Germany: I'm still looking! Can anyone find the birth of Frieda Reinhardt?

[kugate]

I've struggled with this for sometime now and previous leads haven't really come up with anything so I thought I would try again with a new thread.

The lady I'm looking for is Frieda Reinhardt (taking into account variants in both first and surnames).  She, I believe was born 10 April 1879 in or around Jonitz (Dessau-Roßlau), Germany.

I'm interested in Frieda, any siblings, parents, grandparents, etc ....  The more info the better!

I'm also interested in a Sophie Braeseke (taking into account variants in both first and surnames),  bc1853, believed to be from the same area.  Sophie may be related in someway to Frieda (possibly but not certain Frieda's aunt).  Sophie's father was called Otto Braeseke (occupation: farmer).

It's the German side of things I am looking at and possibly any mention of them on passenger lists (although I've not come across any yet) to/from the UK.

Would anyone know of any researchers on the ground in the aforementioned area that maybe able to assist?

Much appreciated if anyone can help.

Thank you

[Maggsie]

Did Frieda marry?
Maggsie

[Maggsie]

Ok I found them, she was Sophie Braeseke niece.
I will Private Message you.
Maggsie

[kugate]

Did Frieda marry?
Maggsie

Hi Maggsie,

She didn't marry as far as I'm aware.  She died in England and I'm kind of ok with the English (England) side of things.  It's just the German side (Germany) where I'm stuck.  I have a record of her being in England in 1910 so I would be looking sometime before that year, prior to her arriving in England.

[kugate]

Ok I found them, she was Sophie Braeseke niece.
I will Private Message you.
Maggsie

Hi Maggsie,

I seem to be having problems reading my private messages.  Can't see yours for some reason.  Don't know what I'm doing wrong!

I'm happy with Sophie in England and I know who she married in England (I have her marriage cert).  It's the German/Germany (Saxony - Anhalt) part, where she originated that I'm having difficulty with.

[Maggsie]

Have you got her death record?
Maggsie

[kugate]

Hi again Maggsie,

I'm so sorry, I should have made my original post clearer.  It's just the Germany side of things that I'm looking at/struggling with.  I have them on the 1911 England Census.  It's more info on where they were born and their siblings/parents/etc in Germany that I'm trying to get information on.

It hasn't helped that my German language abilities are pretty much zero.   

Many apologies! 

[kugate]

Have you got her death record?
Maggsie

Yes, for both Frieda and Sophie, but unfortunately they don't give any helpful information.

[JustinL]

Researching German ancestry without any knowledge of German will be challenging, but not impossible.

You are fortunate that your entry point (1879) falls within the period of civil registration. In most parts of Germany, the local registry offices (Standesämter) have been obliged to transfer older BMD documents to the relevant State Archives. However, in the case of the State Archives of Saxony-Anhalt this does not appear to have happened. See here https://landesarchiv.sachsen-anhalt.de/onlineangebote/informationen-fuer-familienforschende/quellenbeispiele-des-landesarchivs-in-auswahl/standesamtsunterlagen/. The webpage is in German, but if your right-click on the page you can translate it to German.

The indication is that you should approach the Standesamt Dessau-Rosslau. The relevant contact details are here http://verwaltung.dessau-rosslau.de/stadt-buerger/buergerservice/standesamt.html.

See here too https://verwaltung.dessau-rosslau.de/stadt-buerger/stadtportraet/geheimnisvolles-rathaus/personenstandsbuecher.html

English is certainly more widely spoken than when I lived in western Germany in the 1990s. I would suggest, nonetheless, that you formulate a simple email in English enquiring about Frieda Reinhardt, copy it into Google translate, then do a reverse translation back into English to assess whether it makes sense. Then email both the German and English versions to the Standesamt.

In my experience, State Archives have been very forthcoming in providing information about the parents and the siblings of an individual. I really can't say how obliging the Standesamt will be.

Viel Glück,

Justin