The Behm-Kunze husband and wife appeared ca 1850 in Waldenburg, Michigan, USA in
a Lutheran village of immigrants from Prussia. They may have come from Waldenburg,
West Prussia or from Kreis Randow in present Vor Pommern. Many Behms exist in
Kreis Randow today vic Boock but I cannot find this couple in archives or Church Book.
Seek European records of Martin Gottfried BEHM and wife Caroline KUNZE.
daughter Caroline born 1844 in Prussia
daughter Wilhelmina born 1853 in New York
daughter Emily born 1854 in Michigan.
William W. Higgins home.bill@verizon.net
The only reference that I can find for Waldenburg is in Walther Maas'.
"Zur Siedlungskunde Westpreussens 1466-1772" [Wiss. Beitraege zur
Geschichte und Landeskunde Ost-Mitteleuropas. 32. Marburg/Lahn 1958].
He gives it in a list of places that he describes as, "Neusiedlungen,
von denen nicht bekannt ist, dass sie eine deutsche Bevoelkerung
hatten" (p. 111), which is not entirely helpfull ;-).
The entry (p. 133) simply gives Waldenburg's number on his map [1513
- about 4 km N or NNE of the centre of Wejherowo/Neustadt], that it is
in Kr. Neustadt and that his source is Dabinnus (Dabinnus, G., Die
laendliche Bevoelkerung Pommerellens im Jahre 1772 mit Einschluss des
Danziger Landgebiets i Jahre 1793. Als Mskr. gedruckt. Marburg 1953.
[Wiss. Beitraege zur Geschichte und Landeskunde Ost-Mitteleuropas.
6.]). I don't have this book.
I can't find Waldenburg on the parish map that accompanies Biskup &
Tomczak's, Mapy Wojewo~dstwa Pomorskiego w Drugiej Pol~owie XVI w.,
which applies to the state of affairs at the tax assessment of
1570-71. Of course, Wejherowo/Neustadt itself did not exist at that
time. Waldenburg is also absent from Krzepela's gazeteer of 1925,
which is more puzzling.
I would suggest the Lutheran records for Bohlschau ,Polish,
Bolszewo, (1774 to 1929) if a search of those for Neustadt (1823 to
1925) has failed. As one goes further back in one's researches it is
worth bearing in mind that it was by no means unusual for Lutherans to
have their christenings, weddings and funerals in Catholic churches
and to a lesser extent, vice versa. Changes of Confession were also
not uncommon in the 17th and 18th Centuries.
All of the records held by the LDS for Wejherowo/Neustadt can be
found by typing either Neustadt or Wejherowo into their place search
via their Family History Library tab;
www.familysearch.org
I hope that this is of some help.
Cordially,
John (Rohde).