WILLKOMMEN
German (Deutsch)
SIG
13 February 2014
Agenda
• Presentations – Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)
-- by Bill Thuemmel
-- Palatines in America -- by Margaret Sgritta
• Group Discussion –
– New Members
– Individual Status
– Problem Solving
Know Your Ancestors
Through The Knowledge Gained From
Research and an Understanding Of
Their History and Their Culture
Dale Heins, July 2013
The information contained in this presentation is for the sole use of
members of Villages Genealogy Society and its German Special Interest
Group. It may not be copied whole or in part with the exception of one
(1) copy for their sole use nor may it be distributed.
Please refer to the last slide for acknowledgements of the sources of the
materials presented herein.
Dale Heins & William Thuemmel
German SIG Co-Coordinators
Federal Republic of Germany
1990 - Present
States of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfälz) & Saarland
File:Deutschland politisch 2010.png
STATE OF Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)
Urban Districts in RhinelandPalatinate
Frankenthal
Kaiserslautern
Koblenz
Landau
Ludwigshafen
Mainz
Neustadt (Weinstraße)
Pirmasens
Speyer
Trier
Worms
Zweibrücken
State of Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)
General Introduction
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A federal state of Germany that borders in the west with France, Belgium, &
Luxemburg. It was formed in 1946. It ranks 6th in area (slightly smaller than Slovenia
or Israel) and 7th in population (similar to Oakland, CA). It produces two-thirds of
Germany’s wine grapes. Mainz is its capital (pop. 200,000), largest city, and hub of the
German wine industry.
Rhineland-Palatinate (R-P) was formed from the northern part of the French
Occupational Zone (map on next slide). This included parts of Bavaria (Rhenish
Palatinate), the southern parts of Prussian Rhine Province [capital was Koblenz]
(including Birkenfeld District, formerly part of Oldenburg), parts of Prussian Province
of Nassau (Hesse-Nassau) and parts of Hesse-Darmstadt (Rhinehessen) on the west
bank of the Rhine.
The major rivers of R-P are the Rhine (Rhein), Moselle (Mosel), & Ahr (Ahr). The Ahr
flows from the Eifel Mts. into the Rhine between Remagen & Sinzig; the Mosel at
Koblenz. Mainz is located at the juncture of the Main & Rhine. The Eifel & Hunsrück
Mts. are in northern R-P west of Rhine. The Westerwald & Taunus chains lie on the
eastern side. The hilly lands in the south are covered by the Palatinate Forest.
R-P leads all German states with export rate of 50%. Important sections are winegrowing, chemical, pharmaceutical, and auto parts industries. Small & medium
enterprises are backbone of economy.
Post WWII Occupation Zones of Germany
Pre-WWII Components of Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhenish Palatinate, Rheinpfalz,
or Bayerische Pfalz 1815-1968
Prussian Rhine Province 1822-1946
Capital was Koblenz
Hesse-Nassau
1868-1944
Rheinhessen 1815-1946
Brief History of the Rhineland
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The history of the Rhineland was covered in more detail in my presentation on
North Rhine-Westphalia. Celts, then Romans W. of Rhine; Germanic tribes E. of
Rhine, etc. Trier claims to be the oldest city in Germany. Julius Caesar subdued the
Teveri in 58-50 BC. Built Porta Nigra between 186-200 AD.
Following the Dark Ages (476-800 AD), trade flourished during the Carolingian
Period (Charlemagne ruled) and many Jews from the Middle East were attracted to
Rhineland-Palatinate. Many settled in Mainz, Speyer, & Worms. Ashkenazic
(Germanic) Judaism became centered in Mainz.
The Congress of Vienna (1815) assigned all lower Rhenish districts to Prussia and
remained so with Germany’s unification in 1871.
Following WWI, allied forces occupied the Rhineland. The Treaty of Versailles
banned all German troops W. of Rhine and within 50 km. E. of the Rhine.
In 1920, under heavy French pressure, the Saar was separated from R-P under
League of Nations administration. Then France completely occupied the Rhineland
with strict industrial control until 1925. The Saar was returned to the German
Reich in 1935. On 7 March 1936, German troops took control of the Rhineland and
other regions along the Rhine in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.
Historic Rhineland Photos
Koblenz--Altstadt
Trier—Porta Nigra
Mainz--Altstadt
Historic Palatinate Photos
Worms—Nibelungen Bridge
Ludwigshafen—home of BASF
Speyer--Cathedral
A Very Brief History of the Palatinate
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Generally parallels the history of the Rhineland, but more complex. The term
“Palatine” goes back to Roman times. Palatine Hill was the first-settled hill (of 7) in
ancient Rome. The name of the first settlement—the residence of emperors.
In German history, any ruler with special powers granted by the emperor was called a
Count Palatine (Pfalzgraf). Hence, the lands of the Count Palatine or the Palatinate.
In the 12th century, the lands of the counts palatine of Lotharingia (Lorraine) were
formed into a separate territory of (Rhenish) Palatinate. In 1214, the HC emperor
granted these lands to the duke of Bavaria, house of Wittelsbach, who also ruled the
Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) in northeastern Bavaria with Amberg its capital. An
internal dynastic in 1329, resulted in the two Palatinate territories to end up under
separate electors (rulers).
The Palatinates remained Roman Catholic early in the Reformation but adopted
Calvinism in the 1560s. The Thirty Years War (1618-48) drove the elector of Upper
Palatinate from power and gave it to the Duke of Bavaria, where it remains today.
Catholic troops devastated the Rhenish Palatinate during the war. However, the Peace
of Westphalia helped restore the Rhenish lands.
The troops of French monarch Louis XIV ravaged the Rhenish Palatinate during the War
of the Grand Alliance (1689-97), causing many Germans to emigrate. After Napoleon’s
defeat and the Congress of Vienna (1815), historic Palatinate east of the Rhine was
incorporated into the state of Baden. The area W. of the Rhine, with its capital in
Speyer, became known as Bavarian Palatinate or, in 1835, officially became “Palatinate.”
North Rhine-Westphalia Genealogy Sites
http://search.ancestry.com/Places/Europe/Germany/Nordrhein-Westfalen/Default.aspx
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~deunrhwf/
http://www.genealoger.com/german/ger_4_nordrheinwestfalen.htm
http://www.genealogylinks.net/europe/germany/nw.htm
http://www.stemwedegenealogy.com/genlinks.html
Wright, R.S., III; Rives, N.S.; Kirkham, M.J.; and Bunting, S.S. Archives in Nordrhein-Westfalen
(North Rhine-Westphalia) (Chapter 13). In Ancestors in German Archives: A Guide to Family
History Sources. Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc.: Baltimore, MD. PB $80. Sample
pages can be reviewed online at http://www.amazon.com/dp/0806317477/ref=rdr_ext_tmb
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• The information presented in the above Power Point presentation was
taken primarily from:
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhineland-Palatinate
http://images.mygermancity.com/maps/rhineland-palatinate.gif
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/151663/Dark-Ages
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhineland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatinate_(region);
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/439207/Palatinate
http:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatinate_(region)
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/439207/Palatinate
//freepages.family.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~adelr/aug88/aug88p3.htm;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Palatinate
http://www.buenosaires-berlin.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Trier-and-the-PortaNigra.jpg; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Altstadt_Koblenz.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mainz_altstadt.jpg;
http://www.corporate.basf.com/basfcorp/copsfiles/pressefotodb/2482_001_standort_ludwi
gshafen_399_03d.jpg; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Speyer--Cathedral---East-View---(Gentry).jpg
• Wikipedia Commons (On-Line)
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Map. “Federal Republic of Germany, 1990 – Present.” Columbus, Ohio, Origins Books 2012
Map. “Rhineland-Palatinate” MyGermanCity.com