I am making this inquiry as to the existence and availability of records in
the Berlin area circa 1930s. Background for this inquiry is the following.
My great grand father, John Robert Alexander Rommel, emigrated from Bad
Liebenstein, Thuringia, to the United States in 1858 as a 15 year old with his
widowed mother and two younger brothers. His father, who died in 1855, had
been the village schoolmaster, cantor of the Evangelical Church, a protégé of
Prince Bernard and Princess Ida of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and the steward of
their household in Bad Liebenstein.
Two daughters, Anna Amalie and Luise Friderike remained in Germany under
the care of the household of Prince Bernard, Princess Ida having died in 1852.
Recently obtained “family papers” have revealed that the above Anna Amalie
Rommel had the married surname Freytag and died as the result of a “traffic
accident” (believed to be in Berlin) on 18 March 1929. The family death
announcement identifies survivors as a daughter and son in law, Charlotte and
Julius Wolf, daughters Elizabeth Freytag Hentig and Kate Freytag Paetzold. In
addition my great grandfather being identified, one of her brothers, who had
changed his name from Rommel to Müller, with his wife is identified
Margarethe and Karl Muller of Zossen, Germany.
The address on the death announcement is Berlin NW 21, Perleberger Straße
11.
The funeral and or burial service is listed as to take place on Saturday, 23
March 1929 at three o’clock in the afternoon at Kapelle des Neuen Johannis
churchyard Plötzensee. I have a photograph of the gravestone, but with no
location or other identification.
I would be very appreciative if anyone could advise as to whether there
would be any available records to further confirm this information and likewise
very appreciative for any further research suggestions.