Jim (and Max),
Certainly we all want this list to be lively and informative.
Historians-and genealogists-are vitally concerned with the subject of origins, some to
the extent it becomes an avocation or a 'disease'. To find and understand
origins we search for evidence. One of the fine qualities of this list is
that there are people who are knowledgeable about where to find evidence
(archives, church records, civil and military records, etc.) and they have been
eager to share their knowledge with others who are seeking information about the
origins of their ancestors.
One of the unfortunate by-products of wars and natural disasters is that
the evidence we seek is either destroyed, damaged or scattered, sometimes in
a manner that defies reason, like throwing all the pieces of a puzzle in the
snow and then trying to reassemble the puzzle. If we want to exercise our
brains and get "back to genealogy & history in the Hannover area", could we
not make an attempt to enumerate these sources of evidence on the list and try
to identify the events and movements in history that influenced both
emigration and immigration to the Hannover region? Is it possible to identify the
topics that the members of the list would like the list to address?
I believe that when we shine light (focus attention) on a subject it can
bring both life and understanding. I look forward to the information and
perspective that the members of the list can provide.
Gary Beard
The possibility that a distant cousin may stumble across the story. The possibility that my ancestors and yours lived in the same neighborhood or attended the same church. The possibility that my cousin is a cousin of your cousin...