Hi!
You are not related to the Plachta/Plicht/Pleeth/Plight family. [Quick history: Original name was Plachta. When family moved from Lodz in Poland, they took the anglicized names of Pleeth or Plicht. When the Plicht branch realized that Plicht was a really lousy attempt to anglicize the name, they changed it to Plight.]
When I first started looking into the family, all I had to go on was Plicht: I did not know that the original family name was Plachta.
I ended up speaking to a very wonderful gentleman called Professor Johannes van der Plicht (
j.van.der.plicht@rug.nl), who has a very extensive knowledge of his family history. His son is the musician, Michiel van der Plicht. I am sure that you must be a relative of his.
I also corresponded with the delightful Plicht brothers of Germany, mainly Ekki:
http://www.plicht.de/Either Prof. van der Plicht or Ekki told me that Plicht (Ger. Pflicht) does not necessarily mean duty. (And, yes, I grew up thinking that my name was "duty"). "Eine Plicht (umgangssprachlich auch: Cockpit) ist ein Teil an Deck eines Sportbootes mit Steuerstand und Sitzgelegenheiten." Check Wikipedia! A "Plicht" is part of a boat.
Prof. van der Plicht and Ekki are such lovely people that I would have certainly enjoyed having them as cousins! Of course, the Plachta/Pleeth/etc. family is Jewish, and Prof. van der Plicht and Ekki (and, I assume yourself) are Christians.
I doubt if they will remember me, but if you do correspond with them, please send my best.
Best wishes,
Chana Rochel (Alison) Marvin nee Plight
Currently of the USA, but formerly of London, England