Germany History: Difference between revisions

*'''1648:''' [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_of_Westphalia Peace of Westphalia] ends Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire. Many borders are shifted. <br>

*'''1653-1654:''' Sweden started Sweden-Bremen Wars over the claim that Bremen was to be ceded to Sweden.

*'''1828:''' Patronymic naming is abolished in Schleswig-Holstein (then part of Denmark).

*'''1871:''' Franco-Prussian War ends. Alsace and part of Lorraine come under German rule as Alsace-Lorraine. German Empire established as a single nation state.

*'''1876:''' Civil registration is required throughout Germany and begins wherever it is not already in effect.

*'''11 November 1918:''' World War I ends. (Alsace-Lorraine is returned to France. Northern Schleswig-Holstein returned to Denmark. Posen and parts of Silesia and West Prussia are ceded to Poland. Northern tip of East Prussia goes to Lithuania.

Destruction did not just come through wars, but through hunger and disease (plague) as well. Devastation occurred also through overzealous interpretation of the scriptures. Exodus 22:18 “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” gave authorities the right to put those to death whom they deemed possessed with witchcraft. Men and women with knowledge of enhancing or healing herbs, once a highly regarded craft, were especially targeted, accused as devil’s advocates and put to death. Germany with 25,000 such cases was in the lead among Europeans.  

After 1648 land became available. People moved eastward to open up new frontiers. Couples married at a younger age. Others had to flee from further religious conflicts. The first larger emigration to North America began when the Concord delivered Germans to Pennsylvania in 1683. People from the Netherlands fled religious disputes and settled in the marshy areas of Schleswig-Holstein in Northern Germany. They built dykes and established milk processing stations, travelling as far as West Prussia to settle along the Vistula river. See [http://www.thorn-wpr.de/Grafik/PlanNied.gif '''this map'''.] Still others followed an invitation by Catherine the Great to settle in the Black Sea regions. This map shows German areas from which people emigrated in large numbers [http://www.ourgenealogy.ca/Germany/1700GerEm3.jpg '''during the 17th and 18th centuries'''].

In quick succession developments occurred which influenced life in Germany to a great extent. The state of Prussia from a relatively small entity annexed most of the Northern German states by 1871. The Industrial Revolution in England had a tremendous impact on the rest of Europe. The French Revolution brought the ideas of “egalite, fraternite and liberte” and Napoleon’s occupation of German territory along the Rhine and northern parts aroused in the German soul for the first time the thought of nationalism. Moreover, Napoleon inspired the Confederation of the Rhine, dissolved the Holy Roman Empire, reduced the German states to 39, introduced the French Calendar and administrative measures and inspired the March Revolution of 1848. The Revolution of 1848 was unsuccessful. The citizens of Germany tried to achieve national unity and to obtain a political voice. The aspired changes failed because Austria wanted to change the political landscape back to pre-Napoleonic times and Prussia was too fainthearted to go through with any changes. After the failure to achieve political union, many prominent Germans faced prison time if they did not escape to America or Switzerland. A quarter million people found a new home in America and had quite an impact on the cultural and technological developments of this country.  

Hamburg and Bremen became the most important Passenger ports in Europe. Emigrants were registered in Hamburg since 1850. The [http://germanroots.com/hamburg.html passenger lists from Hamburg] still exist; the ones from Bremen were destroyed.  

The industrialization and Germany’s production of coal and steel brought many people of the land into the cities. The import of cotton in conjunction with slave labor provided a cheaper product and wiped out the century-old profession of the weaver, who processed flax. Many people had to leave the profession and the life they once knew to find work in the cities. Poverty here was prevalent. People did not have cash to pay the church to get married, for instance. From 1800 to 1850 we see many illegitimate children.  

Again, emigration was a real option, especially because Germany was in the process of political change which did not entirely evolve without fighting. The Franco-Prussian war of 1870/71 had many leave the country again: [http://www.volkerjarren.de/GenRes/Images/emigrants.gif Origin of German emigrants to the United States in 1871]  

Otto v. Bismarck was the driving force to unify Germany. The empire was a constitutional monarchy until 1918. See [http://www.uoregon.edu/~kimball/images/1871.GRM.unified-CWA168.jpg Bismarck's Germany]  

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Versailles#/media/File:German_losses_after_WWI.svg This map] shows the territories Germany lost as a result of Word War I.  

After Word War II Germany lost the [http://www.zum.de/whkmla/histatlas/germany/194956.gif following territories].  

*Reinhardt, Kurt Frank. ''Germany: 2000 Years''. Revised Edition. Two Volumes. New York, NY, USA: F. Ungar, 1989. (FHL book 943 H2rk.)

Local histories describe the settlement of an area and the founding of churches, schools, and businesses in that area. They may contain information about families. Some county and town histories include separate sections or volumes containing biographical information. Even if your ancestor is not listed in a history, information on other relatives may be included and may provide important clues for finding the ancestor. A local history may also suggest other records to search.