German help please: Alnhat

[John-Nihon]

I have been struggling with this for some time:

I'm researching someone who was born in Alnhat, Germany, c1880-85. Could anyone tell me anything about the Alnhat of that time please. Where in Germany it may have been or even if it still exists now?

[Mary from Italy]

I don't think such a place exists. Have you found it in a handwritten document, in which case could you scan and post it?

[John-Nihon]

Hi Mary, here it is:

[Astro Lady]

Morning John
Are you sure that's an A ?
Look at the line above....a small a for Arkendale, it's not even similar.
Could it be an H perhaps ?

[John-Nihon]

Hi Valley, I've always thought of it as an 'A', I can see what you mean though. I'm sure I had the reference to it in another document but I can't find that at the moment. I think it may have been a marriage cert.

If it is an 'H' then 'Hnhat' looks a bit odd. Any other ideas what the word could be would be most welcome.

[Astro Lady]

It's a tough one that is John :(
Actually you're in the same situation as me, my Gt Gt Grandfather was German and on the census it states he was born in Fienkireham,Hanover,Germany. I can't find the place at all. :(
Perhaps our new member Wolf can help us out about the locations when he's next online.

[Mary from Italy]

Just cottoned - maybe they mean Anhalt?

Anhalt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[goodygumdrops]

Possibly Saxon Anhalt or Sachsen Anhalt.

[Christine in Herts]

Possibly Saxon Anhalt or Sachsen Anhalt.

That seems likely - and the variation in letters isn't entirely reliable as a distinguishing mechanism. I write some letters differently myself - in the same sentence. For instance, I write a lower-case "a" both like that type-script, and like an "o" with a straight back to it... and that isn't the only letter I vary my choice with. It probably arises from playing with different scripts (i.e. roundhand, italic, and so on).

Christine

PS - If that person were naturalised later on, you may be able to find their naturalisation papers, which might include a specific DoB and PoB.

[John-Nihon]

Yes, that's a good possibility but Anhalt from what I can see covers a fair area. Would you know if there is an area record office that may hold details of the, well actually two people, I'm interested in. Are German record offices usually webified - contactable online? The records I would give most priority to would be birth.

I've never found any naturalisation papers and my gut feeling is that this never happened for the two people I'm interested in.

[Lindsay]

I believe German records are held locally.

My g-grandfather was German and I've never found anything online but perhaps you'll be lucky.

[John-Nihon]

Hi Lindasy, so it looks like I'm not going to find out much unless I know the name of the town where they came from. Hmmm, that's quite a big problem, I wish they had had the curtoisy to write it down where it would be easy to find. I've not had too much luck using the internet so far. I guess I'll keep trying.

[Cloggie]

Gt Gt Grandfather was German and on the census it states he was born in Fienkireham,Hanover,Germany. I can't find the place at all. :(

That doesn't sound German - are you sure it says Fienkireham? The "...kireham" part sounds like possibly an English interpretation of a German name. Do you have the census reference to check?

[Christine in Herts]

How about xxx Kirchheim? There are certainly places with names like that.

Or xxxkirchen?

Christine

[Cloggie]

Yes something like ...kirchen or ...kircheim could easily be interpreted as ...kireham. Good thinking Christine.
I've tried searching for a census with birth place transcribed as Fienkireham so that I could look at the image, but can't find any census with that place of birth.

[goodygumdrops]

There is a FRANKENHEIM in Sachsen Anhalt near Leipzig if this is any help.

goodygumdrops :(

[WZowe]

I am sorry, but Leipzig and Hanover are far away located in one other part each of Germany. It enters a district with the name Kirchhorst and Kirchrode in Hanover. Most districts of the cities have become in the course of the time by incorporations to a town. They were independent place before. Therefore also the additional detail near Hanover. Furthermore gives Kirchwehren a place near Hanover.
Can you send me a copy, Astor Lady ?
I would try to find the place in Germany.
Wolf
P.S. John look at Dukedom Anhalt 1863 - 1918 Provincial capital Dessau