East Prussia - Family History & Genealogy Message Board

Re: Penzeks from Sypitken, Kreis Lyck

jennawillis161 — 2009-11-08 09:09:02Z

It's not the same time frame you are looking for, but I have information on a Johann Penzek (1877 - 1958). Let me know if this could be a relation. This is my great great grandfather and married Lydia Kudsewski.

Re: Looking for BALLWANZ OR BALWANZ

aimee96_1 — 2009-10-23 01:44:45Z

Hello, I finally read your message...hope this finds you well!

Anything that you can offer would be a huge help, as i can not find them anywhere!! It appears that my great-grandfather was dropped in Baltimore Maryland in the early 1900's.

I am originally from Maryland, where most of the Ballwanz's still are.

Looking forward to hearing from you!
Aimee

Re: Info on VON MÜNSTERBERG or MÜNSTERBERG

JeffreyHinz — 2009-10-19 21:17:15Z

Kevin,

My Great Grandparents are von Münsterberg from Königsberg.
Wondering if there is a connection there. Also even though some records were destroyed, there is an archive in Germany in German where you can possibly find the records.

Jeff

Re: Tuleweit/Link in East Prussia

mommyat27 — 2009-10-19 20:27:29Z

I am a Tuleweit. I live in the United States. My Great grandparents moved here from east prussia. my uncle did a lot of research on our family history. i can probably get u some info.

Re: Friedrich Luhrmann

lynbest1 — 2009-10-11 06:45:00Z

Hi,

I was wondering if you had any luck tracing Friedrich Luhrmann. I am a descendant of Louisa Luhrmann.
Thanks,

Lyn Best.
lynbest@bigpond.com

Re: Is Kirschehnen a Place?

bertiekelvie — 2009-09-29 16:12:40Z

I believe you've found it...thank you so much!

Re: Is Kirschehnen a Place?

Georg8585 — 2009-09-29 15:54:31Z

Hello Bertie,

Perhaps it is this place:

http://www.kartenmeister.com/preview/City.asp?CitNum=1375

Kind regards,

Georg

Is Kirschehnen a Place?

bertiekelvie — 2009-09-28 23:47:31Z

I have a record that says several people in a Wottke family were born in Kirschehnen, Ostpreussen, Preussen. I can't find a place called this is any lists of villages, etc. Is this a place?

Re: Searching for REUSS & EWALD

Debutante8 — 2009-09-22 04:32:27Z

Thank you, Maria!! It's been many years and I just saw your post!!

Re: Who are my parents and where was I born?

Snuplily — 2009-09-08 19:46:47Z

Georg

Your kindness is greatly appreciated.

< This website is in German. If you need help I can make and send you PDF-documents to your E-mail-address.>
My German is only my heritage, not a language I speak or read, unforturately, if I my impose on you and have you send PDF-documents to Snuplily2@aol.com, I would be most greatful.

Re: Who are my parents and where was I born?

Georg8585 — 2009-09-06 18:14:41Z

Hello Trudell,

I did some search on your behalf and found in the address-book for Berlin a person named LEYCK, C. Sometimes it was written LEYK, C. The time-period was 1849 - 1875. His occupation was "Postconducteur". This profession is a little bit difficult to explain, one could say he was a postman in general. I attach a screenshot for the year 1871, maximum zoomed. In the year 1871 he was a retired "Postconducteur".
He lived in BERLIN, NIEDERSCHÖNHAUSERSTR. 16 . (Please pay attention to the umlaut"O" )
You'll find the address-books of Berlin online:
http://adressbuch.zlb.de/
This website is in German. If you need help I can make and send you PDF-documents to your E-mail-address.

Kind regards,

Georg

Re: Who are my parents and where was I born?

Snuplily — 2009-09-06 15:13:56Z

Georg,

In a letter from someone else they came up with this:
<
Friedrichshagen belongs today to "Treptow-Köpenick".Schönhauser Allee 6 belongs to the District"Prenzlauer Berg".It's located between the Subwaystations"Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz" and "Senefelder Straße" and it is about 2 Miles away from the Brandenburg Gate.So i would guess that he lived in Köpenick or in Prenzlauer Berg>

This is all the information I have except the names and deaths of Carls children.

Trudell

Re: Who are my parents and where was I born?

Snuplily — 2009-09-06 15:10:58Z

Georg,

This is a copy of my original post. It does have some information about the area in Berlin that I think the Leycks lived in
<
I am
(HENRY)EMIL LEYCK also spelt LEYK
Born 1843-1845
Occupation Watchmaker
Last Residence Prussia
Arrived from Bremen in the US Oct 11, 1866
married Margaretha Schmitt born NY 1852
Son Fredrick Conrad LEYCK born 1875 NY

I may be from Friedrichshagen, a district of Berlin, as I have a picture taken before I left for American. I also have a picture of an older man, my father (?) taken by von Albert Dummel in Friedrichshaben on Muggel Lake, Muhlenweg, 7 near Bad Bellevedere. (now Treptow-Kopenick?)
Another picture is a women, my mother(?) taken by Edward von Tannhof Berlin, Schonhauser Allee No 6 and 7(?) near the gate. (now Pankow?)
These pictures were all taken before 1866.

I would like your help in finding out where I was born and name of my parents.

Please contact my Great, Great, Grand daughter below.
Any help would greatly be appreciated.
Emil LEYCK>
Trudell

Re: Who are my parents and where was I born?

Snuplily — 2009-09-06 15:00:55Z

Georg,

I'm sorry to say that I know nothing about Carl Leyck other than he married Friederike Emile Knopf and their children were christened at Sankt Georgen, Berlin Stadt, Brandenburg, Prussia. I have a tin type of Carl and his wife Friederike and in my records which I will have to get out of storage, I have some information on where the pictures were taken. Other spellings of Carls last name are Leyk.
His son Emil,my Great Grandfather was born in Berlin between 1843 and 1848. He was a watchmaker when he came to America. He married here to Margaretha Schmidt/Schmitt who was born in 1848 in Mainz. Emil traveled back and forth to Germany(I'm guessing to see his folks) several times.

Re: Who are my parents and where was I born?

Georg8585 — 2009-09-03 16:57:20Z

Hello Trudell,

Do you know anything about the profession of Carl Leyck?
Family lore etc.

Kind regards,

Georg

Re: Who are my parents and where was I born?

Snuplily — 2009-09-01 15:47:58Z

I was born in Berlin. Carl Wilhelm and Friederike Emile Knopf are possibly my parents. Can anyone confirm this for me, please.

Change of email address

rusticgal — 2009-08-27 16:15:13Z

I have changed my email since adding this post.

My new email addresses are:-

rustic_girl2003@yahoo.com.au

rusticgal@tadaust.org.au

Denise

Re: Wishnevrin?

nulls — 2009-08-22 15:40:51Z

Klaus,

Thank you for the prompt and informative response. (I didn't have the page "alerts" set properly, so I didn't know a reply had been posted. I think I've fixed that.)

Please let me know if you can give me any additional hints about researching the Waschkewitz family in this area.

Regards,
Gary

RUHR/WITT/LASS and Location of Dorf Hartwick

JenBawden — 2009-05-19 11:11:07Z

Hi everyone,

In going through some old obituaries and files, I found my 3g-grandmother's obituary. Her name was Caroline. Unfortunately, I don't know her last name, but she married a Carl/Karl RUHR about 1850. Her obituary states she was born in "Dorf Hartwick", East Prussia, Germany. I know that dorf translates to village, but Hartwick has me thrown. She and her daughter never learned English so I'm guessing that this was translated through her granddaughter.

Her daughter was Henrietta RUHR WITT LASS. She was born about 1855. Family story has that she first married a John (Johann?) Witt. He was thrown from a horse and died in 1882. She then married an August LASS in 1883. He was born about 1856. According to her obituary, August was from Gruenhagen. Again, an English translation nearly 60 years after the fact. They came to the US in 1889 and settled in Iowa.

I apologize for this being so long, but I've included everything that I know about this couple.

Is there anyone out there who would be so kind as to help me figure this out and help me find where and what "Dorf Hartwick" actually might be?

Thank you so much in advance.

Re: WEISSBERG / WEISBERG of Heinrichau bei Dohlau, Osterode, East Prussia

KenNeumann134 — 2009-07-13 16:16:35Z

Thanks for your interest, encouragement and comments. Yes, the given names do get repeated due to the naming pattern-- 1st son named after paternal grandfather, 2nd son after maternal grandfather, etc.
The families in Germany known to have survived WWII have been in good contact with e-mails, phone calls, and letters. But there may be more unknown relatives, and there are still gaps in the list, as one can see. One wonders what happened with the rest of the family. If you or anyone else can help, it would be appreciated.

Re: Gurkow Standesamt

otti69fant — 2009-06-29 09:19:08Z

I cannot help with your research, but you are wrong in the message board. East Prussia is hundreds of miles away from Gurkow, which was in County Friedeberg in the Neumark area of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, ca. 50 km east of the Oder river and the city of Frankfurt/Oder. Frankfurt/Oder is German, but the Oder river is the German-Polish border. All areas east of the Oder river are part of Poland today. The areas west of the Oder river are German and part of the federal state of Brandenburg.
Today Gorkow/Gorki Noteckie is part of the town of Zwierzyn.See "http://www.zwierzyn.pl/content.php?cms_id=18&lang=pl&...", but you need a polish translation.
Here is the address of the administration, but I cannot say whether they understand English:
Gmina strzelecko-drezdenecki,
ul. Wojska Polskiego 8,
66-542,
Zwierzyn,
Poland

Re: WEISSBERG / WEISBERG of Heinrichau bei Dohlau, Osterode, East Prussia

dhale1231 — 2009-07-13 01:37:35Z

Not related to you, but would like to encourage you.
My dad's (Klemm/Boesler/Rendelmann/Koch/Klopp) tree was Prussian. Your listed names reads like my entire family album's first names. I see in mom's Stuttgart area also redundancy in first names. Part is the repetition of newborns carrying pat/maternal middle names, etc. I am finding success communicating with those whom my family last corresponded to (in my case) writing or emailing to them in Germany as the rememberances remain, even despite war-changing things and locales. Respects.

Re: Julius Hirsch, Johanna Hirsch, nee Rawitz/Rawicz

Phoibus — 2009-08-18 13:34:42Z

I have no connections to the Selbiger family!

B'Shalom

Robert

Re: Looking for particular persons near Konigsberg prior to WW2

cudaman — 2009-06-28 17:25:38Z

I am looking for shmidts who left East Prussia before or
after ww11 to Germany.How did you find the boat they left
on and from where?Is there a site or what?

Wishnevrin?

nulls — 2009-07-26 15:43:10Z

Where is/was Wishnevrin, East Prussia?

According to my family written history, my gr-grandfather, Karl Washkewitz was born 07 Oct 1862 in Wishnevrin, East Prussia.

I can't locate a city or region named "Wishnevrin" or similar spelling.

Can anyone help me with this or suggest a site for searching old maps of East Prussia?

Gary

Leisuhnen (or Leysuhnen), Heiligenbeil area

Betti67 — 2009-07-03 08:29:41Z

Hi,
if anybody got ancestors from Leisuhnen (Mueller and/or Jaehnke), I would like to hear from you.
Thanks, Bettina

Re: Julius Hirsch, Johanna Hirsch, nee Rawitz/Rawicz

bumi2004 — 2009-08-18 13:13:47Z

You mentioned the name SELBIGER from Danzig. What do you know about them?

Re: Koenigsberg - Surnames Becker, Palakszt, Sasse, Thorun

newger165 — 2009-06-04 17:27:01Z

Hello, I'am from Germany. I've more interested for any Informations of Newger an their family.

Also I can give Informations for my Family "Newger".
I live in Hamburg and my Family is from Königsberg.

Thanks so lot
greetings

Kurt-Juergen Newger

Re: Anna Poier

melszoo — 2009-04-23 15:28:35Z

Thanks for your help.
My ancestors were German ... don't think I mentioned that in my original post.

Re: Deciphering a Town Name

kalypso56 — 2009-08-10 13:10:01Z

Thank you so much for your suggestions. Someone else suggested that the stone reads Radumein and that the correct village would have been Radomin.If said that Radumein may be the English spelling for Radomin. I don't know, but I believe that Ultman's American wife had no idea how to spell it and that the stone carver put what he heard her say on the stone, either that or she wrote it down for him that way. Whatever it is we know it isn't the Prussian spelling. I don't write or speak German so I don't want to discount yours or any one else's suggestions. There is an LDS library just 20 miles from me so I think that I will take everyone's suggestions and see if they can help me get the records I need. Thank you for suggesting the baptismal record. I would never have thought of that because I've never done research for Ultman Jergins and his family outside the United States. In fact, I have a feeling that when he came here, that immigrations, if there was such a thing then, changed the spelling. His German may not even resemble Jergins. I've heard that it may have been Yuergins, Yergins, Juergens and several others. I am grateful for your help. Cathey

Deciphering a Town Name

kalypso56 — 2009-08-07 12:34:35Z

My Great-great-great-great-Grandfather Ultman Jergins is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Huntsville, Walker Co., Texas. We have always been told that he was born in Rodanier, Prussia April, 1789. I have found no records for a town by that name. I recently received a headstone photo from a kind volunteer. It has the name of the town, but I can't read it all. I have attached the photo hoping someone else will recognize it. I sincerely appreciate any help deciphering it!!! Cathey

Re: Jokschies surname - German equivalent

spammix — 2009-07-06 21:06:55Z

Thank you very very much for this information!! I am very excited to get more info on where to search about Jokschies. We thought we were stuck and had nowhere to look. Now you have given us more information and we are very excited.

Thank you for taking your time to answer my request.

Best wishes to you,
Pam Mix

Re: Jokschies surname - German equivalent

unserewurzeln — 2009-07-03 21:45:12Z

HI !

OMG is this tricky !I thought about one hour about your article. Well I will write sth.
The place is named RUMZEN in former http://www.ortsfamilienbuecher.de/memelland/index.php?lang=e... east prussia ( Memel land),today in lithuania.
It could be that your ancestor came with a brother ? Anton ?
http://castlegarden.org/quick_search_detail.php?p_id=6362705

As you know, can the sile of writing be different. See :
http://www.ortsfamilienbuecher.de/namelist.php?nachname=JOGS...

Other good source : www.stevemorse.org

memeldaten@hotmail.de they search intensiv for this area, ask here for help.

If I have any idea more, i´ll let you know.
For the roots : I gess, Josch (engl.Josh)is the name. It is a shortform of eastern name Janosch = Jan/Ian. Ending -ie/-y = diminutiv . Joschie /Joschy = little Jan. ´s = possesiv = little Jan´s

Re: Looking for birthplace of Eduard OTTO and Luise SCHMIDT

unserewurzeln — 2009-07-03 20:01:27Z

Hi !

It could be, that his "Meldekarte/registration card" still exist.
http://www.landesarchiv-berlin.de/lab-neu/pic/03/_04/emk_eng...

http://www.landesarchiv-berlin.de/lab-neu/start.html

By the way : Schlachter = slaughterer.

Good luck !

Re: Looking for particular persons near Konigsberg prior to WW2

unserewurzeln — 2009-07-03 19:43:50Z

Hi !

If the red cross has reunited them,ask for the info there.
I´m born in Warburg and a classmate ´s mom worked at the ITS in Bad Arolsen ( 20km from Warburg).
http://www.its-arolsen.org/en/homepage/index.html
If you have further info contact me. I will help you to find them .Do you know any adress? It doesn´t matter, if the adress is 40 or 50 years old ?
contact : unserewurzeln@gmx.de

Re: Leisuhnen (or Leysuhnen), Heiligenbeil area

unserewurzeln — 2009-07-03 19:32:18Z

Hi !

I search in eastprussia at the area of morag ( german : Mohrungen). It´s about 80 km from Heiligenbeil.My favorite page for eastprussia :
kartenmeister ( = map master).com
http://www.kartenmeister.com/preview/City.asp?CitNum=7396
I hope the link works, the page is multilingual.
There is a person searching in this area : Manfred.Boettcher@gmx.de, he has added his adress to be contacted.
and :andkor@aol.com
http://www.kartenmeister.com/preview/City.asp?CitNum=7397

Leysuhnen belonged to the civil register of the town KARBEN.There are some register for "Karben" filmed by LDS/Mormons.Give place : Karben . Karben was in eastprussia/today Russia.The second & third towns are equal.
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermain...
If you get no results, I can maybe help you with land and propetery.This is filmed in statearchiv Göttingen/germany. I can call them ,and ask if they have any additional documents of this area.The tax lists are filmed in Königsberg,today Kaliningrad/Russia.

Good luck !

I found church records for Stallupönen / East prussia

unserewurzeln — 2009-08-04 10:10:20Z

A few weeks ago I responded to sb, who was searching in Stallupönen and don´t find him / her to contact.
Today I found online that the protestant churcharchiv in Berlin stores records.
Stallupönen, Kreis Stallupönen / Ostpreußen

ab 16.7.1938 Ebenrode; ab 7. 9. 1938 Kreis Ebenrode

Taufen /baptizm

1729 – 1744 No. 1703 Stadt- und Landgemeinde
1766 – 1775 No. 1704(Namensverzeichnis)/Stadt-und Land
1767 – 1793 No. 1705(Namensverzeichnis)reform.Stadt-& Land
1775 – 1792 No. 1707(Namensverzeichnis)Stadt-& Land
1793 – 1799 No. 1708(Namensverzeichnis)Stadt-& Landgemeind
1794 – 1803 No. 1706(Namensverzeichnis)reform. Stadt&Land
1799 – 1807 No. 1709 Stadt- und Landgemeinde
1807 – 1816 No. 1710(Namensverzeichnis)reform.Stadt-& Land
1816 – 1838 No. 1711(Namensverzeichnis)Stadtgemeinde 1817 – 1830 No. 1712(Namensverzeichnis)Landgemeinde

Trauungen / marriage

1768 – 1824 No. 1713 Stadt- und Landgemeinde
1824 – 1856 no. 1714 Stadt- und Landgemeinde

Bestattungen / burial

1725 – 1767 No. 1715 Stadt- und Landgemeinde
1766 – 1775 No. 1704 Stadt- und Landgemeinde
1767 – 1793 No. 1705 Stadt- und Landgemeinde
1775 – 1815 No. 1716 Stadt- und Landgemeinde
1794 – 1803 No. 1706(Namensverzeichnis)Stadt-&Landgemeinde
1815 – 1823 No. 1716 Landgemeinde
1815 – 1841 No. 1718 Stadtgemeinde
1823 – 1847 No. 1717 Landgemeinde

Konfirmationen / confirmation

1800 – 1832 No. 1718A
1841 No. 1718A
1850, 1852 No. 1718A
1854 No. 1718A

Bemerkungen / additions :

beschädigt, Lücken / damaged, vacancies :
1703

source : http://www.ezab.de/index.html

If you need help, contact me : unserewurzeln@gmx.de

Re: Deciphering a Town Name

unserewurzeln — 2009-08-09 20:31:49Z

sorry, correct mail : pankratius@pfarrverband-weilerswist.de

Re: Deciphering a Town Name

unserewurzeln — 2009-08-09 20:29:18Z

Hi !
I would like to try :
I read BODENEIM. The correct spelling would be with -h- = Bodenheim. This place exists twice in germany but only one of them in the former prussia. It is :Lommersum - Bodenheim Kreis / district :Euskirchen
Meyers Orts- und Verkehrslexikon edit 1912/13 :
Lommersum ,distr. Euskirchen,Prussis, rhineland, administrativ district : Koeln, Local Court:Euskirchen,...Bodenheim 3,4 km distance, 178 inhabitants
LDS :http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermain...
You can find Lommersum on google maps. A few hundert meter south is Bodenheim.
kath. parish / kath. Kirche St. Pankratius
Walramstr.12
53919 Weilerist
germany
0049 2251 2313 tel
0049 2251 57296 fax
pankratius@pfarrverband-weilertwist.de

Ask for the baptism entry of your ancestor. I hope this is the right place.
Good luck.

Re: Anyone know how to get records from Koenigsberg East Prussia?

unserewurzeln — 2009-08-16 20:08:49Z

Hi !

The LDS have a lot about Königsberg. I think one book is good.
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermain...
This book is availb. in my local univeritaty bibliothek. I will check it for you.
http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/fhlcatalog/supermain...

The correct spelling is : von BORRIES.
Example : ttp://www.familievonborries.de/ or :
http://www.vborries.net/

You can contact the family ,they`re intersted in geneal. The pages are very interesting .Maybe you know sb speaking german to translate for you.

Good Luck !

Re: Jokschies surname - German equivalent

unserewurzeln — 2009-08-10 13:28:44Z

Hi !

The book is a good advice. It is availb. in the local universitary library. I can rent it for free. You can give me all info you have. I will pick up the books ( 2 edition) at home.

Re: Wishnevrin?

KlausWa — 2009-07-27 10:06:16Z

Gary,
I assume you are searching for the village of Wischniewen, district of town of Lyck, former german state of Ostpreußen
( east prussia ). Wischniewen was newnamed as Kölmersdorf
( Koelmersdorf ) on 16.july 1938. Surname Waschkewitz was familiar in Kölmersdorf until 1945.

Klaus

Von Werthern family in Koenigsburg, East Prussia

DavidVanBergen51 — 2009-06-07 04:06:59Z

I am looking for any information on Graf Johann George von Werthern or his son Baron Rudolph Otto von Werthern or the Graf Hans von Werthern estate somewhere near Koenigsburg, East Prussia.

Re: Von Werthern family in Koenigsburg, East Prussia

DavidVanBergen51 — 2009-06-17 04:41:46Z

The Von Werthern family time frame I am interested in is the 1700's through 1800's.

Re: KANNAPINN in East Prussia

pcorbin9512 — 2009-06-20 13:06:54Z

For many years I have tried to locate information about my gg grandmother who traveled from Gr. Potanern, Prussia to Ellis Island, New York City in 1893. Her name was Bertha ??Kannapinn(Kanepin) Nolde Motzkus. She came with 3 small children, Adolf, Rudolf and Richard Nolde. Bertha traveled to New Orleans to marry Frank W Motzkus Sr. on May 4, 1893. I have a copy of the marriage license but it is difficult to read/decipher. Other names on the license include Ferdinand Motzkus, Caroline ?? Kiskemits ??, Frederick (Kanepin), Henrietta (Henriette) Foss, Maria (Mary ?) Plaswirth (Plaswich ?), and Pete Plaswirth (Plaswich ?). I have information for Bertha after that but nothing about her or her family before the trip to Ellis Island. I am certainly interested in any information that might help me with this wall...I realize it's a shot in the dark but... Thank you for reading this post.

Re: Looking for particular persons near Konigsberg prior to WW2

halpark — 2009-06-29 22:50:12Z

Schmidt (Smith) is about the most common name in Germany, you will need a lot more than that to make a start. If they left before WW2 they would be much more likely to have left by train than any other way. If they fled in 1945 they would have used anything, horses, carts, mainly on foot, if they did leave by boat (a comparatively small number did), no one was keeping any records, if you crammed on board a ship you were mostly just lucky. If they stayed and managed to survive until the final expulsions it was trains (cattle trucks) mostly into what became East Germany. To make a real start you need a full name and the actual town/village they came from, other wise I do not think you will make much progress. Good luck anyway.

Re: RUHR/WITT/LASS and Location of Dorf Hartwick

halpark — 2009-06-08 20:53:22Z

If you look under "Kartenmeister" you will find you can put in as little as the first letter of a town/village and the province Ostpreussen and it will throw up everything starting with that letter. There was a Hartwichs in Pruessisch Holland, Ostpreussen which is now Bukowa in the Polish province of Elblaskie, ca. 3.4km from Grunhagen, nowadays Zielonka Paslecka There was also a Hartwich Vorwerk (this last word puzzles me as it does not really sound like a place name - but!). This was in Mohrungen, Ostpreussen and is nowadays Warkalki in Olsztynskie Province in Poland about 4 km from Gross Hermanau, today Niebrzydowo Wielkie in Poland. What is particularly interesting about this site is that when you have pinned down your town there is an opportunity to email other people who are interested in the same place, which might lead anywhere. Hope this helps.

Re: Anna Poier

halpark — 2009-04-23 15:42:23Z

I think one of the things that is often overlooked is the almost unbelievable mix-up of nationalities in this area - people would say they were Russian and Polish at the same time because they were Poles who lived in the Russian Empire, likewise people living in Hungary would say they were Hungarian and Austrian (nothing to do with today's Austria). As German was the official language of the Austro-Hungarian Empire it was very easy for "Germans" to move about large areas, e.g. for work. However Poier is not a very common name, there are only 38 entries in the German telephone book (dastelefonbuch.de). Have you thought of writing a polite letter to some/any of them and asking if they have ever heard of your ancestor? The worst that could happen is that they do not reply - and it will only cost a stamp. Best of luck.

Re: Deciphering a Town Name

halpark — 2009-08-09 15:31:17Z

What a pity the kind person did not try to mark out the letters with something! It is really almost impossible to decipher all the letters but perhaps someone who knows of the place might recognise it. In case nothing better comes along you might try progenealogist.com/german/prussia/pru-r.htm. There is a list of place names and you could look at those starting with Rad, which seems clear although it could be Red, and see if you could connect any of them with some other information you have, e.g. there is Radomen, Radem and Radzien aqmongst others. Hope this suggestion might help - but also hope someone really knows!

Re: Surnames Reddig, Enskat, Laaser, Laser, Griegereit, Bartel, Tautkus, Domscheit, Besmen

maxpropp — 2009-07-21 22:04:19Z

To meghan Laaser. My mother's surname was Laaser. She was from Splitter a suburb of Tilsit East Prussia Germany. She had a big family there. If you think there is a connection please contact me. Max Propp. My email address is maxpropp@sympatico.ca