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.