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Where did your ancestors come from?
- Thread starter jonny
- Start date
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
Europe and North Africa, or more specifically, on one part of my family im 7th generation born in Israel, from a family which immigrated from Russia but carried a German surname, grandfather was born in Poland where the vast majority of his family perished during the holocaust, he ended up in Israel as part of his travels as a soldier under the command of the 8th British army (in the Polish Anders army). my father was born in Casablanca, Morocco. never looked into whether my Moroccan side of the family is linked to the Jews who were forced out of Spain during the Spanish Inquisition, or from the ancient Jewish community which lived among the Berber people of Morocco from pre-Islamic times.
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Smoke
Done here.
I appreciate my Native heritage kind of the way I appreciate my English and Sorbian heritage. It's interesting, but I don't feel as connected to it as I do to my Irish and German heritage, because it's farther removed from my own experience. It would be different if I had a grandparent who grew up on the Qualla Boundary or something.
Flankerl
Well-Known Member
Hm interesting thread.
Its difficult(and long) to explain so bear with me.
The paternal side of my family lived in Schlesien/Silesia around the end of the 18th century. Its easy to know that because thats where we got our family name by the prussian bureaucrats. Even though it was spelled different at that time.
My grandmother always told me that before the late 18th century this part of the family went eastwards during the course of time because of various pogroms etc. until they reached Schlesien/Silesia. The usual for jews during that time.
At some point in the first half of the 19th century they left Schlesien/Silesia and settled in the area of Mähren/Moravia. Which is where a short happy time begins.
Perhaps some of the family already served in the austrian army at the war of 1866 but i dont know that.
But my great grandfather(paternal side) fought in WW1 as a Korporal/Corporal in the Austro-Hungarian army.
After WW1 there seemed to have been quite a shock. His home was now part of Czechoslovakia. And as far as i know he didnt like neither czechs or slovaks. So we moved, again. This time to austria which was the only reasonable option for him. Where our story could have ended. Though i wouldnt be here to write all this.
The family moved to Salzburg and we owned half of a (really) small bakery. Which we couldnt use anymore after the 9th November 1938. By that time my great grandfather was really old and we didnt had enough money to actually leave the country even if we wanted to. So we stayed. Though it should be noted that the whole family saved enough money to send the aunt of my grandfather and her two children to England with most of our deer things. Like photos, the medals of my great grandfather etc. But they couldnt raise enough money for her husband who later was murdered.
I dont really want to go into details what happened after that. So lets just say that out of 6 children of my great grandparents my grandfather saw the end of the war in a rather famous camp in Poland which is also where he met my grandmother. Funny how the world works.
And after the Shoah my grandfather and grandmother(though not married yet) went to Israel. Only to realise that people like Caladan(just joking!) drive them mad.
And thats where they made a really weird decision and moved back to austria. Where they got married and made kids. Who also made kids and one of them is writing this all down.
To make it short for my mothers side because its already 1am.
They seemed to have lived in central germany for i dont know how long. Its really not that well known because the family was rather assimilated into the german culture. For example my great grandfather served in the army of the german empire as a Major and was overly patriotic. My grandmother always told me how he raged about the socialists and communists who were the reason why germany had lost the war and the damn frenchies won and the damn english and those (I quote!) cowardly americans and so on. Most have been quite a character.
At the end his former rank didnt save him and he like most of the family was murdered. Except my grandmother and her cousin. The cousin lives now in the USA after a brief adventure in Israel in the 50s.
Thats where my family is from. At some point there either was a convert or rape in the family because some of the family have blond hair, like me. Before me the last person to have blond hair was a great great grandmother(i think)(paternal side). But its probably been quite some time from when the blond hair entered our family. But occasionly it pops up.
The end? I hope not.
Its difficult(and long) to explain so bear with me.
The paternal side of my family lived in Schlesien/Silesia around the end of the 18th century. Its easy to know that because thats where we got our family name by the prussian bureaucrats. Even though it was spelled different at that time.
My grandmother always told me that before the late 18th century this part of the family went eastwards during the course of time because of various pogroms etc. until they reached Schlesien/Silesia. The usual for jews during that time.
At some point in the first half of the 19th century they left Schlesien/Silesia and settled in the area of Mähren/Moravia. Which is where a short happy time begins.
Perhaps some of the family already served in the austrian army at the war of 1866 but i dont know that.
But my great grandfather(paternal side) fought in WW1 as a Korporal/Corporal in the Austro-Hungarian army.
After WW1 there seemed to have been quite a shock. His home was now part of Czechoslovakia. And as far as i know he didnt like neither czechs or slovaks. So we moved, again. This time to austria which was the only reasonable option for him. Where our story could have ended. Though i wouldnt be here to write all this.
The family moved to Salzburg and we owned half of a (really) small bakery. Which we couldnt use anymore after the 9th November 1938. By that time my great grandfather was really old and we didnt had enough money to actually leave the country even if we wanted to. So we stayed. Though it should be noted that the whole family saved enough money to send the aunt of my grandfather and her two children to England with most of our deer things. Like photos, the medals of my great grandfather etc. But they couldnt raise enough money for her husband who later was murdered.
I dont really want to go into details what happened after that. So lets just say that out of 6 children of my great grandparents my grandfather saw the end of the war in a rather famous camp in Poland which is also where he met my grandmother. Funny how the world works.
And after the Shoah my grandfather and grandmother(though not married yet) went to Israel. Only to realise that people like Caladan(just joking!) drive them mad.
And thats where they made a really weird decision and moved back to austria. Where they got married and made kids. Who also made kids and one of them is writing this all down.
To make it short for my mothers side because its already 1am.
They seemed to have lived in central germany for i dont know how long. Its really not that well known because the family was rather assimilated into the german culture. For example my great grandfather served in the army of the german empire as a Major and was overly patriotic. My grandmother always told me how he raged about the socialists and communists who were the reason why germany had lost the war and the damn frenchies won and the damn english and those (I quote!) cowardly americans and so on. Most have been quite a character.
At the end his former rank didnt save him and he like most of the family was murdered. Except my grandmother and her cousin. The cousin lives now in the USA after a brief adventure in Israel in the 50s.
Thats where my family is from. At some point there either was a convert or rape in the family because some of the family have blond hair, like me. Before me the last person to have blond hair was a great great grandmother(i think)(paternal side). But its probably been quite some time from when the blond hair entered our family. But occasionly it pops up.
The end? I hope not.
On my father's side I hail from clan Gunn, making me Scottish and Irish, and I traced my lineage back to Olaf the black. I also have quite a bit of Cherokee heritage, though admittedly I know little about that culture compared to my European roots.
My mother's side is a bit of a mystery overall. All I know for sure is that my mothers side of the family is Jewish. I could only trace back family that survived the holocaust and before that I know many had moved to Spain. It's hard to trace for obvious reasons but I keep looking.
My mother's side is a bit of a mystery overall. All I know for sure is that my mothers side of the family is Jewish. I could only trace back family that survived the holocaust and before that I know many had moved to Spain. It's hard to trace for obvious reasons but I keep looking.
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JacobEzra.
Dr. Greenthumb
German,Polish, Russian and Ukrainian.
I'm pretty sure we're from some kind of ape....a really lazy but angry variety.
I'm guessing human.
(I've seen your photo.)
Tamar
I am Jewish.
I am a mix of places. My grandmother's family on my dad's side were from the Netherlands and they came to the United states in the early 1700s. My grandfather's family on my dad's side were from England and they came to this country in the 1700's too. That side of my family lived in New England.
My maternal grandmother was 2nd generation American and her grandfather came to this country in 1865 from Germany as a teenager. My maternal grandfather's family came from England.
I don't know much about the German side of my family before they came to this country. Sometimes I think that my history started the moment they got off the boat. I have always felt that what ever made my ancestors leave their homeland and come to this country was something they wanted to forget and they did.
My maternal grandmother was 2nd generation American and her grandfather came to this country in 1865 from Germany as a teenager. My maternal grandfather's family came from England.
I don't know much about the German side of my family before they came to this country. Sometimes I think that my history started the moment they got off the boat. I have always felt that what ever made my ancestors leave their homeland and come to this country was something they wanted to forget and they did.
sadiq
Spain, Morocco, Jerusalem
Are you a Jew by birth by any chance?
My Dad's side is mainly made up of Northern Irish Protestants... Belfast Orangemen for several centuries. There's a family rumour, though, that we got our last name when a Danish sailor jumped ship in Belfast and picked an Irish name to take on a new identity.
On my Mom's side, my family's been in North America for centuries. One group came over from Scotland (Mull, specifically) in the 1830s. Another group were Quakers who came to Canada during the American Revolution. The Quaker groups in Canada and the US stayed in close contact even after this, so there's a fair bit of American blood in my family tree from Quakers moving back and forth between Ontario and Pennsylvania.
There's bits and pieces of other groups in my family tree as well... we're supposed to have a bit of French mixed in there too, but not very much, and back quite a while ago.
On my Mom's side, my family's been in North America for centuries. One group came over from Scotland (Mull, specifically) in the 1830s. Another group were Quakers who came to Canada during the American Revolution. The Quaker groups in Canada and the US stayed in close contact even after this, so there's a fair bit of American blood in my family tree from Quakers moving back and forth between Ontario and Pennsylvania.
There's bits and pieces of other groups in my family tree as well... we're supposed to have a bit of French mixed in there too, but not very much, and back quite a while ago.
tumbleweed41
Resident Liberal Hippie
Welsh, English, Swedish, German.
(Typical Anglo-Saxon)
(Typical Anglo-Saxon)
Two-bit guru
Active Member
Two-bit guru
Active Member
My ancestry is all Norwegians. Oof-Da!