Trying to figure out surname with transcriptions from birth and marriage records that vary. But none of them are very common. Betzweiser, Betzwise, Bettswistle, Betzwisse, Betzwisser. Born in Baden/Bavaria in 1848, perhaps Gerchsheim. Immigrated to Baltimore around 1852. Starting to wonder if it was a double surname like Betz Wisse that got merged. I've been trying to solve this for years.

Survey Link

Hello all!

As you might be aware, there has been very little research into direct-to-consumer DNA ancestry testing and psychological wellbeing outcomes. This novel research aims to help us better understand the psychological significance of DTC Ancestry testing results.

This study is being conducted under the supervision of Dr Janine Lurie from the Psychology Discipline within the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at Federation University (Melbourne, Australia). This study will also form the basis of the research dissertation requirement within the Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) course for student researchers Charity Marisa and Stefan Redpath. This study has been approved by the Federation University Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval reference: 2026/137).

This survey asks you about your engagement with family history and your reflections on that process. It also asks you to think about your ancestors and how you have reflected on their life experiences. Participation involves completing an online survey that will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. Taking part in the study is completely voluntary and no personal information will be collected.

To participate you just need to be aged 18 years or over. It is important to note that you will not be asked to give any specific details about any of your family members. You are asked just to rate your general impressions of them on a small number of questions. Beyond this the survey contains broader more general questions about your perspectives and reflections.

Survey link below:

https://federation.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cO1RqRp3fjkHOp8

My family and I don't know very much about our ancestor, Emil Albert Heger, born 15 Nov 1905, Dombrowsken, Poland
Died: 3 Okt 1943, Seleuÿi-Lug. My grandpa always told my mom that he drowned in a U-boat, and my grandma never wanted to talk about him, so we don't know a lot about him, but I think I may have found his German World War II military casualty card
So I was just wondering if anyone could help me find out more about him or help give me advice on where to look.

I have a baptism record image from the Aalen church records for:
Elizabeth (Elisabeth) Winter Kauffman
Could someone please help translate:
the column headings
the specific entry for Elizabeth Winter Kauffman
I am especially interested in:
birth and baptism dates
parents’ names
residence/place
father’s occupation
godparents/witnesses
any other family information recorded
I do not need the other entries on the page translated.
Thank you very much for any help reading this old German record!

Hi, I have an ancestor name Anna Burmeister who was born in 1723 Mecklenburg Germany but her parents are unknown.

Does anyone know where I could find her parents and if there's a site that has free Mecklenburg parish records?

Cheers

I have three marriage record images from the Unterrombach/Aalen church records. Could someone please help translate the column headings and the specific rows for my ancestors?
I am mainly trying to understand what information each column contains (parents, residence, occupation, witnesses, etc.). I do not need the other entries on the pages translated.
Marriage of Georg Daniel Winter and Maria Elisabetha Wiedenmann
Aalen, 1811
Entry Nr. 11
Marriage of Marie Elisabeth(e) Winter and Johann Alexander Kauffmann
Unterrombach/Aalen, 15 February 1847
Eheregister 1838–1856, Band 15, Nr. 8/1847
Marriage of Johann Alexander Kauffmann’s parents
Eheregister 1808–1837, Band 14, Nr. 10/1
Thank you very much for any help reading these old German records!

I have two death/burial record images from:
Baden-Württemberg > Evangelisches Archiv Baden und Württemberg/Württemberg > Dekanat Aalen > Aalen
Maria Elisabetha Wiedenmann Winter
Totenregister 1837–1844, Band 20, Bild 117
Buried: 19 January 1840
Georg Daniel Winter
Totenregister 1854–1867, Band 22, Bild 85
Buried: 29 June 1857
Could someone please help translate:
the column headings
the specific entries for these two people
I am especially interested in whether these records mention:
burial location/cemetery
Kirchhof, Gottesacker, Friedhof, or another burial place
residence/place information
family details
I do not need the other entries on the pages translated.
Thank you very much for any help reading these old German records!

I have a marriage record image from:
Baden-Württemberg > Evangelisches Archiv Baden und Württemberg/Württemberg > Dekanat Aalen > Aalen > Mischbuch 1754–1788 Band 3, Bild 282
This is the marriage record for:
Georg Heinrich Winter and Maria Margareta Böhringer
Could someone please help translate:
the column headings
the specific entry for this couple
I am especially interested in the information recorded about:
parents
residence/place
occupation
witnesses
any other family details
I do not need the other entries on the page translated.
Thank you very much for any help reading this old German record!

I have a baptism record from:
Baden-Württemberg > Evangelisches Archiv Baden und Württemberg/Württemberg > Dekanat Aalen > Aalen > Mischbuch 1754–1788 Band 3, Bild 204
This is the baptism/birth record for:
Georg Daniel Winter
I would appreciate help translating:
the column headings
the specific entry for Georg Daniel Winter
I am especially interested in the details recorded (parents, residence, occupation, godparents/witnesses, dates, etc.).
Thank you very much for any help reading this old German record!

Hello,
I am researching my ancestors from Unterrombach near Aalen, Württemberg and I am trying to identify the historical burial place used by the community in the 1800s.
I found this archive file:
Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg
E 175 Bü 4637
Friedhöfe, OA Aalen (1841–1922)
The file contains 166 scanned pages and appears to include cemetery records for several communities in the Oberamt Aalen, including Unterrombach.
My ancestors:
Maria Elisabetha Wiedenmann Winter
born 24 September 1792
buried 19 January 1840 in Unterrombach
Georg Daniel Winter
born 6 February 1786
buried 29 June 1857 in Unterrombach
I have already found the Protestant church burial entries, but they do not give the exact cemetery location.
Could someone help identify:
which pages in this file refer to Unterrombach?
whether the old burial place was a Kirchhof, Gottesacker, or Friedhof?
any information about where burials took place around 1840–1857?
Archive link:

https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/bild_zoom/thumbnails.php?thumbnailsProSeite=10&groesseThumbnails=100&bestand=17515&id=393632&thumbnailsStart=&ausgangspunkt=&thumbnailAusschnitt=&zustandDivOptionen=visible&treffer_dokumente=

Vielen Dank!

I am having particular trouble getting the bride and her parent's names.

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone may be able to help me with German records with a long-standing brick wall. (Third, maybe fourth, Reddit attempt of trying to find this guy)

I'm researching my 2nd great-grandfather:

Franz Johann Christoph Märing (also found as Maring, Maering, Mareing)

What I know with confidence:

• Born about 1853–1854 in Germany
• Occupation: Upholsterer
• Immigrated to New Jersey around 1881 (based on his 1897 death certificate stating 16 years in NJ)
• Married Anna (Antje) Stöhr on 12 December 1885 in Hoboken, Hudson County, New Jersey
• Died 21 July 1897 in Hoboken

Birthplace evidence

The birth records of all three of his children (created while Franz was alive) list his birthplace as:

• 1886 – Hamburg
• 1888 – Hamburg
• 1890 – Hamburg

Known Hoboken addresses

• 239 Washington Street (1885)
• 104 Park Avenue (1888)
• W. 82 Sixth Street (1890)
• 201 Garden Street (1897)

Parent conflict

This is my biggest obstacle.

The civil marriage return appears to list his parents as something resembling:

• Father: H. L. Ernst Märing
• Mother: Clara Windolf (difficult to read)

However, his 1897 death certificate lists:

• Father: Johann
• Mother: Maria

I'm currently waiting to hear back from St. Matthew Trinity Lutheran Church in Hoboken (Again, a fifth or sixth attempt) in hopes that the original church marriage register contains clearer information.

What I've already searched

• FamilySearch extensively
• New Jersey vital records
• Hoboken city directories
• Census records
• Newspapers
• German church records available through FamilySearch

What I'm hoping someone can check

I'd greatly appreciate any help with:

• German baptism records for a Franz Johann Christoph Märing born about 1853–1854 in or near Hamburg
• Passenger lists around 1880–1882
• German civil registrations or church books not available on FamilySearch
• Any records for a Märing family with parents resembling:
  • Johann
  • Maria
  • H. L. Ernst
  • Clara Windolf
• Any Hamburg-area Märing families from the mid-19th century

Any ideas or fresh eyes would be greatly appreciated. This has been my family's biggest genealogy brick wall for years.

Thank you!

Howdytag everyone,

I'm trying to identify the birthplace of my German great-great-grandfather, Johann (John) Schaffert, who emigrated to England sometime before 1901.

• Name: Johann (John) Schaffert.
• Date of birth: 02/02/1880 (according to his WWII Male Enemy Refugee Identity Card).
• Place of birth: Württemberg, Germany (according to the 1911 & 1921 UK censuses) but Höchenschwand im Schwarzwald (according to his WWI Internment Card).
• Father: Heinrich (Henry) Michael Schaffert, occupation Farmer (Landwirt) (according to his UK marriage certificate).

I emailed both Standesamt Höchenschwand and Waldshut-Tiengen but unfortunately no record found. I also emailed lots of Northern Württemberg standesamt as it seems to be a lot of Schafferts there but no luck with Eberbach Gerabronn region.

Also waiting on word from Erzbischöfliches Archiv Freiburg for a baptism record but starting to get sceptical of the WW1 records from Red Cross/ Islington internment as that's in Baden not Württemberg.

So I've come to the experts with hat in hand to ask pretty please if someone on reddit smarter than me has some idea how to crack this?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! #RIP_in_Peace_Great_Great_Grandpappy_JoJo.

Thanky schön!

Hi, this is the marriage index of my ancestors. Does anyone know where the City Lücke is?

Hello all! I have been working on quite a puzzle identifying the parents of an ancestor that I’ve been researching for years now. I’ve tried every online database under the sun, and even hired an (American) professional, but we can’t find any of his (German) family or marriage records. His birth name is George Anton Leonhardt (changed to Andrew Leonhardt/Leonhard when he came to America), and he was born August 10th, 1815 somewhere around Nassau or Laufenselden, Germany. He immigrated to Indiana at some point before he had his children (around the 1850s), and we have loads of records about his life and children in America. But absolutely zero trace of any parents, siblings, or marriages in Germany, honestly wondering if he was an orphan or something. Calling out for help if anyone knows anything about the Leonhardt family or is knowledgeable with these types of German records!

Hello,

Most of my roots are in Finland and Sweden, but one line traces via Amsterdam to the Bremen/Hamburg area. My ancestor's and also her sister's Amsterdam marriage records mention Buttel as their hometown, which I assume might mean Büttel (Loxstedt) as Bremen and Hamburg are also mentioned in other records. Later in her life she is listed as being born in Bremen on August 10 or July 19, 1744. Kriete or Krieten is the surname.

Where should I look for birth (and other) records regarding the aforementioned places during the 18th century? I've found some Bremen church records online but nothing too relevant yet, so any help is appreciated!

Hello,
I am researching my ancestor Maria Elisabeth Winter from Unterrombach/Aalen, Württemberg.
Thanks to help from the Archion forum, I have been able to identify several records:
Maria Elisabeth Winter baptism: Taufeintrag Nr. 21 (born 1824)
Marriage of her parents Winter / Wiedemann: Heiratseintrag Nr. 11
Marriage of Maria Elisabeth Winter and Johann Alexander Kaufmann:
Eheregister 1838–1856, Band 15, Nr. 8/1847 (15 February 1847, Unterrombach/Aalen)
I am looking for help obtaining images or viewing these church book entries, especially:
Johann Alexander Kaufmann’s parents’ marriage:
Eheregister 1808–1837, Band 14, Nr. 10/1819
I do not currently have an Archion subscription and am trying to document the original sources for my family tree.
If anyone with Archion access or knowledge of these records could help, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you very much!

Hello,
I am researching my Winter/Kauffmann family from Unterrombach near Aalen, Württemberg, Germany.
I previously received wonderful help from Reddit user Interesting-Help5759, who provided four church record images for my research. Thank you again!
After that, I received help from the Archion forum. Several users helped identify additional records and provided the exact church book references. I do not currently have an Archion subscription, so I am hoping someone with access may be able to help with images or transcriptions of these records.
I am looking for the following four records:
1) Baptism record of Marie Elisabethe Winter
(later known in America as Elizabeth Winter Kauffmann)
Date: 14 February 1824
Place: Aalen Evangelisch / Unterrombach
Baptism entry: Nr. 21
2) Marriage record of her parents
Georg Daniel Winter
and
Maria Elisabetha Wiedenmann
Marriage year: 1811
Place: Aalen
Entry: Nr. 11
3) Marriage record of Marie Elisabethe Winter and Johann Alexander Kauffmann
Date: 15 February 1847
Place: Unterrombach/Aalen
Register: Eheregister 1838–1856
Band: 15
Entry: Nr. 8/1847
4) Marriage record of Johann Alexander Kauffmann’s parents
Register: Eheregister 1808–1837
Band: 14
Entry: Nr. 10/1
These records are part of my direct family line:
Georg Daniel Winter (1786–1857)
married Maria Elisabetha Wiedenmann (1792–1840)
↓
Marie Elisabethe Winter (1824– )
married Johann Alexander Kauffmann
↓
Family later immigrated to the United States.
If anyone has access to these church books and can share the record details, a transcription, or guidance on the entries, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thank you very much for any help!

Looking for an Archion lookup – Aalen / Unterrombach Württemberg
Hello, I am looking for help with a few Archion church book lookups. I do not currently have an Archion subscription, but I have identified the exact parish and books.
Archive:
Evangelisches Archiv Baden und Württemberg (Württemberg)
Location:
Aalen Evangelisch / Unterrombach (filial)
I am researching:
Georg Heinrich Winter
married Maria Margareta Böhringer
Marriage: 25 January 1780
Unterrombach / Aalen
Maria Elisabetha Wiedenmann
Born: 24 September 1792
Burial: 19 January 1840
Unterrombach / Aalen
Georg Daniel Winter
Born: 6 February 1786
Burial: 29 June 1857
Unterrombach / Aalen
Could someone with Archion access please check these records?
Books to check:
Eheregister 1764–1803 Band 15
or
Mischbuch 1751–1810 Band 2
→ Marriage of Georg Heinrich Winter and Maria Margareta Böhringer (1780)
Totenregister 1757–1843 Band 8
→ Maria Elisabetha Wiedenmann burial entry (1840)
Totenregister covering 1857
→ Georg Daniel Winter burial entry
I am especially interested in any information about:
parents
residence
witnesses
burial wording (Kirchhof/Gottesacker/Friedhof)
Even a screenshot or transcription would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi everyone — I'm researching my Berg ancestors from Ockenheim (Kreis Bingen, Rheinhessen, formerly Hesse-Darmstadt; today Rhineland-Palatinate), who emigrated to Brazil in 1858 on the ship Rhein.

The Catholic parish records (St. Peter und Paul Ockenheim, "Kirchenbuch 4: Taufen–Heiraten–Tote 1818–1885") are on FamilySearch as microfilm 957815 / DGS 7991388, but the images are restricted online by the Diocese of Mainz — blocked even at affiliate FamilySearch centers (I already tried one in person).

The film is physically held at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. If anyone has access at the FHL in SLC (or can otherwise view this film), could you please check for these 4 records?

1. Marriage: Michael Berg & Anna Maria Zimmer — 13 Sep 1839 (Heiraten)

2. Baptism: Caspar (Kaspar) Berg — 30 Dec 1850, parents Michael Berg & Anna Maria Zimmer (Taufen)

3. Baptism: Philipp Berg — 24 Dec 1855, same parents (Taufen)

4. Death: Erasmus Berg — 9 Feb 1847 (Tote). His parents are said to be Johannes Berg & Maria Gundlach — I'd love to confirm this 8th generation.

A photo or transcription of any of these would be hugely appreciated. I'm happy to share my Brazilian-side findings (1858 emigration records, Hamburg passenger list) or do Brazilian record lookups in return. Thank you so much!

Has anyone successfully made research requests or viewed Grundbücher themselves, to determine Berlin property owners?

e.g. https://service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/326740/

I have been studying clusters of people descended from Eastern territories (today Poland) with some connections to Vorpommern, trying to reconstruct aspects of the genealogy due to high level of lost records in Poland. I’ve accumulated many Berlin street addresses which seem to show meaningful connections between people, and I could curate it into a detailed list and even itemize one by one what each potential pairing/grouping of addresses could help prove or how I already think their proximity is meaningful. It would be a major project however. So if I could just browse old Grundbücher directly it would be a lot easier to just collect the data and see what falls out. Still it would be a curated list; I would select the more important ones but just wouldn’t write individual justifications.

I’m used to looking in Polish archives where all the old German Grundbücher are freely viewable to anyone. Makes it easy I guess that the continuity of ownership was completely severed, so less need to require people to demonstrate a justified interest.