POSEN-L Archives

Archiver > POSEN > 2002-10 > 1035246147


From: Ken Neumann <>
Subject: Re: [POSEN] RHUDEN and/or RUHDEN
Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2002 18:22:51 -0600
References: <003e01c27941$68d7bf40$8374cd18@charterpipeline.net>


Bill,

You wrote on Mon 21 Oct 2002:

> I still have no satisfactory answer as to whether Ruhden, Kr. Wirsitz, and Rhuden, also Kr. Wirstiz, are one and the same or different places. I find the spelling 'Rhuden' consistently in Grabau and Kaiserswalde church records, but I cannot find it anywhere on the maps I have. Ruhden is not too distant and due north of Grabau. Can anyone help?

Bill,
The short answer is, "Yes, they are the same." There is no other
candidate spelled anywhere near the same in the Grabau and Grabionne
(Kaiserswald) parish. Perhaps people haven't responded with a
"satisfactory answer" because it seems in genealogy, especially with
older records, many names are spelled in so many different ways,
especially ones borrowed from other languages, sometimes even in the
same record or the same page. But you are right that the (later?) maps
and usual authorities spell it "Ruhden" fairly consistently (the ones I
checked).
But an alternate spelling in "Der Kreis Wirsitz", p. 54, gives
"Rudna". I checked some of my photocopied records for Grabau. The
older records I checked give such spellings as "Ruden" (1797-1800). In
1804-5 records I found Ruhden only, but then in 1806 on it seems that,
as you say, Rhuden is the preferred spelling, but there is a smattering
still of Ruhden occurrences. On one page in 1826 baptisms there were
all spelled it Ruhden.
To sum up, I would think the sound of the name would justify a
"Ruden" spelling, with no need for an "h", but when people added the
"h", there were the two ways to spell it. There were no real reasons
for preferring one spelling over the other, and so both occur. There
are lots of similar examples with other names, I believe.
Anyway, I trust this is helpful.
Ken Neumann

This thread: