Greetings fellow Engellenners from Down Under. My name is Max Engellenner and I desperately need help to solve the puzzle of our Engellenner ancestry. Can you help? I can trace my family back to Bredstedt in Schleswig Holstein, year 1855. My great-great grandfather was Hans Christian. We believe he was born near Keil. He tragically died in a work-camp for the poor on 17 August, 1855 aged 23. He was a carpenter's apprentice from the Holstein region. The same year Hans died, his son Ernst Christian was born to Margaretha Hedwig Detlefsen in Bredstedt. He was an illegitimate, and we think, only child. We have no info about Ernst other than him arriving in Australia on the ship Grandee, via the port of New York on 4th March, 1877. Ernst was naturalised an Australian citizen in 1897. Our family is descended directly from Ernst. He died in 1927 and is buried at Coburg, Victoria in Australia. The things we would like to know are (1) the parents and siblings of Hans Christian, (2) the circumstances which left him in a workcamp for the poor at 23 years of age, (3) who raised his son Ernst, and where, (4) whether Ernst spent time in America before coming to Australia and if he has any relatives there. I have a comprehensive family tree for Australia and will gladly assist you with any info. Any info will be much appreciated.

Max, sorry I never responded to your letter. we are alive and well in america. long story. not one worth publishing on the web. send me an e-mail and I'll tell you all I know. - Tom

Hi, my Name is Walter Geerz. I came from Germany Hamburg, in 1955 and live now in Kingscliff NSW Australia. Im also very interested in finding out about my Grandfather AUGUST DETLEFSEN he also was in a " WEISENHAUS" work camp? and he was there an apprentist Capenter.He done a lot of work in the constraction of the Rathaus in Hamburg.My Mother Erika Detlefsen and Rudolf Detlefsen where the only two childern from August and Luise (Milde ) I Notist in your comments some Names ,eg. Magarethe Hedwig Detlefsen,could ther be a conection ? I'M also came to an end with my reserge,can we help each other? Thank you, Walter geerz

Hi Walter, my name is Max Engellenner. I was very excited to read your message. There are some similarities in the occupation and localities of the Engellenner's and the Detlefsen's. I have some documents that you may be interested in. If you would like to forward your email address I am happy to email them to you. Kindest regards, Max Engellenner

Hi Tom,
Unbelievably it has now been 7 years since we received your email response to our "Engellenner Mystery". We are just wondering with the time that has passed, whether you may have any information of the origin of the "American Engellenners". We know the origin of every Engellenner in Australia, they originate from my great-great Grandfather Ernst Christian Engellenner. We have his naturalisation papers from 1897 which states that he arrived in Australia on the ship Grandee from the port of New York in 1877. We are trying to find out if there is a connection with the US Engellenners. Any help would be greatly appreciated I can be contacted by enail to engellenner_g@hotmail.com. Warmest Regards to you and your family. Max Engellenner

Hello :) My name is Ashley Engellenner and im 17 years old, almost 18. I live in the united states with my father William. What i know about my family history is that my great grandfather (we called him opa, but his name was Karl Engellenner) lived in germany and was forced to be in Hitlers youth or something of that nature. Meanwhile my great grandmother (i believe she was living in the Ukrain) married a man and had his child and her husband at the time got shipped off to war and they never saw each other again. Lilly got sent to a concentration camp (or a work camp) and they told her that her husband had died at war. While she was in the concentration camp her and Karl met, i heard he would sneak her bread to eat, it sounded very romantic :) Next thing i know they got married and had my grandfather Hans Peter Engellenner. They came to the united states on a boat and lived in California ever since. Thats all i really know tho, Im not sure if our ancesters are connected in any way but i thought id let you know since we have the same last name :)

Hello, my name is Leif Engellenner and I was born in small town in the north of Germany called Schleswig. I still live there. Your message "Engellenner Mystery" is very interesting. My Father is called Wolfgang Otto Engellenner and his uncle Karl Engellenner has emigrated to the USA - Sacramento, California after the second World War. We have visit him and her wife Lilly in 1995 and 2003/04. I have read here a statement from "Ashleye" and I think she talks about my granduncle Karl and Lilly.
In You statement you said something about your ancestry from Bredstedt in Schleswig-Holstein. This is not far away from my hometown Schleswig. So I think we are maybe from the same ancestry.
The reason why I am write to you is that I want to travel to Australia at the end of the year (2012) and perhaps I can meet you? We can talk about my and your whole family. Maybe we can find a part of the Engellenner puzzle...

It would be very nice if I get an information from you. Also you can reach me at Facebook.
Greetings from the north of Germany.