The records provided here result from my efforts to trace the roots of my ancestors in Germany. I used a few clues provided by my ancestors and relatives in public records to identify the places of their origin. In particular, the records presented on this site were crucial to my success. These data may help other searchers with similar goals.
The political details of the German states has a complicated
history, but during most of the 19th century, the principality of Baden
was one of several relatively independent states. The state religion of
Baden was Catholicism, unlike many German states which subscribed to
Protestant faiths. Hohenzollern was along Baden's eastern borders, and
this state was the ancestral home of the Hohenzollern family with its
center at Hechingen Castle. From this family would arise the leaders of
the Prussian state, and the Kaisers who would help unite the German
states into one country and play such a notorius role in world history.
Prussia created almost as
much disaffection among its own inhabitants, with its militaristic
foreign
policy and forced recruitment of soldiers for its many wars, as it did
for its neighbors. This unrest
motivated substantial emigration to various parts of the world,
including the United States.
Most of the data here derive from Catholic parish records. Other
data comes from records made by government agencies. The original
sources for the data are often rich in information about
family relations. There are also gaps in information that were created
by
the peculiarities of the culture in which these people lived. If you
find information
in the files on this website that seems relevant to your situation, you
should examine the original record yourself. All these records are
available in the Family History Library of Salt Lake City, and the
relevant references are specified.
What other information, besides that contained here, is available in
the original records? Marginal notations sometimes appear, giving a
death, noting
illegitimacy, or other remarkable circumstance. In German parish
records, sometimes a kind of group sheet appears that shows a whole
family with grandparents.
You must examine the original records themselves, which are available on film from the LDS Family History Library in the United States, to determine their relevance to your needs. Not all the records available were included in my search, and there are other relevant original records remaining to discover.
Dates in the tables are in the American style: Mo/Dy/Year.
This page is currently a place-holder. Please check periodically for updates to the data.
copyright © 2005 by Joseph C. Hager
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