Sharing Useful Tips: GERMANY and E. Europe

[marilynesther]

Hello all!

Many thanks for the sites and tips    I will try them all!
Been hungrey for some information on German searching... D apD  where did you go ?

One of our German surnames is HEFLINE with many different spellings I am sure.  The first record we can find is on the 1830 US Census for our GrGrGrGrandfather John HAEFLEIN , from Germany.  SUPPOSEDLY  as family stories go, the name was "VON" HAEFLEIN, HEFLINE, HEFLEIN, HEFLENE..etc  and  somewhere in the tree was a German Count in Baden....SUPPOSEDLY....

Cannot seem to find what port he arrived in, but ended up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.   Have records from 1830 on, but brickwall prior to that, so hopefully those sites will help in our search.

Another German surname in our tree is THAW... any suggestions as to other spellings.?

All the best, Marilyn 

[SwissGill]

Hello Marilyn

It could be "Thor". The "h" is not pronounced. If you go to Family Search and put this name in, you'll see there's some in US, Canada and from various countries in Europe and Scandinavia.

It could also be "Dohr". The t and the d are not always pronounced as the t and d in English. My neighbour's husband is called Thomas but when she shortens it to Tommy it sounds like Dommy to me.

Good luck
Gill

[marilynesther]

Many thanks Gill,  never new about the t and d thing.  Will give it a try and see what comes up!

I felt very confident searching my English and Scottish lines, but now, with the German side of the family, I feel somewhat  handicapped and unsure of myself.. So glad to have this panel to come to for help    

I was also told the Thaw could be "Tau".  Any thoughts on this?

 Marilyn

[SwissGill]

Hello Marilyn

Thaw = auftauen
Tau = dew

I've seen German names translated such as Kurz into Short, so this is a possibility.

Looked quickly on FamilySearch, a lot of "Taus", many Asian but there were a number in Germany and Holland.

Happy hunting
Gill

[marilynesther]

Well thats a surprise!  Thanks again, will take a look. 

All the best, Marilyn

ps - you're not caught up in all those nasty floods, are you?
       what a tragic time for all the folks involved...M

[Rena]

I didn't know where to put this link which is of the German-Canadian Museum of Applied History.  This is devoted to the Braunchweig region of Germany and gives details of various armies including names. 

http://home.ica.net/~claus/

Rena

[Rozy]

Hello searchers
If i keep hitting a brick wall, i send a e-mail to the city where my great-aunt,
her husband and daughter where born. My great-aunt and her family, moved from Brighton to Merseburg. She was born British, her husband German.
Don't give up!!

[skyblueFF]

Hello everyone

Lots of lovely info there hope it will help in my search for GGf
Gustav Heise. See my post further down.

Michael

[carinthiangirl]

this is possible -  if a german speaks Tau and an english person write the word down he may come to Thaw about the pronouncing.
as example i have seen by the name Riedl which became americanized Reatl as both sound similar - the one spoken in german and the other in english.