Rheinland-Pfalz

Also known as the Rhineland-Palatinate, this western German state is perhaps best known for its Palatinate Forest (Pfälzerwald), a nature park of more than 1,700 square kilometers. The low-mountain region is also known for its wine production and many castles.

The state was established in 1946 after World War II, born out of the former states of Prussia, Hesse, Nassau & Bavaria. It shares international borders with France, Belgium & Luxembourg, and the longest river in Germany, the Rhine, flows through it.

My immigrant ancestors from Rheinland-Pfalz were:

• Jacob Grundtisch, his wife Maria Elisabeth (Vatter) Grundtisch, and their son Johannes Grundtisch
  • Immigrated in 1860, ages 46, 43, and 5
    

Jacob Grundtisch, Elisabeth (Vatter) Grundtisch, and Johannes Grundtisch.

Jacob, Elisabeth & Johannes were all born in a town called Geiselberg, surrounded by forests & trails, about 18km southwest of Kaiserslautern. They settled in Wyandot County, Ohio, which had become the new home of other Rheinland-Pfalz families, including relatives of theirs. Jacob was a man of many trades – shepherd, tailor, civil servant & farmer, depending on the record.

A look at one of the roads in Geiselberg, Rheinland-Pfalz. Taken in July 2014 during a trip to Germany.

Johannes was born in Jan. 1855 and “im evanglischen Schulhaus” (in the Protestant Schoolhouse), per records in Geiselberg, from 1857-1860. Arriving in New York on May 31, 1860, he probably didn’t have many memories of the old country. After years growing up in Ohio, he joined his brother Georg (George) Grundtisch in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and eventually settled in Buffalo, New York. He was a livestock agent and commercial merchant before dying in Buffalo in Sept. 1914. He was survived by his wife Mary (Baker) Grundtisch and 10 children, ranging in age from 13 to 28 at his passing.

I am a descendant of the following families from Rheinland-Pfalz:

• BERTEL
• CONTI
• DECHERT
• EDINGER
• GRUNDTISCH
  (GRUNDISCH)
• GUNDACKER

• HOFFMANN
• KAUFMANN
• KIEBURTZ
  (KYBURTZ)
• KLEIN
• MÜLLER
• NEU

• SEIBERT
• TEISCHER
• VATTER
• WAHL
• WEIßMANN
  (WEISSMANN)
• WINNINGER

My connections to Rheinland-Pfalz are primarily through my Mom’s side of the family, though my Dad has roots nearby in Saarland. Tracing these Rheinland-Pfalz families further back in time, many of them go back to Switzerland, Austria & other places, as the region was resettled after a devastating Thirty Years War (1618-1648).