I am researching the MARCUS family of Meseritz, Posen, Prussia (now Miedzyrzecz, Zielona Gora, Poland). In doing so, it seems that sometime before the year 1879, Robert MARCUS left Meseritz and travelled to Magdeburg, Sachsen, Germany, where his son William MARCUS was born on 08 Dec 1879. In July 1882, Robert and William (then 2 1/2 years old) emigrated to the United States (apparently without any other family) eventually settling in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Robert MARCUS, his siblings and parents were all Jewish. William was not raised Jewish, although Robert's other sons were. The oldest surviving document that belonged to Robert was a Catholic confirmation certificate of Auguste Maria Henrietta Koepp. In the Jewish faith, religious affiliation follows the maternal line. Therefore, because William was not raised Jewish, it is speculated that Auguste was William's mother. Robert forbade his children to try and contact the family remaining in Germany. A genealogist specializing in Jewish genealogy told me that if Robert married a woman out of his faith, it is likely that his family would have treated him as though he had died. They would have had a ceremony to mourned him and never spoken to him again. So then the theory would be that Robert was excommunicated (in effect) from his family, Auguste died, and Robert (essentially having no family) moved to the United States.
To prove (or disprove) this theory, I have searched for (and thus far been unable to locate) William's birth certificate in Magdeburg. I am hoping someone on this list might have access to civil birth registrations in Magdeburg and be willing to do a lookup for William's birth record.
I am also trying to locate any information on Auguste, starting with the confirmation certificate since it is the only thing we know about her. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate the place where the confirmation certificate was issued. (To view the certificate, click this link http://www.mnhistoricalresearch.com/mysteries.htm). I am hopeful that you might take a look at the confirmation certificate and give me your opinions as to where I might begin searching for the original document.
Thank you all for your assistance.
Warmest regards,
Lynn
Lynn Hargreaves
Minnesota Historical Research Associates
7345 Wentworth Avenue South
Richfield, MN 55423
web: www.mnhistoricalresearch.com