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By Adalbert Goertz, Colorado Springs, CO
Please, send any correction and suggestions to Adalbert Goertz
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Contents: Q1: Where is Brandenburg? Q2: What was Brandenburg's recent history? Q3: What were the administrative areas of Brandenburg? Q4: What were the court districts in Brandenburg province before 1900? Q5: How do I find locations and maps for Brandenburg before 1945?? Q6: Are there web sites of interest to Brandenburg researchers? Q7: Is there a listserv for Brandenburg family researchers? Q8: When were civil registers introduced? Q9: What books discuss hints and sources for East German searchers? Q10: What about Mennonites in Brandenburg province?
Q1: Where is Brandenburg?
A1: Brandenburg was a Prussian province. Its capital until 1920
was Berlin (pronounce: berr-LEEN),later Potsdam (pronounce:POTS-dum).
Q2: What was Brandenburg's recent history?
A2: The province was created in 1816 of the former Mark Brandenburg
and included the Mittelmark,Ukermark,Priegnitz, most of Neumark,
some areas of Schlesien, Sachsen (Niederlausitz) and of the grand duchy
of Pose Brandenburg East of the Oder and Neisse rivers was cleansed of
its ethnic German population and given to Poland in 1945.
The Western powers were silent on the ethnic cleansing.
Q3: What were the administrative areas of Brandenburg?
A3: In 1900 the province of Brandenburg had the following districts and
Kreise (counties): * marks total or partial loss to Poland in 1945.
Berlin
Regierungsbezirk (district) of Potsdam with 18 Kreise (counties):
Angermünde,Beeskow-Storkow,Brandenburg-Stadt,Charlottenburg,
Jüterbog-Luckenwalde,Niederbarnim,Oberbarnim,Osthavelland,
Ostpriegnitz,Potsdam-Stadt,Prenzlau,Ruppin,Spandau-Stadt,Teltow,
Templin,Westhavelland,Westpriegnitz,Zauch-Belzig.
Regierungsbezirk (district) of Frankfurt an der Oder with 20 Kreise
(counties): *Arnswalde,*Frankfurt(Stadt),*Friedebrg,*Guben(Stadt)
*Guben-Land,Kalau,*Königsberg,Kottbus(Stadt),Kottbus-Land,
*Krossen,*Landsberg-Stadt,*Landsberg-Land,Lebus,Lübden,Luckau,
*Oststernberg,*Soldin,*Sorau,Spremberg,*Weststernberg,
*Zuellichau-Schwiebus.
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 district Regierung who in turn gave data to the provincial Oberpräs
Q4: What were the court districts in Brandenburg province before 1900?
A4: The highest provincial court was the Oberlandesgericht in Berlin.
The lower courts (Landgerichte) and lowest courts (Amtsgerichte) were
http://www.jura.uni-sb.de/länderberichte/brandb.htm
Landgericht Berlin with Amtsgericht Berlin I
Landgericht Berlin II with (15) Amtsgerichte:
Alt-Landsberg,Berlin II,Bernau,Charlottenburg,Königs-Wusterhausen,
Köpenick,Liebenwalde,Mittenwalde,Nauen,Oranienburg,Rixdorf,Spandau,
Straussberg,Trebbin,Zossen.
Landgericht Frankfurt an der Oder with (11) Amtsgerichte:
Beeskow,Wendissch-Buchholz,Drossen,Frankfurt,Fürstenwalde,Müncheber
Reppen,Seelow,Sonnenburg,Storkow,Zielenzig.
Landgericht Guben with (10) Amtsgerichte:
Forst,Fürstenberg,Guben,Krossen,Pförten,Schwiebus,Sommerfeld,
Sorau,Triebel,Züllichau.
Landgericht Kottbus with (12) Amtsgerichte:
Dobrilugk,Finsterwalde,Kalau,Kirchhain,Kottbus,Lieberose,Luebben,
Lübbenau,Luckau,Peitz,Senftenberg,Spremberg.,
Landgericht Landsberg an der Warte with (15) Amtsgerichte:
Arnswalde,Bärwalde,Berlinchen,Driesen,Friedeberg,Königsberg,
Küstrin,Landsberg,Lippehne,Neudamm,Neuwedell,Reetz,Soldin,
Woldenburg,Zehden
Landgericht Neuruppin with (15) Amtsgerichte:
Fehrbellin,Gransee,Havelberg,Kremmen,Kyritz,Lenzen,Lindow,
Meyenburg,Neuruppin,Perleberg,Pritzwalk,Rheinsberg,Wittenberge,
Wittstock,Wusterhausen.
Landgericht Potsdam with (11) Amtsgerichte:
Baruth,Beelitz,Belzig,Brandenburg,Dahme,Jüterbog,Luckenwalde,
Potsdam,Rathenow,Treuenbrietzen,Werder.
Landgericht Prenzlau with (12) Amtsgerichte:
Angermünde,Brüssow,Eberswalde,Freienwalde,Lychen,Oderberg,Prenzlau,
Schwedt,Strasburg in der Uckermark,Templin,Wriezen,Zehdenick.
The whereabouts of the records for the Landgerichte and Amtsgerichte
is unknown. Any land holding usually means that there were and often
still are today deed and mortgage records (Grund- und Hypotheken-Acten)
which were administered by the Amtsgericht. They usually start with
a land title history (=tituli possessionis) going back 50 or more years
from the begin Legal basis for these land records is the Prussian
Hypotheken-Ordnung of 1783. The court at that time was called
Justiz-Amt (until 1802), Land- or Stadt-Gericht (1802-1849),
Kreisgericht (1849-1879), Amtsgericht (after 1879).
Additional records are Erbrezesse, Erbvergleiche (probates),
Vormundschaftsakten (Guardianships), Pupillenakten (orphan records),
last testa
A remarriage of a widower/widow was always documented in the
Amtsgericht stating in detail the estate rights of surviving children
as well as rights and duties of parents and step parents. This is
a source at the Amtsgericht which is widely unknown and untapped
(and unfilmed by the LDS).
If you are looking for records which describe the life and tribulations
of your ancestors, you cannot miss looking at the court records.
.
The Acta of the Driesen court (Amtsgericht) in Brandenburg (Neumark)
have also State Archives in Szczecin (Stettin) today.
Current LDS filming project:
* Brandenburg -- This is another sizable project involving
Amtgericht court records:
* Brandenburg and Berlin Amtgerichte - While there are a fair number
of church records on microfilm for Berlin and the province of
Brandenburg, virtually no court records have been available on
microfilm until this project recently came on line. Started in
1993, this involves an extensive amount of court records. Filming
continues at this time.
For more information see:
http://www.mmhs.org/prussia/mmhsgen3.htm
Q5: How do I find locations and maps for Brandenburg before 1945??
A5: An atlas is usually not the best tool to locate small towns or
villages. Maps of scales 1:25,000 (Messtischblatt) or 1:100,000
(Karte des Deutschen Reiches and Kreiskarten) and gazetteers
(Ortsverzeichnis) are.
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 (Messtischblätter 1:25000) may also be
purchased from
Bundesamt für Kartographie und Geodäsie
Stauffenbergstr.13
10785 Berlin, Germany
E-mail: kart@ifag.de
http://www.ifag.de/Kartographie/Kartenverzeichnis/I_alte_K.htm
For Ost-Brandenburg the above institute sells the following 1:100.000 maps:
Arnswalde, Crossen, Forst, Friedeberg, Landsberg, Oststernberg, Soldin,
Sorau and Stadtkreis Forst.
Grossblätter are available for:
Frankfurt/Oder, Guben, Königsberg/Neumark, Meseritz, Schwerin/Warthe,
Weststernberg, Zuellichau-Schwiebus.
see also
http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/gene/gifs/maps/
For German-Polish place name dictionary, see
http://www.calle.com/world/poland/index.html
http://www.atsnotes.com/other/gerpol.html
Q6: Are there web sites of interest to Brandenburg researchers?
A6: Here is a sampling of web sites:
+ Information on German archives:
http://www.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchive.htm
http://www.germany.net/teilnehmer/100.110994/index.htm
+ Landesarchiv Berlin:
http://www.kulturbox.de/landesarchiv
+ Evang. Zentralarchiv Berlin:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/eza
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/eza/eza3e.htm
email: eza@snafu.de
+ Maps online of German regions:
http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/gene/gifs/maps/
+ Information on Polish archives:
http://www.man.poznan.pl/~bielecki/geninfo6.htm
http://ciuw.warman.net.pl/alf/archiwa/
http://pgsa.org/archives_eng.htm
+ Information on Wends/Sorbs:
http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/harrisfarm/wendish.htm
+ Check the website of German regions:
http://www.genealogy.net/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.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/1398
http://www.qrz.com/gene/reg/BRG/bb-d.html
http://www.qrz.com/gene/reg/BRG/UM/amf-um.html
http://www.qrz.com/gene/vereine/AMF/AMF.html
http://www.qrz.com/gene/reg/BRG/bb-d.html
http://www.brandenburg.de/service/angebot.htm
www.hinterpommern.de/Genealogie/Archive/potsd-landeshauptar.html#bestand
Stiftung Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek Herne.
(ehemals Bücherei des deutschen Ostens)
Inhalt: Über die Bibliothek. Die Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek....
e-mail: charly@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: herder@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 Preussischer 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*
www.hinterpommern.de/Genealogie/Archive/Berli-geh-staatsar/#bestaende
Amtsgericht Potsdam:
http://www.amtsgericht-potsdam.org/
Genealogival sources:
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kbak-ae.html Sources A-E
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kbak-fg.html Sources F-G
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kbak-hk.html Sources H-K
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kblz-lo.html Sources L-O
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kblz-ps.html Sources P-S
http://www.feefhs.org/s&f/kblz-tz.html Sources T-Z
Berlin and Brandenburg libraries:
http://www.sbb.spk-berlin.de
http://www.ub.fu-berlin.de/
http://www.kulturbox.de/zlb/
http://www.ub.fu-berlin.de/index.html
http://www.fh-brandenburg.de/bibliothek/www.htm
http://www.fh-potsdam.de/~ BiB/bio_home.htm
http://www.bbaw.de/index.html
If you have no access to the Web (www), you can direct web files to
your email box by sending a request to
www4mail@unganisha.idrc.ca
OR
www4mail@web.bellanet.org
with the message HELP or
get http://.....
Q7: Is there a listserv for Brandenburg family researchers?
A7: There are presently two mailing lists for anyone with a
genealogical interest in Brandenburg at
http://list.genealogy.net/mailman/listinfo-e
Brandenburg-L Genealogy in Brandenburg (multilingual)
Neumark-L Liste neumaerkischer Familienforscher
A more general list is PRUSSIA-ROOTS-L@rootsweb.com
To subscribe send the word "subscribe" (without the
quotes) as the only text in the body of a message to
PRUSSIA-ROOTS-L-request@rootsweb.com (mail mode) or
PRUSSIA-ROOTS-D-request@rootsweb.com (digest mode).
Q8: When were civil registers introduced?
A8: Civil registers of births,marriages,deaths were introduced in October
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).
Most Standesamt (Polish: Urzed Stanu Cywilnego) records remained in the
old offices and were taken over by the Polish authorities in the areas
annexed They are listed in the Gazetteer of Polish People's Republic
Localities. The full title is SPIS MIEJSCOWOSCI POLSKIEJ
RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ LUDOWEJ, published in Warsaw 1968, and on LDS
microfilm #844,922.
Prior to 1874, the church records (Kirchenbücher) of the official
churches (Evangelic and catholic) served as recognized documents for the
purpose of proving one's birth, marriage, and death and had to meet
certain standards of accuracy and completeness. Members of minor
(unregcognised) churches had to record their vital statistics with the
pastor of the official churches.
Church book Guide:
Kirchenbücher, Kirchenbuch-Duplikate und Standesamtsregister
der ehemals brandenburgischen Kreise, Königsberg, Soldin,
Landsberg, Arnswalde, Friedeberg, Ost- und Weststernberg,
Crossen, Znllichau-Schwiebus, Guben und Sorau östl. der Neise),
Schwerin, Meseritz, Bomst
Bestandsverzeichnis 1998
304 Seiten, Festeinband, 1 Kartenbeilage, Preis 49,- DM + Versandk.,
ISBN 3-9803515-3-X
Bestellungen an:
Druckerei & Verlag G. Grüneberg, Finkenbergstr. 6, 19309 Lenzen (Elbe)
Q9: What books discuss hints and sources for East German searchers?
A9: Wegweiser für Forschung nach Vorfahren aus den Ostdeutschen und
Sudetendeutschen Gebieten sowie aus den deutschen Siedlungsräumen
in Mittel-,Ost- und Südosteuropa (AGoFF-Wegweiser):
Verlag Degener &Co, 91413 Neustadt, Germany (1991 and later)
(The out-of-print English edition is being revised presently)
Germanic Genealogy (by Edward R.Brandt et alii), 2nd edition.
1997, St.Paul MN, 517 pp.,1st edition, 1995.
W.Krallert: Atlas zur Geschichte der deutschen Ostsiedlung,
Velhagen &Klasing, Bielefeld-Berlin-Hannover 1958.
There have been some calls recently for books in English on
the German exodus and ethnic cleansing in East Germany and
Eastern Europe:
Thorwald, Jurgen: Es begann an der Weichsel. 1951
Das Ende an der Elbe. 1952.
English: Flight in the winter;
[New York] Pantheon [1951] 318 p. 22 cm.
CALL #: 940.542 T52F
De Zayas, Alfred M.
Anmerkungen zur Vertreibung der Deutschen aus dem Osten.
English: The German expellees : victims in war and peace /
Alfred-Maurice De Zayas ; [original German version
translated by John A. Koehler].
New York : St. Martin's Press, 1993.
xlii, 177 p., [24] p. of plates : ill., map ; 22 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [161]-169) and
index. CALL #: DJK 28.G4D413 1993
De Zayas, Alfred M.
Anmerkungen zur Vertreibung der Deutschen aus dem Osten.
English: A terrible revenge : the "ethnic cleansing" of the east
European Germans, 1944-1950 / Alfred-Maurice de Zayas ;
[original German version translated by John A. Koehler].
1st pbk. ed. with additions.
New York : St. Martin's Press, 1994.
xlii, 179 p. : ill., maps ; 21 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. [153]-171) and
index. CALL #: DJK 28.G4D413 1994
OTHER ENTRIES: Germans Europe, Eastern History 20th century.
World War, 1939-1945 Refugees.
World War, 1939-1945 Atrocities.
Population transfers Germans.
The Federal archives in Bayreuth has compiled the most detailed documentation on the German ethnic cleansing from Eastern Germany and Easteren Europe.
Address:
Bundesarchiv Bayreuth
Postfach 5025
95424 Bayreuth
Ph.: 0921-57087
The following material is available for research and copying:
1. Gemeindeseelenlisten (name lists), incl. village maps comprising
15568 population lists for 12083 towns and villages, 7745 village maps for 6750 communities.
2. Ost-Dokumentation
- Fragebogenberichte (Gemeindeschicksalsberichte) zur
Dokumentation der Vertreibung der Deutschen aus
Ostmitteleuropa und aus den deutschen Siedlungsgebieten
in Südosteuropa (Questionaires on ethnic cleansing)
- Erlebnisberichte zur Dokumentation der Vertreibung der
Deutschen aus Ostmittel- und Südeuropa
(First hand reports on ethnic cleansing)
- Erhebungsbögen (Auswertungsbögen) der Dokumentation
der Vertreibungsverbrechen (Evaluation on crimes against refugees)
- Unterlagen der Flucht über die Ostsee (Flight via the Baltic sea)
- Dokumentation über das Leben deutscher Flüchtlinge in Dänem
(Refugee life in Denmark)
- Berichte über das Leben der deutschen Volksgruppen
jenseits der östlichen und südöstlichen Reichsgrenzen
(Reports on life in German communities outside Germany)
- Berichte von Persönlichkeiten des Öffentlichen Lebens
aus den Gebieten östlich von Oder und Neisse zum
Zeitgeschehen 1919-1945 (Reports by public figures from areas
east of Oder and Neisse on life during 1919-1945)
- Berichte über Verwaltung und Wirtschaft in den Gebieten
östlich von Oder und Neisse sowie in Böhmen und Mähren
(Reports on administration and business in the areas east of Oder
and Neisse as well as Bohemia and Moravia).
Q10: What about Mennonites in Brandenburg province?
A10: The Prussian census gives the following numbers for Mennonites
in the two Brandenburg districts:
1821 1828 1831 1837 1849 1861
-----------------------------------------------------------
Potsdam 42 6 2 10 15 17
Frankfurt/Oder 280 238 231 31 13 2
Most Mennonites lived in Kreis Friedeberg, Amt Driesen in the
Neumark in Brenkenhoffswalde, Franztal and Neu-Dessau who
emigrated in 1834 to Deutsch-Wymyschle in Poland and to Volhynia
and to Gnadenfeld,Russia.
see: Mennonite Life, April 1969 p.83-86;
A.Goertz:Mennoniten im Neumärkischen Amt Driesen,Brandenburg,
in:Ostdeutsche Familienkunde 1996 p.277-283
A.Goertz: Aus den Grund- und Hypotheken-Akten des Neumärkischen
Amtes Driesen.Erbzinsgut Neu-Dessau, Kr.Friedeberg, in:
Ostdeutsche Familienkunde 1999, p.260-272
Suggestions for improvements are appreciated. 
Adalbert Goertz (goertz@cyberspace.org)
Sponsored by the VU German Study Group Page
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