Emigration Records from Germany

 From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

[Written by Teresa]

When a person was leaving historical areas that became Germany, they were often legally obligated to get permission. This differed by time and place. Usually, nineteenth century migrants were under some obligation to register. The requirements generally ensured people paid their debts and men had fulfilled their military obligations. Not everyone abided by these laws. Good statistics are hard to find, but in my own experience, way less than half of emigrants went through this process. But when they did, records were created! I am going to show you an example today.

 

My great great grandmother, Katharina Ohnemus, received permission to emigrate in June 1854. She was leaving Schweighausen, Freiburg, Baden [today’s Schweighausen-Schuttertal in Baden-Württemberg]. Her emigration document [Auswanderungsakte] contains five pages and is full of good details.[1] She was nineteen years old, unmarried, and she planned to travel with her sister. Her parents were Protas Ohnemus and Franziska Offenburger.

 

She indicated that she had enough money for the trip. She intended to travel via France to New Orleans. Katharina and her parents’ signatures are all included.

 

I have never found her immigration record at New Orleans. Shortly after she arrived, she married Landolin Meyer who was also from Schweighausen.[2] I have not found his emigration record. 

 

Next week, I will show you how I found and ordered this record. 

---

[1] Bezirksamt [district] Ettenheim, Baden, Auswanderungsakten [emigration records], Schweighausen, 1854, Katharina Ohnemus; Staatsarchiv [State Archive] Freiburg, Germany, B 701/1 Nr. 717. 

[2] St. Boniface Catholic Church (Quincy, Illinois), Marriages, Vol. 1, 1839–1857, p. 72, no. 14, Meyer-Ohnemus; church rectory. The church has since closed and these records are now on Ancestry.

How to Determine Which Town of Origin is the Right One?

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

 

As we noted in the last post, conducting research in Germany requires knowing the German town of origin. Unfortunately, sometimes when you find the name of the town, there are more than one town with the same name! How do we narrow the choices down to the correct one?

 

Researchers are lucky with this 1880 U.S. census enumeration for Baltimore City where the enumerator provided specific town names in Germany. For Catherine Benamon, aged 79, her birth place is listed as Wallein. Her father’s birthplace is given as Fishpach and her mother’s birthplace is given as Wallan. Wallein and Wallan may be the same place. All three spellings have the potential to be wrong. 

 

 

A search for “Wallein” and “Wallan” in Meyers Gazetteer, https://www.meyersgaz.org, returned no towns with either spelling. “Fishpach” also returned negative findings. The correct spelling of “Fishpach” is probably “Fischbach” in German. Meyers Gazetteer returned 41 hits for that spelling. That is a lot of choices to go through. A passenger list for Catherine and her first husband, Kaspar Weber, had provided another spelling … “Wahlen.” Searching with that spelling located five choices; two in Hessen and three in Rheinland.

 

A reasonable hypothesis would be that the two towns are located in close proximity to each other. By viewing the historical map on Meyers Gaz, the first entry, Wahlen, Kr. Alsfeld, OHessen, Hessen, as you can see below, Wahlen and Fischbach are located near each other.

 

Looking at the other entries, did not result in the same findings. This makes this Wahlen a priority for checking church records. 

 

Sources:

1.     1880 U.S. census, City of Baltimore, Maryland, population schedule, p. 6 (penned), enumeration district (ED) 160, dwelling 44, family 50, Catherine Benamon; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 October 2021).

2.     “Baltimore, Passenger Lists, 1820–1964,” database and images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 August 2015), passenger list, Jupiter, 16 August 1834, penned page 1, line 34, Caspar Weber; citing NARA micropublication M255, roll 1.

Finding a German Town of Origin

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

Conducting research in Germany, requires knowing the German town of origin. Unfortunately, for many researchers that is the missing piece of information. Sometimes finding that critical piece of information can be easy. Other times, the search continues.

Debra found the town for her 4^th great grandmother, Sophia Philippina (Braun) Weaver, in Sophia’s obituary. It noted she was born in “Friedrichstahl, Germany.” However, sometimes the information is not entirely correct; spelling is always suspect. 

A search in MeyersGaz (https://www.meyersgaz.com) found no town of that spelling. You can use the wildcard feature in MeyersGaz to determine the correct spelling, which in this case is Friedrichstal; no h in the name. There are three findings for that name:

 

1.     Friedrichstal 1) Baden; D. (Village); Friedrichstal, Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe, Baden

2.     Friedrichstal 2); Wlr. (Farm or Small Village); Friedrichstal, Freudenstadt, Schwarzwaldkreis, Württemberg

3.     Friedrihstal 3); Ab. (Surface Mine); Friedrichstal, Marienwerder, Westpreussen, Preussen

That requires more work to determine which one is the right one. The third one, a surface mine, is probably not the right one, but one and two are both possible. 

 

In the next post, we will discuss what sources can help you identify the correct place when you have multiple choices.

IGHR Coming to a Close

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

 

Teresa and I finished our presentations this week in “Course One – Methods and Sources in Practice” coordinated by Rebecca Whitman Koford, CG^® and “Course Two – Intermediate Genealogy and Historical Studies” coordinated by Angela Packer McGhie, CG^®. These courses are hosted by the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR).

 

I am always amazed that while these courses can be intense, the benefits from attending them is inspiring. From the attendees and presenters that you meet to the wonderful information and sources that you learn about, it is a week well spent. I attended Amy Arner’s “Walking in Penn’s Woods: Pennsylvania Research” and had the joy of working on my Pennsylvania Germans for the whole week. I am excited to continue exploring new sources and learning more about my Biehl and Keefer lines. And yes, one thing I learned is that there are so many variant spellings, especially in early records!

 

If you have never had the opportunity to take an institute course, I hope that you will consider it for the future. It is time well spent!

 

 

German Phase 1 Update

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

 

This week we are putting the finishing touches on our syllabus materials for German Phase 1: Identify the German Hometown. This virtual course is set to run each Tuesday starting October 14 through November 11, 2025, and is offered through the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. 

 

We look forward to helping people who are trying to find their German-speaking ancestor’s town of origin. Without that information, their ancestry cannot be extended into Germany. While, we cannot guarantee that by the end of the course, a student will have that information; we anticipate our students will leave with new ideas and a solid research plan to find the town.

 

There are still some spots available. We hope you will join us!

https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/courses/german-phase-1-identify-the-german-hometown/

Columbus (OH) Metropolitan Library

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

 

Recently in Columbus, Ohio, we had the opportunity to visit the local history and genealogy area at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. They have a lot of interesting collections that we could have spent months—probably years—exploring.

 

In 2009, the large collection curated by the Palatines to America (PALAM) moved to this library. It contains many of the standard publications for German research, such as the Germans to America serics. They have many Ortsippenbücher(genealogy books for a German town) and Familienbücher (family books). One of the most unique items is a collection of farm histories from the Bersenbrück and Osnabrück areas of Lower Saxony. This collection has been digitized in its entirety and is available on their website:  https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/p16802coll9. If you have farms from these areas, you won’t want to miss this collection.

 

Another great collection to explore is the Huguenot Collection, https://www.columbuslibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Collection-Guide.pdf. The library notes that it is one of the largest Anglo-American Huguenot collections in the country with nearly 400 titles. The library’s collection is primarily church and naturalization records going back to the 1500s. If you have Huguenot ancestors or are interested in this topic, this library is definitely a place to learn more!

To learn more about the genealogical resources available at this library, visit their website: https://www.columbuslibrary.org/history-genealogy/.

International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP) Conference

 From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

 

This past week we attended and presented at the IGGP Conference in Columbus, Ohio (https://iggp.org/2025-iggp-conference/). 

 

It was such a great conference. We were able to see many of our fellow German genealogists. It was wonderful being able to socialize and learn from each other. Some of our international colleagues were not able to be there in-person but some presented via Zoom. 

 

You never know what you will learn or who you will meet. Debra discovered that one of the attendees was her distant cousin. She also found someone else who is researching the Propheter family and was able to share details and exchange contact information. I ran into a past client whom I had never met in person. 

 

In addition to the many wonderful presentations, there were several Connection sessions based on different geographic regions in Germany. Those are always a terrific way to meet others doing similar research. 

 

The exhibit hall had many books and other items for sale. Stay tuned for our next post about one of our finds there!

International German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP) Conference This Weekend!

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

This week we are attending and speaking at the IGGP Conference in Columbus, Ohio (https://iggp.org/2025-iggp-conference/). This is a bi-annual conference for people researching German-speaking ancestors. It is a terrific way to connect with others who share our passion. We can all learn so much from each other, too!

 

Debra will be presenting:

§  Early German Settlements on the East Coast – Their Impact and Records

§  Early U.S. German Religious History – Learn About the Methodology and Sources

 

Teresa will be presenting:

§  German Village History: Your Key to Researching Beyond Church Records

§  Nineteenth-century German Migration to Midwest United States

 

Debra will also be moderating a connection session for Baden-Württemberg. Teresa will be moderating a similar session for Bavaria.

 

We hope to see some of you there!

Spots Still Open for German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

Registration for 2025 Fall SLIG Virtual courses opened on Saturday, May 17^th, for German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown. See https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-fall-virtual/ for more information on the course and for details on how to register. While many spots have been filled, there are some still available.

 

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to talk with Cheri Hudson Passey. She has been interviewing SLIG course coordinators. You can see our chat with her here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5L7JN6vOXIY. 

 

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us. We hope that you will choose to take our course and look forward to seeing you in October 2025!

Register Now for German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

 

Registration for 2025 Fall SLIG Virtual courses opened on Saturday, May 17^th, for German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown. See https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-fall-virtual/ for more information on the course and for details on how to register.

 

Don’t let the challenge of identifying your German immigrant’s hometown be a brick wall. This course will provide proven strategies for determining that important piece of information. Examples, case studies, and one-on-one consultations are included and students will have the opportunity to work on their research projects over the 5 weeks.

 

If you have this research challenge, we hope that you will choose to take our course and look forward to seeing you in October 2025!

Registration Now Open for German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown

 From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

Registration for 2025 Fall SLIG Virtual courses started on Saturday, May 17^th, for German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown. See https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-fall-virtual/ for more information on the course and for details on how to register.

 

Debra and Teresa designed this course for researchers who want to begin researching their immigrants from Germany. This course is foundational and will provide a strategic approach for identifying the hometown, which is necessary to conduct research as the church and civil records are held at the local level. Unlike the United States that has national records available like the federal census, those records are not available in Germany. Before 1871, Germany consisted of kingdoms, duchies, principalities, and free Hanseatic cities. This can make researching German immigrants particularly challenging, especially for those that arrived in the United States in the 1700s.

 

If you have this research challenge, we hope that you will choose to take our course and look forward to seeing you in October 2025!

SLIG Fall 2025 German Phase 1 - Should I Register?

 From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

Registration for 2025 SLIG Virtual courses opens on Saturday, May 17^th for German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown. See https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-fall-virtual/ for more information on the course and for details on how to register.

We are often asked “should I take your course?” This course is designed for the frustrated researcher with German ancestry, who has yet to find the immigrant’s town of origin in Germany. It is also designed for a researcher with experience who has yet to research a German ancestor. If you have that same challenge, this course is designed with you in mind!

 

Not only will students benefit from the course structure and presentations, but students often learn as much from each other, too. Students will receive a digital syllabus, which provides a handbook that can be referred to in the future. It is filled with additional sources found in the bibliographic material that can be explored during and after the course ends. Another benefit is that the presentations are all recorded, so that students unable to attend that day can still watch the presentations. They can be watched multiple times, if you choose. Recordings will also be available for a short time after the course ends. 

 

Students in this course will be working on their own research problem with the opportunity for a one-on-one consult with one of us. With the one day per week structure over five weeks, there is time to apply the information and methodology covered during the course. 

 

If you have this research challenge, we hope that you will choose to take our course and look forward to seeing you in October 2025!

Registration Opens for 2025 SLIG Fall Virtual courses on Saturday, May 17th

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

 

Registration for 2025 SLIG Virtual courses opens on Saturday, May 17^th for German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown. See https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-fall-virtual/ for more information on the course and for details on how to register.

Certified genealogist Teresa Steinkamp McMillin and I (Debra A. Hoffman, PLCGS) are the co-coordinators of this new SLIG course. In conducting research on German immigrants, it is not enough to know that immigrants came from Germany or even a specific German state (e.g., Baden). Teresa and I designed this course to instruct our students on how to find the hometown by conducting thorough research using United States sources and utilizing appropriate research methodology. 

 

My presentations will include an overview of the history of Germans in the United States and their geographical settlement on the East Coast. German Americans are the largest ancestry group in the United States and their influence can be seen in the cities and towns along the eastern seaboard. I will also cover German religious history as German immigrants brought their religious beliefs and the record-keeping practices with them to America. My presentations on methodology include conducting a literature search and creating a locality guide. Challenging genealogical research problems must be thoughtfully analyzed and methodically tackled. I will also present on the appropriate methodology for locating a German town of origin and will cover appropriate sources, such as vital and church records. To view all the presentations that will be given in this course, click on the link above.

 

Teresa and I have been successful in locating the German hometown in our research and want to share our knowledge and expertise with you, so you can have that same success. We are looking forward to having you join us in October 2025!

SLIG Fall 2025 - German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown

 From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

In the last few posts, we talked about the new German research course that we (Debra A. Hoffman, PLCGS, and Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG) have been developing. “German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown.” is scheduled for this coming Fall 2025. Registration will open May 17^th https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-fall-virtual/. 

I (Teresa) want to give you some more details about the sessions that I will be teaching. Each session will be 1.25 hours. Many sessions will have a hands-on component. There will be time for questions and discussion throughout the course. We are also offering one-on-one consultations to provide help with your specific case.

 

I will be teaching a session on German settlement in the Midwest. Many Germans arrived in the US in the nineteenth century. I’ll explain the reasons they arrived and the routes they took. While we do not expect anyone to know the German language, there are key concepts that are helpful when researching a German immigrant. I teach a session to help with that. I have a few sessions related to good research methodology, including case studies to show how I have solved past problems. I also will teach several sessions about specific record types that are important to understand and use when researching a German immigrant. Some examples include passenger lists and naturalization records. Details about these sessions may be found at the link below. 

 

Registration for 2025 SLIG Virtual courses opens on Saturday, May 17^th. See https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/courses/german-phase-1-identify-the-german-hometown/ for more information. Details about the sessions, as well as pricing, are now available.

 

I hope that you will join us!

GERMAN PHASE 1 INSTRUCTOR - DR. KENNETH HEGER

 From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

In the last few posts, we talked about the new German research course that we (Debra A. Hoffman, PLCGS, and Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG) have been developing. “German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown” is scheduled for this coming Fall 2025. Registration will open May 17^th https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-fall-virtual/. 

We are excited to have Kenneth W. Heger, PhD, teaching with us in Phase 1. One of his many areas of expertise are American consulate records. This is an underutilized resource but can provide rich information. Dr. Heger will be teaching two sessions.

 

The first “Using State Department Despatches to Find Your Family's Hometown, 1800-1906,” 

covers how to find the death reports, marriage certificates, and estate case files that American consulates in Europe sent to the Department of State. It explains how to use those records to identify your family’s hometown in Europe.

 

His second session “Using Consular Records to Find Your European Family, 1800-1906” explains how American consulates maintained extensive files to do their work overseas. These include information the consulates did not regularly include in despatches to the Department of State. This presentation covers how to identify and access those files, and how to mine them to find information about European families, including relatives’ names and where the family lived.

 

Dr. Heger is a seasoned archivist and historian, whose career includes being the Director of the University of Maryland’s Archives and Digital Curation specialization in the College of Information Studies and a 32-year employee at the National Archives.  He publishes articles and makes presentations focused on using federal records to research your family’s history.  He is the president of the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society, a regular instructor at the Genealogical Institute of Federal Records, a vice president of the International German Genealogy Partnership and has a Ph.D. in History.

 

Registration for 2025 SLIG Virtual courses opens on Saturday, May 17^th. See https://academy.ugagenealogy.org/courses/german-phase-1-identify-the-german-hometown/ for more information. The details about the sessions, as well as pricing, are now available.