, a researcher can receive a copy of an individual's actual naturalization record. An original record typically contains such prime genealogical information as birthplace and birth date, date and place of arrival in the United States, place of embarkation, last foreign address, country of foreign allegiance, current residence, and a physical description.
  • Janet L. Vanderpool

    That's good since my Grandma was natualized in 1905 in Dickinson county,Iowa.I have a question about the e-mail address for Steinsfurt city hall.My computer won't let me use any address that doesnt end in .com.Theirs ends in de.How can I get around this.It would be better if I could contact them by e-mail.Thanks
  • Catherine Davis

    Sorry, I've no idea.  I've never experienced a computer that only allows .com, but I'm not a computer expert.  Perhaps someone else in the group can help.  Or perhaps you could use a computer at your public library, if you can access your email server from there.  If you can't, set up a free yahoo.com or gmail.com account and then access that from the library.

  • Donna Collmar

    @ Catherine Davis

    The information you have provided, I already have in my data base.  Spoke with Washington DC regarding Gottlieb Collmar's Declaration of Intent and his Oath of Allegiance.  The only information on these 2 documents were his signature.   I do know Gottlieb was a cooper/distiller and sales in "Ale".  According to one of his US Census, he was a convict, I believe it was listed in the 1860 Census out of PA.  If, I can locate his criminal record, hopefully I can validate his date of birth.  I am up against a brick wall.  Do you have any suggestions on any other avenues I can pursue?  Thank You so much for your time and information. 

  • Kathy Holland

    I have three German lines that I'm researching--Wombacher, Freukes, and Schmidt. John Wombacher was born in Bavaria in 1809 and died in 1857 in Peoria, Illinois.  William Freukes was born in 1828 in Germany and lived/died (in 1898) in Carver Co. Minnesota.  George Schmidt was born in Prussia in 1850 and lived in Somerset, Wisconsin, and died in Seattle, WA. 

    Anyone sharing the same lines as me??

  • Eileen Hutzel Johnson

    surnames Hutzel  Scherrer born in Baden Germany Berg near French boarder if any one doing research in this area please contact

     

     

  • Margaret McEvoy PLCGS

    I am searching for any descendants of Christoph Schmid, born 1 Jan 1794 , married 1 Mar 1829 in Ottmarsheim, Wuerttemberg, Germany to Elisabetha Ganss.  They emigrated to North America in 1852 from Rotterdam with theri three children:

    Johann Christian, b. 16 Feb 1834

    Johann Christoph, b. 21 Jan 1839

    Rosina Frederike, b; 16 Apr 1843.

    They landed in New York on 24 Jun 1852.  I have been unable to locate a trail from there.

  • Diane Lenz Schmidt

    I need help!  I traced my roots here and now I need to trace what I can in Germany.  My grt grt grandfather and grandmither both came from Germany.  According to one of the census he came from Habersheim, Baden Germany in 1845.  His name was Bonifacius (Boniface) Schmidt.  My grt grt grandmother, according to a census came from Ringsheim, Baden, Germany.  I haven't been able to find when she came here.  They were married in St. Louis Mo. in 1850 so I know she came before that.  Her name was Juliana (Juliene) Kern.  If anyone can help or tell me how to start trcing them in Germany I would appreciate it
  • Catherine Davis

    Diane,

         Check out familysearch.org.  When I plugged in your g-g-grandmother's name, I found two Juliana Kerns baptised in the Catholic church in Ringsheim, one on 21 Feb 1823 and one on 11 Mar 1826, both with the same parents, Aegidius Kern and Monica Weber.  This probably means the first child died, and the family then gave the name to a second child.  The actual image of the record is not online, but the film # 891217 is there, so you can go to any LDS Family History Center and order the film to see the record or to trace the rest of your family. (you do not need to be Mormon to use the FHC.)  But, realize the records will be in German and in an old script.  There is a German script tutorial (free) at  http://script.byu.edu/german/en/welcome.aspx which may be helpful.

    You may want to first play around using the familysearch.org search routine to see if you can find other children of Aegidius and Monica or their parents, but the film will probably be the best bet in the long run.

     

    I couldn't find a Boniface Schmidt from Habersheim, Baden on the familysearch site and I couldn't find Habersheim in the LDS catalog.  But then, I couldn't find Habersheim on either Mapquest or by just googling the town name either.  The closest I came was Habersam in Bavaria or Hattersheim am Main in Hesse.  Are you sure you have the right town?

  • Diane Lenz Schmidt

    Catherine, thank you, as far as Habersheim, It was on a census and hard to read.  It could be anything.  I found something on his sister and her husband coming here and it says she came from Herbolzheim in Werttemburg-Baden.  Their names were Franz Xaver and Johanna Haag.  Anything else you may find is deeply appreciated.  Thank you again. 
  • Helen Pust

    I am looking for August Pust - he pronounced it similar to rust.  He traveled on the Italia from Swinemunde, Germany with New York as destination. Origin: Prussia (Prau Ben)  Zehrten     Ethnicity: Prussian (German)

    August arrived there 02 Jan 1891.  August was born 20 Jan 1868 and all the dox I have he just list Germany or Prussia as place of birth.

    Grandpa lived in Swift County, Minnesota in the Appleton area.  My father was born there in 1900.  The family lived in Danvers Village for a time.  I do not have experience in looking in Germany or other countries that made up Prussia.  Anyone have a suggestion to how I find info it would be very much appreciated.  I hope to take a course in researching German records.  Thanks hope to hear from someone soon    

  • Helen Pust

    My grandfather was August Pust and listed Prussia as birth place.  Have found him in Castle Gardens passenger list on the Italia.  He lived in the Appleton and Danvers Villiage, Minnesota from 1891 to 1903-04.  Later the family came to Alberta Canada and as far as I can find other members of the extended family also came about the same time.  But I cannot find any of the family who would have traveled west with them.  Is there anyone who could help connect the dots with me?  I know my grandmother visited family in Washington around 1911 but there is no name or direct destination mentioned on the Border Crossing papers.  August and Johanna lived in the Big Valley - Settler area of Alberta.
  • Katrinia Louise Monroe

    From now until Sept. 5th, 2011, you can search through passenger lists on ancestry.com for free. Just passing the info along.
  • Frederick george henchell

    Did August Post become a naturalized US citizen?  If so, his citizenship papers would show his place of birth.  That's how I found my great grandfather's birth place.  Depending how long he lived, some of the US census show if he had applied for citizenship.  I was eventually able to get a copy of the application filled out in my relatives handwriting.

     

  • Ellen Healy

    Sadly, Frederick, not all Naturalization papers show place of birth. This information is mostly available on forms after, I think, 1900. I know all of my great-great grandfather's papers (First Papers, Nat. Cert. ) only only say "Germany." He arrived in, according to the census, 1882, and was naturalized in 1892. I do have his Nat. Papers.
  • Marianne Szabo

    For Helen Pust: Family Search.org has several August Pust listings. Some are in Germany, the others are the 1900 and 1910 Census which put him in Illinois. You should be able to tell from the names of the family members if this is "your" August Pust in the censuses.

    https://www.familysearch.org/search/records#count=20&query=%2Bg...
  • Frederick george henchell

    I don't disagree with Ellen's comment.  I just believe that you need to follow every clue and investigate every possibility.  With the outbreak of WWI, many German immigrants in this country applied for citizenship because of the hate and hysteria that was directed towards Germans and Germany.
  • Ellen Healy

    Yes, they did, Frederick. On the 1910 census, my gggrandfather says he if from Germany. By the 1920 census, they state they came from Pennsylvania! :-) The street they lived on in Jersey City was called Germania Avenue, after changed to Liberty Avenue. :-) Amazing stuff- I find this all so interesting.
  • Pavel Kůrečka

    My urgroßvater  and urgroßmutter came to MI in 1870s and no govt. document listed anything but Germany or Prußen.  But their 1870s wedding record kept by the church - in "gothic" German - listed both of their hometowns.  I was able to decipher his and found family records in Jarmen; can not decipher her hometown.