faq.ostpreussen
Adalbert Goertz
ow-pre...@genealogy.net
PRUSSIA...@rootsweb.com
From: Adalbert Goertz
re: FAQ.ostpreussen (East Prussia)
June 1997
Please, send any correction and suggestions to
be...@yfn.ysu.edu
------------------------------
CONTENTS:
Q1: What and where was Prussia?
Q2: What about the kings in Germany?
Q3: Who were the Prussian kings?
Q4: What were the administrative areas of Ostpreussen (East Prussia)?
Q5: What were the "old" administrative areas of East Prussia?
Q6: What were the court districts in Ostpreussen before 1900?
Q7: Are there secular records of interest to family researchers?
Q8: Is there a listserv for East Prussia family researchers?
Q9: Are there maps available for Ostpreussen before 1945?
Q10: What book discusses hints and sources for East German searchers?
Q11: How many Mennonites lived in Ostpreussen (East Prussia)?
Q12: Is there a website which has Prussian Mennonnite records posted?
Q13: Where can I get information on archives in Poland?
Q14: What was the religion of people in Ostpreussen (East Prussia)?
Q15: What were the land measurements in Prussia?
Q16: How do you pronounce place names?
Q17: What were the classes of country people before 1900?
Q18: When were civil registers introduced?
Q19: Are there links to dictionaries on the web?
Q20: Are there emigration records available?
=============================================
Q1: What and where was Prussia?
A1: The answer depends on the time frame:
1a) Prussia was a region which before 1772 consisted of what was later
known as
East Prussia (Ostpreussen) with capital of Koenigsberg, a duchy since
1525, a kingdom of the Hohenzollern dynasty since 1701
and
West Prussia (Westpreussen) with the Hanseatic cities of Danzig, Elbing,
Thorn, and Culm, part of Poland referred to as Polish Prussia before 1772.
1b) In 1772 King Friedrich II of Prussia annexed Polish Prussia (without
the Danzig Territory) calling it West Prussia (Westpreussen) and
united it with East Prussia. In 1793 King Friedrich Wilhelm II also
annexed the Danzig and Thorn Territories, and 1793/1795 larger areas
of Poland which were called South Prussia (Suedpreussen) and New East
Prussia (Neu-Ostpreussen).
The kingdom of Prussia at this time was not part of Germany. Koenigsberg was
capital and coronation city of the Prussian kings. Terms like
German government or German army have no meaning for this time period.
2) In 1806 Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Europe and abolished the German
empire and the title of Kaiser for Germany (capital:Wien or Vienna).
The Kaiser in Wien-Vienna became Kaiser of Austria with no power in the rest
of Germany. After Napoleon's final defeat in 1815 the kingdom of Prussia became
known as "Die Vereinigten Preussischen Staaten" (United Prussian
States) which now also included provinces like Schlesien/Silesia,
Brandenburg,Pommern/Pomerania and areas as far west as the Rhine province.
Berlin now became the Prussian capital.
Until 1806 the Hohenzollern sovereign had many titles and hats from
Head of the Evangelic Church to King, Elector, Grandduke, Duke for the
various regions and realms under his rule. After 1806 he simply was
King of Prussia.
Terms like German government or German army have no meaning for this time
period until 1871.
3) In 1871 Germany as an empire with a Kaiser was reestablished with
Berlin as the capital of Germany and Prussia and with the Prussian king also
having the title of German Kaiser.
All monarchies in Germany were abolished in 1918, Prussia was declared
defunct in 1945 by the Allied victors. The original (East and West) Prussia
was cleansed of its ethnic German population and given to Poland and Russia.
The Western powers were silent on the ethnic cleansing of original Prussia
and Eastern Germany resulting in 12 millions of German refugees.
Q2: What about the kings in Germany?
A2: Before 1806 Germany was one kingdom and empire with one Kaiser and one
king who resided in Wien (Vienna). He was elected by the collegium of
Kurfuersten (electors) who in 1800 were the
3 archbishops of Koeln (Cologne), Mainz and Trier and the
4 secular electors of Rhine-Pfalz, Brandenburg, Sachsen(Saxony), and
Boehmen(Bohemia).
The electors of Brandenburg and Sachsen had also ambitions to acquire the
title of king. Since they could not acquire this title inside Germany they
succeeded outside Germany:
Brandenburg by declaring themselves "King in Prussia" at Koenigsberg in 1701,
Sachsen by getting elected as King of Poland in 1697.
The Kaiser in Wien was powerless to prevent this ploy.
By 1806 Napoleon Bonaparte changed all that. Germany no longer was a kingdom
and empire. The titles of Kurfuerst (elector) became meaningless and was
abolished and changed to Kings of Bohemia, Prussia, Saxony, Bavaria,
Wuerttemberg, and Hannover by Napoleon's grace.
The archbishops and catholic church lost all their secular power in 1803.
Q3: Who were the Prussian kings?
A3: Kurfuerst (Elector) Friedrich III was crowned first king Friedrich I
in Koenigsberg in 1701, died 1712, his son was
King Friedrich Wilhelm I, 1712-1740, intolerant, his son was
King Friedrich II the Great (Old Fritz), 1740-1786, his nephew was
King Friedrich Wilhelm II, 1786-1797, intolerant, his son was
King Friedrich Wilhelm III, 1797-1840, his son was
King Friedrich Wilhelm IV, 1840-1861, his brother was
King Wilhelm I, 1861-1888, became Kaiser 1871, his son was
Kaiser and King Friedrich III, 1888 (99 days), his son was
Kaiser and King Wilhelm II, 1888-1918.
Q4: What were the administrative areas of Ostpreussen (East Prussia)?
A4: Between 1824-1878 there was one Province of Prussia which later
was divided into two provinces with capitals in Koenigsberg and Danzig.
This changed drastically after Word War I (1918).
In 1815-1900 there were the following districts and Kreise (counties):
Regierungsbezirk (district) of Koenigsberg with 20 Kreise (counties):
*Allenstein,*Braunsberg,Preussisch-Eylau,Fischhausen,Friedland,Gerdauen,
Heiligenbeil,*Heilsberg,Preussisch-Holland,Koenigsberg-Stadt,Kbg-Land,
Labiau,Memel,Mohrungen,Neidenburg,Ortelsburg,Osterode,Rastenburg,
*Roessel,Wehlau.
- * marks a Kreis in the Catholivc episcopy of Ermland (Varmia) which
area was annexed from Poland in 1772 -
Regierungsbezirk (district) of Gumbinnen with 16 Kreise (counties):
Angerburg,Darkehmen,Goldap,Gumbinnen,*Heydekrug,Insterburg,Johannisburg,
Loetzen,Lyck,Niederung,Oletzko(Treuburg),Pillkallen,Ragnit,Sensburg,
Stallupoenen,Tilsit.
- This district was also called Preussisch-Litauen (Lithuania).
It was here that the Austrian Salzburger refugees were settled
in 1732 after the plague of 1712 -
Each Kreis was headed by the Landrat who presided over the Landratsamt.
The Landratsamt records are deposited in Berlin and the Polish archives
with published brief inventories.
The Landrat was in charge of passport and emigrations matters and reported
to the Regierung.
Gazetteers for all villages and towns were published by Verein fuer
Familienforschung in Ost- und Westpreussen in Hamburg in its
Sonderschriften reprints Nr.43 (Koenigsberg,1820), Nr.48 (Gumbinnen,1818),
Note: East and West Prussia were united as one Province of Prussia
during 1824-1878.
Q5: What were the "old" administrative areas of East Prussia?
A5: In 1806 the old adminitrative areas were
I. Ostpreussen with 983,034 Einwohner:
1.Ostpreussisches Kammer-Departement included the Kreise of
Samland (Schaken),Tapiau,Brandenburg,Rastenburg,Braunsberg,Heilsberg,
Morungen,Neidenburg.
2.Litauisches Kammer-Departement included the Kreise of
Insterburg,Olezko,Sehesten.
IV. Neu-Ostpreussen with 914,610 Einwohner:
8. Departement der Kriegs- und Domainen-Kammer zu Bialystok included the
Kreise of Lomza,Drohicin,Bielsk,Surasz,Bialystok,Bobrz,Dombrowa,Wygry,
Kalwary,Marianpol.
9. Departement der Kriegs- und Domainen-Kammer zu Plozk included the
Kreise of Wyszogrod,Lipno,Mlawa,Przasnik,Pultusk,Ostrolenka.
The concept of Kreis was different in pre-1806 Prussia and referred to
the districts of the noble families ("Die Adeligen Kreise") as well as
the Immediatstaedte and royal Domainen-Aemter. The term "Regierung" referred
to the judicial (court) system before 1806 and to the district administration
after 1815. This is important to understand, if researchers want to judge
the relevance of records in the Berlin and Polish archives.
For historical maps see
Adalbert Goertz: "Geographical Primer of Prussia", published in
Mennonite Family History, April 1984, pp.58-61.
(Address:R#1,Box 20 Morgantown PA 19543-9701;email:mas...@ptdprolog.net)
Q6: What were the court districts in Ostpreussen before 1900?
A6: The highest provincial court was the Oberlandesgericht in Koenigsberg.
The lower courts were
Landgericht Allenstein with (10) Amtsgerichte:
Allenstein,Gilgenburg,Hohenstein,Neidenburg,Ortelsburg,Osterode,
Passenheim,Soldau,Wartenburg,Willenberg.
Landgericht Bartenstein with (17) Amtsgerichte:
Barten,Bartenstein,Bischofsburg,Bischofstein,Domnau,Preussisch-Eylau,
Friedland,Gerdauen,Gutstadt,Heilsberg,Kreuzburg,Landsberg,Nordenburg,
Rastenburg,Roessel,Schippenbeil,Seeburg.
Landgericht Braunsberg with (10) Amtsgerichte:
Braunsberg,Heiligenbeil,Liebstadt,Mehlsack,Mohrungen,Muehlhausen,
Preussisch-Holland,Saalfeld,Wormditt,Zinten/
Landgericht Insterburg with (6) Amtsgerichte:
Darkehmen,Goldap,Gumbinnen,Insterburg,Pillkallen,Stallupoenen.
Landgericht Koenigsberg with (8) Amtsgerichte:
Allenburg,Fischhausen,Koenigsberg,Labiau,Mehlauken,Pillau,Tapiau,
Wehlau.
Landgericht Lyck with (10) Amtsgerichte:
Angerburg,Arys,Bialla,Johannisburg,Loetzen,Lyck,Margrabbowa,
Nikolaiken,Rhein,Sensburg.
Landgericht Memel with (4) Amtsgerichte:
Heydekrug,Memel,Proekuls,Russ.
Landgericht Tilsit with (6) Amtsgerichte:
Heinrichswalde,Kaukehmen,Ragnit,Skaisgirren,Tilsit,Wischwill.
The whereabouts of the records for the Landgerichte is unknown.
Some records of the Amtsgerichte are deposited at the Olsztyn archives today.
Of special interest are the land deed records (Grund- und Hypotheken-Acta)
with no published survey known.
Q7: Are there secular records of interest to family researchers?
A7: There are 3 types of records compiled periodically for the period
of reign of Friedrich II who ruled 1740-1786:
1) Praestations-Tabellen (PT) are land tax lists since about 1723
for East Prussia and repeated about every 6 years until about 1806 and
continued from about 1819 to about 1850.
They would list land owners only.
2) Mahl-Listen or Muehlen Consignationen list all heads of family by
name and number of women, sons, daughters, male and female
servants. They indicate that everyone of age 12-60 was taxed by head
for eating and milling grain, poor or rich alike. They were abolished
in 1806 by the Stein-Hardenberg reforms.
3) The courts introduced new deed record keeping for Prussia in
1783. Especially the Hypotheken-Acta often give information on
family affairs like mortgage beneficiaries, orphans, new marriages,
heirs in details not found anywhere else. They often do not only
reflect families with assets, but also paupers as heirs and
beneficiaries. Often copies of old documents and wills are attached.
A8: There is a mailing list ow-preussen-l for East and West Prussia.
To subscribe send text:
subscribe ow-preussen-l
to: majo...@genealogy.net
A more general list is PRUSSIA...@rootsweb.com
To subscribe. Send a message to
PRUSSIA-ROO...@rootsweb.com
that contains (in the body of the message) the command
subscribe
Websites for German genealogy are
http://www.genealogy.com/gene/reg/rindex.htm
http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/gene/reg/rindex.htm
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/German_Genealogy/kbak.htm
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/German_Genealogy/kblz.htm
http://www.irit.fr/SSI/~Ralph.Sobek/genealogy/FAQs/
http://www.germany.net/teilnehmer/100.110994/index.htm
Stiftung Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek Herne.
(ehemals B|cherei des deutschen Ostens)
Inhalt: \ber die Bibliothek. Die Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek....
e-mail: cha...@charly.ping.de
http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/~geneal/kp/fome/andere/mob.html
Herder -Institut Marburg e.V. Gisonenweg 5 - 7, 35037 Marburg/Lahn
Telephon: 06421/184-0, Telefax: 184-139
e-mail: her...@mailer.uni-marburg.de....
http://www.uni-marburg.de/herder-institut/bibliohp.html
http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/~geneal/kp/fome/andere/herdermb.html
http://www.uni-marburg.de/herder-institut/klassi.html
Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preu_ischer Kulturbesitz, Berlin.
Archivstra_e 12-14 D-14195 Berlin (Dahlem)
Tel.: (030) 839 01141 Fax: (030) 839 011 80
http://www.lib.byu.edu/~rdh/prmss/orte/berlgsas.html
http://dg3.chemie.uni-konstanz.de/~stuebs/pommern/Archive/berli-geh-st*
Q9: How do I find locations and maps for Prussia?
A9: The best German gazetteer is
Meyers Orts- and Verkehrslexikon des Deutschen Reiches,1912 edition,
which is available on microfiche in the LDS Family History Centers.
There is LDS microfilm #068814 available of
Karte des Deutschen Reiches, scale 1:100000, 1km = 1cm
which may be loaned thru the LDS Family History Centers.
It covers Germany for 1914-1917.
Topographical Maps (Messtischblaetter 1:25000) may also be
purchased from
Institut fuer Angewandte Geodaesie
Stauffenbergstr.13
10785 Berlin, Germany
(Ask for their map catalog for Ostpreussen)
see also
http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/gene/gifs/maps/
Q10: What book discusses hints and sources for East German searchers?
A10: Wegweiser fuer Forschung nach Vorfahren aus den Ostdeutschen und
Sudetendeutschen Gebieten sowie aus den deutschen Siedlungsraeumen
in Mittel-,Ost- und Suedosteuropa (AGoFF-Wegweiser):
Verlag Degener &Co, 91413 Neustadt, Germany (1991 and later)
(The out-of-print English edition is being revised presently)
Q11: How many Mennonites lived in Ostpreussen (East Prussia)?
A11: Since Mennonites enjoyed certain privilegia, the authorities
counted them carefully.
Here are some statistics from censuses for East Prussia:
(see Mennonite Life, April 1969 p.83-86 for details)
district 1816 1821 1831 1843 1852 1861 1871 1880 1890 1900
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ostpreussen:
Koenigsberg 303 466 375 340 266 198 193 237 184 191
Gumbinnen 312 422 641 707 779 752 789 791 811 737
Kingdom 14954 15079 14756 14313 14780 13725 14040 13849 13833 13876
Q12: Is there a website which has Prussian Mennonnite records posted?
A12: Consult the website of the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society:
http://www.mmhs.org/mmhs/mmhsgen.htm
Q13: Where can I get information on archives in Poland?
A13: Consult the websites
http://www.man.poznan.pl/~bielecki/geninfo6.htm
http://ciuw.warman.net.pl/alf/archiwa/
Q14: What was the religion of people in Ostpreussen (East Prussia)?
A14: The majority in 1890 was Evangelical (83.5%), the Catholics (12.8%)
were concentrated in the four Kreise of Ermland (Allenstein,Braunsberg,
Heilsberg,Roessel).
Q15: What were the land measurements in Prussia?
A15: The land measurements in some areas before 1815 were based on the
Culm units:
1 culm.Hufen = 30 culm.Morgen (= ca.16.8 ha = ca.41.5 acres)
1 culm.Morgen = 300 culm.Ruten (QRuten = sqRods) = ca.1.38 acres
After 1815 the prevailing measurements were the Magdeburg units:
1 preuss.Hufen = 30 preuss.Morgen (= ca.7.66 ha = ca.18.9 acres)
1 preuss.Morgen = 180 preuss.Ruten(QRuten = sqRods) = ca.0.63 acres
Q16: How do you pronounce place names?
A16: Here is a sampling of phonetic transcription:
Koenigsberg = KE-nicks-berk
Gumbinnen = goom-BIN-nen
Danzig = DUNN-tsick
Marienwerder = mar-ree-en-VER-der
Marienburg = maa-REE-en-burg (platt:MAR-yen-burg)
Graudenz = GROU-dents
Culm = COOLM
Tiegenhof = tee-ghen-HOF
Thorn = TORN
Q17: What were the classes of country people before 1900?
A17: Here are some samples found in the records:
Arbeitsmann = (non-farm) laborer
Bauer = modern term after about 1850 for middle-sized farmer(<500 Morgen).
Deputant = land laborer paid in kind (Deputat) like grain, potatos, lodging.
Einlieger = subtenant
Einwohner (pre-1850) = same as Emphyteut, Nachbar, or Bauer.
Emphyteut (pre-1850) = tenant on royal Amt land (West Prussia only)
Gutsbesitzer = modern term after about 1850 for large estate farmer
(>500 Morgen).
Hakenbuedner,Hoeker = store owner/tenant selling everyday supplies which
are displayed on hooks from walls and ceiling
Kaetner,Katner = tenant of small shack (Kate) with land
Krueger,Krugpaechter = tenant of inn (Krug) or pub or pharmacy owned and
licensed by king or noble landlord
Nachbar = member of group (Nachbarschaft) leasing land from landlord
Paechter = tenant.
Rittergutsbesitzer = owner of large medieval estate farm.
Schaenker, Schankwirt = Krueger
Tageloehner = land laborer earning daily wage in kind (Deputat),some cash.
Q18: When were civil registers introduced?
A18: Civil registers of births,marriages,deaths were introduced in October
of 1874. The Civil registry office is called Standesamt.
Before this time, the Lutheran church records (1815-1874) or special
Dissidenten-Register (1847-1874) served as official registers, and a
duplicate copy was deposited at the local court (Amtsgericht).
Many of the Standesamt civil registers have survived in the Southern
part of Ostpreussen (East Prussia) which was annexed by Poland in 1945.
The story is quite different in the Northern part of Ostpreussen
annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945 as the Kaliningrad Oblastj.
The Red Army followed a deliberate course of annihilation and looting.
Records had no priority for saving, art treasures and books were
destroyed or taken to Russia. The burned-out Royal castle in Koenigsberg
was levelled as late as the Brezhnev era. Even today, as we write 1997,
the Russian parliament, the Duma, voted against returning German records
and artifacts and overruled a veto by President Yeltsin.
Q19: Are there links to dictionaries on the web?
A19: Links to Dictionaries to Estonian, German, Hungarian, Latin, Slovak,
Slovene, Russian, and others are found at:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~pedro/dictionaries.html
http://www.dcs.napier.ac.uk/~st5004/dictionaries.html
Q20: Are there emigration records available?
A20: The state archives have many emigration records which were
filmed by the LDS FHL.
For details see:
Learned, Marion Dexter, 1857-1917:
Guide to the manuscript materials relating to American history
in the German state archives, Washington, D.C.,
Carnegie Institution of Washington. Publication no. 150 , 1912, 352 p.:
-also Kraus reprints NY 1965-
p.107-108: StA Koenigsberg, today in Berlin HA.XX.
(there are a number of updates done by the LOC Manuscript Division,
call no.L173.L4 Suppl. 1929-1932, vol.1 p.179-181 for Koenigsberg).
--
**************** Adalbert Goertz ****** ph 717-762-7378 ********
retired in Waynesboro PA (65 miles from Baltimore/Washington DC
Mennonite genealogy of East and West Prussia prior to 1945.
Want house in Colorado/New Mexico/Texas/Arizona for two retirees