Feb. 1999

Acces to the city file over the principal office, city administration, p.o. box 1140, 23763 Burg on Fehmarn, telephone 04371/50633; Shop-hours: Tuesday 14,00-17,00 o'clock or according to declaration/agreement

Translation Notes
*Burg goes to Castle
*Fehmarnsundbrucke goes to Fehmarnsundbruecke which is Fehmarn Sound Bridge

Now you know what I mean. This is not perfect but at least it bridges the gap part of the way.

Understanding and researching in the Church Books of Fehmarn

Here is a basic guide before beginning your search in the church registers of Fehmarn. These records are found on microfilm at your local LDS family history center. Film numbers are listed on the Fehmarn Genealogy site under the section called microfilms. There were four churches on the Island in the town Burg, and villages of Landkirchen, Bannesdorf, and Petersdorf. Villages without a church used one of these four churches. You can also find a listing of which village was under what church parish on the Fehmarn Genealogy web site. The church registers are divided into three main books. The books on microfilm are filmed left-sided pages (l.s) separately from right-sided pages (r.s.) and handwritten in old German script. Please view the samples of church entries on the Fehmarn Genealogy web site to familiarize yourself with the handwritings at http://www.fehmarn-genealogy.com/microfil.htm

The Marriage books are called Heiraten. In the left margin you will find the entry number for that year, then next the marriage day. The year is found on the top of the page, and the month found on a previous record at the beginning of the month. In typical records after about 1770, which are in paragraph form you will find the name of the Junggesell und Bräutigam (bachelor and bridegroom) listed. Next is given the names of his Eltern (parents) giving the name of his Vater (father) along with his occupation and village he is living in, followed by Ehefrau (his wife), the bridegrooms Mutters (mother’s) name, which will include geb. (born), followed by her maiden name and aus (from) village name. You will see the word (un)eheleiblich ((il)legitimate) Sohn (son) at the end of listing the names of the parents of the groom. This will be followed by the Bräut (bride) or mit (with) and the name of the bride followed by her parents name, which is shown same as listed for the groom above followed with the word (un)eheleiblich ((il)legitimate) Tochter (daughter). In some records the ages of the groom and bride is given as jahr (year) alt. (old/age) before or after the listing of their parents. If the groom or bride was a widow you will see the word witwe or Wwe. in front of the name. Sometimes the name of the bride’s late husband is given before or after the listing of her parents. If the groom was a widow you may have to find his previous marriage to find the names of his parents. The word weiland (late) may appear before the parent’s name indicating they are deceased. You can view actual Fehmarn marriage records at http://fehmarn-genealogy.com/heiraten.htm

The Baptism books are called Taufen. In the left margin you find the entry number for that year, then the day of birth, followed by the baptized day. The year is found on the top of the page, and the month found on a previous record at the beginning of the month. In typical records after about 1770, which again are in paragraph form you will find the name of the child being baptized. This is followed by the fathers occupation, name and village and his Frau’s (wife’s) name, followed by geb. (born), her maiden name and aus (from) village name. Many records include the age of the mother given as jahr (year) alt. (old/age). In later records the # of the kinder (childen) is listed, previous child’s birth entry # and year is also given. The listing of the sponsor’s name’s and their villages follows this. In the birth of an uneheleiblich (illegitimate) child the mother is listed first and her parent’s name, followed by the name of the father if known. You can view actual Fehmarn baptism records at http://www.fehmarn-genealogy.com/taufen.htm

The Death books are called Tote. In the left margin you find the entry number for that year, then the day of death, followed by the burial day. The year is found on the top of the page, and the month found on a previous record at the beginning of the month. In typical records after about 1770, which again are in paragraph form you will find first the name of the deceased person. If it’s a man his occupation and village will follow it. If it’s a woman, it will give her name, which will include geb. (born), followed by her maiden name and aus (from) village name. Next is given the names of the Eltern (parents) giving the name of the Vater (father) along with his occupation and village he is living in, followed by Ehefraus (his wife’s) name will include geb. (born), followed by her maiden name and aus (from) village name. You will see either the word Sohn (son) or Tochter (daughter). Next is given the name of the witwe or verwitwet (widowed). A listing of the deceased person’s kinder (children) is given next, starting with number of Sohns (sons) and Tochters (daughters). The children are given in order of age and numbered. Each child’s name is given, occupation, village, age and verheiratet (married to) and the name of his/her spouse, followed by their children (the deceased person’s enkelkinder (grandchildren)) being given alphabetical letters in front of their names and followed by their age. Finally the age of the deceased is given as jahr (year) Monat (month) Tag (day) alt. (old/age) followed by the cause of death. You can view actual Fehmarn death records at http://www.fehmarn-genealogy.com/tote.htm

In all the records above the important Surname’s are often underlined. The months of the year are: Januar, Februar, März, April, Mai, Juni, Juli, August, September, Oktober, November, Dezember. Some of the more common occupations found in the above records are: Dienstknecht (servant), Bauknecht (farmhand/servant), Arbitsmann (working man), Tagelöhner (day laborer), Hausmann (farmer caretaker), Hauswirth (innkeeper/landlord), Weber (weaver), Schneider (tailor), Miller (miller), Kaufmann (merchant/buyer), Rademacher (wheelwright), Glaser (glassmaker), Tischler (carpenter), Schmidt (blacksmith), Böttcher (cooper), Zimmermann (carpenter), Hirte (shepherd), Hauptmann (Captain), Schiffer (sailor), Seefeher (seafarer), Einlieger (tenant farmer), Einwohner (Inhabitants), Bürger (full citizen/middle class).

These are the basics and you are now ready to order your microfilms, and make copies of those pertaining to your ancestors.

I would like to thank some very special people for their support of this web site. Thank you Tressie Hughes for all your diligent work and interest with the newsletter. Marlene Heinsohn, thank you for being my number one fan and for all your endless promotion of this web site. Great appreciation to Grace Dietz for sending copies of the "Fehmarn dörfer" and census records. Nona Lloyd donated the book "Steine die reden können", which added six new ancestors to my own family tree. Also thanks to Bruce Wood for sharing articles written by Peter Wiepert. Ken Johannsen was monumental in sharing printed materials from his own personal library. My sincere thanks to Else Bügge-Wood for helping with German to English translations. She also shared her own personal insight of life on the Island. Last but not least, all those who shared their photographs and postcards from the Island.

I have enjoyed reading your Fehmarn-Newsletter. You have to tell the public that King Frederik was a Danish king. Fehmarn was under Danish rule until 1864-66. The naming of children is not German but may be Danish, but this would not apply to all people. I am not a historian on "Fehmarn" but who is? Peter Wiepert, a Mr. Hopner, and Mr. Karl Wilhelm Klahn have written some very reliable articles on Fehmarn. Peter Wiepert was the island poet and wrote books. He started a museum after WW II. I saw the old museum when I was a small child and can remember much. The people on the island were very skilled and had secrets that are mostly lost. Most of the people were multi-lingual, spoke low-German, high-German and also Danish, I have seen the days when 'De Lütt Buur' [small farmer] and 'De groot Buur' [gentleman farmer] were competing. Small farmers quickly disappeared and the gentleman farmer took control. Laborers received very little income and many a gentleman farmer even owned the small shacks where the laborers lived in. When I attended The 'Fehmeraner pick-nik' in Iowa and Minnesota, I heard the terrible stories of the new Americans who had been mistreated by the superior farmers on the island. But still many new 'Fehmeraner-Amerikaner' suffered nostalgia, longing for their beloved Island, including myself. I have written it into my poetry, which kept up till this day, as to never loose the skill-full ability to speak my beloved "Low German". My forefathers came from Klausdorf, Presen, and Wulfen. My grandfather lost his land to the Railroad and the building of dikes. They were farmers and also Tischlermeister [master cabinetmaker], this trend changed after the Prussian take-over, when the people had to learn a trade to compete in the industrial revolution. I remember the Nazi-takeover and the British takeover, when the island became a prison camp for all the German Marines, many people died of starvation in the inhuman camps. My mother fed the begging soldier's daily and cooked nourishing soup. We had the house full of displaced people, this was very sad and not many people talk about it, but it wasn't very long when they became prosperous again and they lived in harmony together. I was amazed how things changed on the island, while I had moved to Bavaria, working for the American government as a lingual secretary, in 1948 I married and came to Ohio. Here I received my extended education by attending evening classes for years. We had 4 beautiful daughters, in 1983 I got a divorce. My children are married and I have 8 grand children and for the last 16 years I have had the opportunity to learn so much about genealogy, tutoring German students, singing in the "Germania Singing Society in
Columbus and I have learned to love Ohio and America. In 1952 I became a citizen of the US.
I want to extend my best wishes in your endeavor concerning "Fehmarn".

Sincerely
Else Bügge-Wood

The following information was passed on to us by Paul Zebe. Can any one out their help us locate and get copies of these very valuable records.

Together 71 families.
Additionally there are compositions specially available about the pastors of all four parishes, about the magistrates, the regional governors, the clerks, the members of boards and chambers, the judges, the local government officials, the executioners and the "Katharinenhof" estate.
The collection of Hausmarken [housemarks, or building plaques] numbers 252; shields [badges] are studied, traced, and drawn.
All of these works find their origins in the gleanings from church registers; for further research one might well turn to the beautifully organized and cataloged archive of the City of Burg kept by the renowned archivist Miss Helene Höhnck; the old parish archives, the valuable collections of former chamber members, etc., have disappeared. The contents of the old so-called Fehmarn "Landesblock" reposes with the governmental authorities (State Archive) in Kiel.

Newsletter submissions
by E-mail: kc7bal@juno.com
or mail to:
Tressie Hughes
PO Box 770
Puyallup WA 98371

The FEHMARN COUSINS Newsletter
Created using Microsoft Frontpage and maintained by:
Editor - Tressie Hughes, 9312 147th Street E., Puyallup, WA. 98375