While this is very interesting I think we need to stick to Alsace-Lorraine and the knowledge of our two Alsatian natives, who are very knowledgeable and/or point us in the right direction. I have just come back from the US where I had microfilm access to my Baden ancestors and yes, "burgher und bauer". I also like the book mentioned before "Our Daily Bread" precisely because the author deals with that area of my Baden ancestor. But whether it extends to Alsatian villages, I am not sure. In an area, Bas-Rhin, that was too often overrun, pillaged, burned down, I wonder if it was relevant who was and who wasn't a "burgher". And the early records to my Alsatian ancestors I have researched, often it only mentioned, "ackerman". Gloria On Jul 2, 2011, at 12:02 AM, Aida Kraus wrote: > Brian, I am not familiar with the System in Alsace Lorraine, because my > expertise is the Austrian Hungarian Bohemian lands.