Publisher: Grenz- und volkspolitisches Amt in Zusammenarbeit mit der Abteilung Propaganda beim Chef des Distrikts Lublin

Place of publication: Lublin

Translation of the German transcript

In December 1940, leaders of the Hitler Youth came to you and brought a questionnaire with them. They asked you all sorts of questions about your and your children's dates of birth, your parents, your possessions, and various other things. They also asked you about your family's origins. You answered: from Austria, from Bavaria, from the Palatinate, from Alsace-Lorraine.

Your ancestors, who settled here, knew exactly where they came from. They passed this knowledge on to their children, who in turn passed it on to their descendants, until the information finally reached your grandparents and parents. During this long journey through 160 years from generation to generation, errors crept into this oral tradition and the true picture of your ancestral homeland became blurred.

We have found old writings, documents, and sources from the time of settlement that record exactly where your ancestors came from. We have collected this information about their origins and will share it with you in our colonist letters. There is something for each of you. You will see that the information you provided when filling out the questionnaire was incorrect in most cases.

First, we will list your family's original homeland, and later we will show that almost all of you came from a single German state west of the Rhine and that your ancestors lived very close to each other.

A Mathias Albiniger (a farmer) was born in Eppstein near Frankenthal in the Saarpfalz and emigrated in 1784 via Vienna and Sambor in Galicia to the Zamosc district. In 1786, he settled in Bialobrzegi.

Sebastian Albiniger was also born in Eppstein and emigrated in 1784 with his wife and five children. In 1786, he settled in Bialobrzegi. Today, the Albinger family lives in Bialobrzegi, Sitaniec, and Brody.

Konrad Albrecht, a farmer born in Reinheim near St. Ingbert in the Saarpfalz region, emigrated with his wife and three children in 1784 and settled in Miaczyn in 1785. The Albrechts now live in Horyszow.

Peter Altmayer, a farmer born in Püttlingen near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz region, emigrated in 1784 with his wife and eight children and settled in Sitaniec in 1786. The Altmayers now live in Huszczka, Sitaniec, and Ploskie.

Johann Beck, a farmer from Marnheim near Kirchheimbolanden in the Saarpfalz region, was also quartered in Lubaczow in 1785 and settled in the Zamosc region in 1786. The Becks now live in Bialobrzegi.

Christian (or Christoph) Becker (Bäcker Baker, Beker is also how this family spells their name), a farmer from Obermettingen near Waldshut in Baden, settled in Zamch near Dorbozy.

This is what a passport looked like that your ancestors received from the imperial authorities on their journey. The emigrant passport of farmer Franz Adam Dettich is shown here as an example. Dettich emigrated from the Saarpfalz region to the Zamosc district in 1785 with his wife and three children. He traveled with his family via Ulm by ship down the Danube to Vienna, from there through Moravia and Silesia via Biala, Tarnow, Debica, Landshut, Jaroslau to Zamosc. The imperial customs office in Biala issued him this passport for the journey from Biala to Zamosc and gave him 5 guilders as travel expenses. The passport also notes that his brother-in-law Max Denner, who was already living in the Zamosc district, encouraged him to emigrate.

The Dettich family now lives in Sabaudia.

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Today we continue the list of places of origin of families of German descent that we began in our last letter.

Georg Becker, a farmer born in Etzenhofen near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz region, emigrated with his wife and 12 children in 1784 and settled in Rozaniec in the district of Bilgoraj in 1786. The Beckers live in Brody, Ploskie, and Bialobrzegi.

Fin Peter Bender, a farmer who also ran a tannery, born in Kirchenbollenbach near St. Wendel in the Saarpfalz region, emigrated in 1784 and settled in Rozaniec in 1786. The Benders now live in Rogozno, Dorbozy, Horyszow, Ploskie, Sitaniec, Huszczka, Bialobrzegi, Antoniowka, Brody, and Sabaudja.

Johann B e r l i e n (Berlin), a farmer born in Sienhachenbach near St. Wendel in the Saarpfalz region, emigrated in 1784 with his wife and four children and settled in Zamch near Dorbozy in 1786. Today, the Berlins live in Brody, Huszczka, Ploskie, and Horyszow.

Johann Bernhard (Bernard, Bernhardt), a farmer, born in Püttlingen near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz, emigrated in 1784 with his wife, one child, and his sister-in-law, and settled in Sitaniec in 1786.

A Nikolaus Bernhard, a farmer and cobbler, born in Winterborn near Rockanhausen in the Saarpfalz, emigrated with his wife and three children and settled in Sniatycze in 1786. The Bernhards now live in Sitaniec and Huszczka.

Johann Großmann, a farmer and carpenter, born in Mittelbach near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz, emigrated with his wife and four children in 1784 and settled in Brody in 1786. The Großmanns now live in Antoniowka, Brody, Dorbozy, Huszczka, Horyszow, Ploskie, and Sitaniec.

A farmer named Peter Grün, born in Püttlingen near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz region, emigrated with his wife and six children and settled in Sitaniec in 1784. Today, there are Grün families in Huszczka, Horyszow, and Sitaniec.

Johann Jost (or Just), a farmer born in Hallgarten near Rockenhausen in the Saarpfalz region, emigrated with his wife and eight children and settled in Korchow in the Bilgoraj district in 1786. The Jost family now lives in Dorbozy and Sitaniec.

Johann Karst, a farmer born in Ohnheim near Erstein in Lower Alsace, emigrated with his wife and six children and settled in Horyszow in 1785. His son Johann, also born in Ohnheim, settled in Horyszow-Ruski in 1788. The Karsts now live in Horyszow.

Georg Käß, a farmer born in Obergeilbach near Saargemünd in Lorraine, settled in the Zamosc district in 1787. Kasper Käß, a farmer, emigrated from Haag near Berncastel in the Rhine Province and settled in Rogozno in 1786. The Käß family now lives in Brody.

Johann Klein, a farmer and rope maker, born in Filzen near Berncastel in the Rhine Province, emigrated from there first to Habach near Ottweiler in the Saarpfalz, then moved on to Galicia in 1785 and settled in Horyszow-Ruski in 1785. The Klein families now live in Brody, Ploskie, and Huszczka.

Peter Koller (Koler), a farmer and carpenter, born in Alschbach near St. Ingbert in the Saarpfalz, emigrated with his wife and four children in 1784 and settled in Bialobrzegi in 1786. The Kolers now live in Sitaniec.

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Today we conclude our list of places of origin of families of German descent.

Jakob Lambert emigrated from Bliesransbach near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz to the Zamosc region in 1785. A Johann Lambert moved from Schwarzenholz near Saarlautern in the Saarpfalz to Snyatycze in the Zamosc district. A Jakob Lambert, a farmer, also settled in Snyatycze in 1785 with his family of five. He was born in Uchtelfangen near Ottweiler in the Saarpfalz region. In addition, a Peter Lembert with a family of three came from Bliesransbach to Zamch in the southern part of the Zamosc district. Today, the Lambert and Lembert families spell their names Lempert and live in Ploskie and Bialobrzegi.

A farmer named Johann Leib emigrated from Niedersalbach near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz and settled in Snyatycze. His descendants now live in Dorbozy, Horyszow, and Brody.

The descendants of Peter L e m b r i c h, who emigrated with his family of six from Freimersheim near Landau in the Saarpfalz in 1784 and first settled in Korchow in the southern part of the Zamosc district, now live in Brody.

The farmer Johann Mathi emigrated from Zislow near Waren in Baden with his wife and four children and settled in Brody. His large descendants now live in Brody, Antoniowka, Bialobrzegi, Dorbozy, Horyszow, Rogozno, and Sabaudia.

A farmer named Johann Metzger emigrated from Niederwürzbach near St. Ingbert in the Saarpfalz region with his wife and child and settled in Zamch in the southern part of the Zamoscer district. The Metzgers now live in Rogozno, Antoniowka, Brody, and Sabaudia.

Also in Zamch, farmer Josef Past settled with his wife and three children from Hakenheim near Bingen in Rheinhessen. The Past family now lives in Rogozno, Sabaudja, Antoniowka, and Brody.

A farmer named Johann Paul was born in Obersalbach near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz region, emigrated with his wife and four children in 1784, and settled in Huszczka in 1786. Peter Paul, who was also born in Obersalbach, settled in Huszczka in 1784 with his wife and three children. The Paul families now live in Bialobrzegi, Huszczka, and Sitaniec.

Three families with the name Petz emigrated from the Saarpfalz region. A Nikolaus Petz with a family of five from Obersalbach near Saarbrücken settled in Zamch, a Nikolaus Petz with a family of three from Winterbach near St. Wendel settled in an unknown location in the Zamosc region, and a Thomas Petz with his wife from Püttlingen near Saarbrücken settled in Zamch. The present-day descendants of the Petz families live in Huszczka and Ploskie.

Johann Pfeiffer was born in Sayn near Koblenz in the Rhine Province and emigrated to the east in 1784. In 1786, he settled in Rogozno. Today, Pfeiffers live in Brody.

Paul Piorod emigrated with his family of four from Niederwurzbach near St. Ingbert in the Saarpfalz region and settled in Zamch. His descendants, who spell their name Piuro, now live in Rogozno.

A farmer named Johann Presch came to the Zamosc region in 1786 from Mittelbollenbach near St. Wendel in the Rhine Province. Johann Presch the Elder from Heinkingen near Bolchem in Lorraine settled in Zamch with his family of six. The descendants of these two emigrants live in Horyszow, Antoniowka, Sabaudja, Brody, and Dorbozy.

Christian Schramm was born in Püttlingen near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz, emigrated in 1784, and settled in Sitaniec in 1786. The Schramms now live in Huszczka, Ilowiec, and Horyszow.

Johann Speicher was born in Püttlingen, like Christian Schramm, and emigrated to the east in 1784 with his wife Katharina, née Balthes, and three children. In 1786, he settled in Sitaniec. Nikolaus Speicher, also born in Püttlingen, settled in Sitaniec with his wife. From Sitaniec, the Speicher descendants migrated on to Huszezka.

A farmer and baker, Michael Sprenger, emigrated in 1784 with his wife Magdalena, née Thor, and her father Georg Thor from the Honecker mill near Trippstadt near Kaiserslautern and settled in Sitaniec in 1785. The descendants of the Sprenger family are now called Springer and live in Sitaniec, Bialobrzegi, and Ploskie.

The ancestor of the Ternes family, who now live in Horyszow, was Johann Terness (Thernes), a farmer who settled in Miaczyn in 1785 with his family of ten. Johann Terness was born in Gusterath near Trier in the Rhine Province.

Franz Adam Tettich (Dettich) was born in Bliesbolchcn near St. Ingbert in the Saarpfalz region. He emigrated with his wife and child in 1785 and settled in the Zamosc region in 1786. The emigration passport of this Franz Adam Tettich is reproduced in the third colonist letter. His brother-in-law was Markus Denner, who had already come to the Zamosc region before him. Today, the family name is spelled Tetyk. Seven bearers of this name live in Sabaudja.

The many Thor families in Horyszow, Rogozno, and Sitaniec are descended from Georg Thor. He came with his wife and five children from Trippstadt near Kaiserslautern in the Saarpfalz and settled in Sitaniec.

The name T y n d o r f has undergone a slight change over the decades, as the Tyndorfs are descended from a Nikolaus Tindorfer, who emigrated with his wife and seven children in 1784 and settled in Miaczyn in 1786. He was born in Gutweiler near Trier in the Rhine Province. Fifteen families with the name Tyndorf live in Huszczka alone, and four in Horyszow.

Tuckendorf is the Polish version of Deckendorf. A farmer named Johann Deckendorf, born in Weisenheim near Dürckheim in the Saarpfalz region, emigrated in 1784 and settled in Miaczyn in 1786. His descendants live in Horyszow, Ploskie, Antoniowka, Brody, Huszczka, Rogozno, and Sitaniec.

A farmer named Franz Wall emigrated with his family of five from Rittersheim near Kirchheimbolanden in the Saarpfalz region and settled in Bialobrzcgi. His descendants still live in Bialobrzegi today.

Valentin W a i l a n d, a farmer, emigrated with his wife and four children from Püttlingen near Saarbrücken in the Saarpfalz region and settled in Sitaniec. The Weilands still live in Sitaniec today.

W e l c z is the Polish form of the German name Welsch. A farmer named Daniel Welsch, born in Niederwürzbach near St. Ingbert in the Saarpfalz region, immigrated to the Zamosc region in 1787. The Welcz family now lives in Dorbozy, Sitaniec, and Brody.