Vicky, The city of Heilbronn is a local administrative office (in the US we would call it a county seat.), and as such may have been a reference point for a local village (just as we would do). There is the possibility he was from a local village. There are many records available for rent at your local LDS Family History Center for Heilbronn. These are the subject entries where the online LDS Family History Library catalog shows. ================================= Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Church history Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Church records Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Civil registration Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Court records Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Description and travel Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Directories Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Emigration and immigration Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Heraldry Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - History Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Land and property Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Naturalization and citizenship Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Public records Germany, Württemberg, Heilbronn - Town records ================================= Your August BIRN is not shown in the online database called "Emigration from Southwest-Germany," but he may be listed in the "Würtemberg Emigration Index" (Ancestry.com - subscription required). If he is listed in the WEI, the exact village he was from will be identified. Failing to find him in the WEI, you could start by renting the microfilms of the local church records for Heilbronn. First you will need the family religion to reduce the number of churches. If he was Catholic you are out of luck, because there are only Evangelische (Lutheran) church records available for Heilbronn. ======================= Kirchenbuch, 1567-1953 Evangelische Kirche Heilbronn (OA. Heilbronn) (Main Author) Parish register of baptisms, marriages, burials, family books and indexes for Heilbronn, Württemberg, Germany. 90 Mikrofilmrollen ; 35 mm. ... Taufen 1874-1881 - FHL INTL Film [ 1055559 ] Kirchenbuch, 1607-1880 Evangelische Kirche Heilbronn (OA. Heilbronn) (Main Author) Parish register of births, marriages, deaths, confirmations and family books of the city of Heilbronn, Württemberg , includes Sontheim.. 13 Mikrofilmrollen ; 35 mm. ======================= At 02:01 AM 12/9/2008, you wrote: >From: "Vicky L Hannam" <vhannam@sympatico.ca> >Subject: [BW] August BIRN of Heilbronn >To: <BADEN-WURTTEMBERG@rootsweb.com> >Message-ID: <002c01c95992$14bd3010$3e379030$@ca> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > >I am new to this list and to researching German records. I have spent 20 + >yrs researching English lines but have never been able to follow my mothers >German line. A Canadian birth certificate of one of his sons lists my >mothers father, August George Birn as being born on Dec 11 1878 in Hielbron >Wurttemberg. > >The newly opened Canadian immigrant database has him arriving in Canada in >1904 from Liverpool. > > >Is there anybody that can point me in the right direction of where to start >in Germany. I am not able to come up with any Birns surnames in Germany. > > > >I would appreciate any direction or help. > > > >I have also been sent a photo of the Birns family outside a home in >Europe..a huge longshot but would anybody be willing to look at the photo >and suggest date or location ...perhaps by the kind of cloths worn by the >family or such. > > > >All in all, a family of mystery. > >Any help gratefully received. > >Vicky Hannam > >Canada ____________________________________________________________ Click for online loan, fast & no lender fee, approval today http://thirdpartyoffers.netzero.net/TGL2241/fc/PnY6rx9LUCtiVSg2dptvUtv3iD48xVzUYAQaYmo52oo6yUdCGTcry/