Genealogy Research in Germany

Ricka, both Flammersfeld and Birnbach are actually part of the Westerwald and not the Palatinate. The Westerwald (half way between Frankfurt and Cologne). In 1947 the Westerwald became part of the newly founded Federal State of Rhineland-Palatinate. Culturally they've got nothing to do with the Palatinate. The Westerwald became part of the Prussian kingdom in 1815. Before that it was split across several other shires: The counties of Sayn-Altenkirchen, Sayn-Hachenburg, The Dukes of Hatzfeld, and the Electorates of Cologne and Trier. The following website might help you further: http://www.genealogienetz.de/index_en.html.

Ricka, the German word for Palatinate is Pfalz. You're looking for Rheinische Pfalz which indeed was controlling Bavaria and Düsseldorf at that time. Here is a link that you might have already found yourself: http://www.auswanderermuseum.de. And here is a name list of people who emmigrated the Pfalz and where they immigrated: http://www.kindelberger.de/de/Auswanderer/AUSWAN_1/auswan_1.HTMThe headers of the table are: Last Name, First Name, Date of Birth, Date of Emmigration, Destination of Emmigration, Date of death, Location where they died. For even more info google "Pfalz Auswanderung". What's the Palatinatian family name you're looking for?

Thanks for the link to the list. It looks like all the people on that list left after 1737. The two families I'm looking for left in 1709. They are Johannes George Phillip Finckel and his wife Anna Catherina (maiden name unknown). I'm also looking for information on the family their son married in to, Johann Wilhelm Linck and his wife Anna Eva Firsbach. According to Linck(en) descendant genealogies, JWL was born around 1680 in Birnbach, and Anna Eva was born in September 1685 in Flammersfeld.

Thanks so much, Andreas. I thought that the Linck(en)s might be from another part of Germany. Even though it was called the "Palatinate" migration, by the middle of 1709 word had swept across Germany that England would send anyone who wanted to go to America. Of course, the English government got cold feet when thousands of people showed up in Holland, looking for transport. Apparently, both the Finckels and Linck(en)s got to England either by paying their own passage, or possibly with help from Dutch charities.

Ricka, if you want check the two leading German online white pages for those last names or variations of it. www.telefonbuch.de and www.11880.com. PLZ means ZIP code, Ort = Town, city. Do you happen to know or have you come across any other city/village/town name in your research?

Good idea. Another place name: Johannes Linck(en)'s father Jost Linck was born sometime around 1628-1675 in Hetzmenzen.

Hm, see for yourself: "Hetzmenzen" can't even be googled... And I've even tried variations on the spelling. Please try to find out the correct spelling...

Yes, I couldn't find it either. I was surprised that none of the family genealogists have been to Germany--except the guys who fought in the wars, and they were pretty busy. It's amazing how much incorrect and fanciful information gets passed down over the years. Don't even get me started on my English ancestors. Thanks for the info you've given me. I should be able to figure out where to look next, when I get there.

The long-term capital of the Palatinate region was Mannheim. Still today their castle is the largest one in Germany and looks like a Versailles replica. They've got a history museum called Reiss-Engelhorn-Museum. Maybe those guys can halp you, too. Also you can just google the name of the villages you mentioned and find the contact details of the mayors or village administration who at least could tell you where to look. It looks like that typical rental car trip though. Good thing is. All the locations are within a 2 hours drive of Frankfurt...

We are using our friends' Heidelberg home as a base of operations. My husband has relatives in Speyer, so we'll be visiting there, too. A rental car seems to be about the best choice.

Heidelberg and Speyer both are great. Don't forget to visit the http://www.technik-museum.de/...

Thanks for all of your help, Andreas. I heard from a distant relative yesterday and we've narrowed down the probable location my ancestors came from. Family connections that spanned 3 generations led us to the Hachenburg area. Flammersfeld is only about 27 km from there.

Thanks again!
Ricka

So now we know it's Westerwald for sure, not Palatinate. Hachenburg dates back at least to the year 1180 and was capital of the county of the Von Sayn dynasty who built the Hachenburg (burg=castle). Today Hachenburg is known to the finance industry as the University of the German Bundesbank is located there. Also Hachenburger beer is at least very well known in the Westerwald area...

According to Wikipedia, it's in Rheinland-Pfalz--although in the far northern corner. That makes sense, based on where most of that group of immigrants were supposed to be from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachenburg_%28Verbandsgemeinde%29

I wanted to see the castle, anyway. I also read on another family's public genealogy page that the local church still has birth and marriage records from the period that old JGP Finckel was born and married. How do you think I'll do with the church officials with my limited German?