POSEN-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: Re: [POSEN-L] Pagel in Posen
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 13:37:34 -0500 (EST)

Dear Raidene,

Happy New Year.

I'd like to offer you alot of encouragement in your research of your
ancestors in Wirsitz. Quite a bit of information is available and has
been filmed by the LDS. When looking through their catalogue, look
under "Germany, Prussia, Posen, Wirsitz". You'll find several rolls of
films listed including the one recording your ancestors wedding in
1867.

You asked about the current location of Wirsitz. You'll find Wyrzysk
on modern Polish maps about half way between Bydgoszcz(Bromberg) and
Pi/la (Schneidemuehl). Wirsitz, the city, was the "County Seat" of
Kreis Wirsitz, so if you don't find your ancestors in the parish
records for the City of Wirsitz, don't give up; they may be from the
surrounding countryside. Copious info is also available for that as
well.

Wirsitz was unusual in that it was one of the smallest cities that
was a County Seat (Kresistadt) in Province Posen. Historically, Wisitz
took a back seat to its neighbors Nakel and Friedheim, but for some
reason (probably its more central location) it was chosen to be the
Kreisstadt when Kreis Wirsitz was formed in 1815. Prior to that date
it was a rather small backwater town with a few German tradesmen and
some Jewish merchants. Population did grow rapidly, however, and late
in the 19th C. Wirsitz's most famous resident Werner von Braun, the
original rocket scientist, was born there while his father served as
Landrat(County Executive) for the Prussian Government.

Regards, Joel Streic

This thread:

• [POSEN-L] Pagel in Posen by "Raidene Sticken" <>

  • Re: [POSEN-L] Pagel in Posen by <>

  • Re: [POSEN-L] Pagel in Posen by =James Birkholz= <>