Dear Bernd--Those interested in genealogy I think would all agree that
traditions lost when transplanted into a new culture, especially language, result in
a "disconnect" with our past, which we have undertaken to overcome! I think
America was much more a "melting pot" of immigrants, which made things very
difficult for the immigrants and their children, but as I have heard told "if it
doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger." I think that is why I am so
interested in finding out the stories behind my ancestors' struggles and their
family history back in Germany. Although my father died before my interest
began, I remember clearly the day he answered the telephone and started to speak
German to a friend of my brother's from Germany! I had never heard him speak
German before (I was 20 years old!).
Let me just add there also has been a change regarding the attitude of those
from other countries living in America in that mostly they do not want to
become part of a "melting pot" but retain their cultures and this does have an
impact on our schools, healthcare systems, and government programs. However,
because America is such a large area, there is bound to be cultural differences
among the different parts of our country.
The problem I have with our institutions teaching "respect for differences"
is that it should begin with the pride we should take in our own beliefs and
traditions--perhaps the pursuit of genealogy should begin in our elementary
schools!
I am almost 60 years old and have decided to learn German!!! Wish me luck!!!
Claire
Question: My grandmother (CLARA HOLSTEIN) was in an Orphanage in Duesseldorf
about 1895. I believe it was a Catholic Orphanage--where would I look for
records?
Hello Claire,
I remember that you were looking for that orphanage some time ago!
Still no luck, I guess. By doing Google searches, I read that there were
both a Lutheran and a Catholic orphanage (waisenhaus) in Düsseldorf. I also
read that an orphanage in Düsseldorf was bombed in the war.
Did you ever write to anyone in Düsseldorf?
This is a page for the diocese of Essen (which, I think, would include
Düsseldorf):
http://www.archive.nrw.de/home.asp?bta-essen
There is an email address there that you could use to get some information.
You could write to the diocese of Essen or other archives in Düsseldorf as
listed.
By doing a Google search on "orphanage in Dusseldorf" I found a reference to
an article at this address:
http://muse.jhu.edu/cgi-bin/access.cgi?uri=/journals/catholic_historical_rev
iew/v088/88.2yonke.html
It seems to be a historical journal which you can only access through a
library or such. I'm not sure how much specific information it would give.
I wish you luck. That is a unique search.
Barbara
Barbara again,
I forgot something. I also read that Dominican Sisters had a orphanage
in Düsseldorf.
I bet we could find something on that--I will try later. Out of time now!
"A Dominican Sisters' community and 100 children were evacuated from a
bombed orphanage at Düsseldorf in 1943 and lived here till 1947."
Hello Claire,
Perhaps you could contact this group of Dominican Sisters who are in
or near Düsseldorf. The website is in German, but there is an email address
there. They may know some English, unless you yourself can write in German!
Or maybe someone on the list who can write in German could compose a letter
for you.
http://www.dominikanerinnen-angermund.de/
I really hope this works out for you,
Barbara
<Captruro@aol.com> schrieb:
Dear Bernd--Those interested in genealogy I think would all agree that
traditions lost when transplanted into a new culture, especially language, result in
a "disconnect" with our past, which we have undertaken to overcome! I think
America was much more a "melting pot" of immigrants, which made things very
difficult for the immigrants and their children, but as I have heard told "if it
doesn't kill you, it will make you stronger." I think that is why I am so
interested in finding out the stories behind my ancestors' struggles and their
family history back in Germany. Although my father died before my interest
began, I remember clearly the day he answered the telephone and started to speak
German to a friend of my brother's from Germany! I had never heard him speak
German before (I was 20 years old!).
Let me just add there also has been a change regarding the attitude of those
from other countries living in America in that mostly they do not want to
become part of a "melting pot" but retain their cultures and this does have an
impact on our schools, healthcare systems, and government programs. However,
because America is such a large area, there is bound to be cultural differences
among the different parts of our country.
The problem I have with our institutions teaching "respect for differences"
is that it should begin with the pride we should take in our own beliefs and
traditions--perhaps the pursuit of genealogy should begin in our elementary
schools!
I am almost 60 years old and have decided to learn German!!! Wish me luck!!!
Congratulation Claire, that's great.
Karl