I'm thrilled to find this list! My surname, Gerwitz, is well established to Önsbach (outside Achern) via a series of emigrations around 1870. Family lore has it that the Görrwitz family occupied the same home (which I've been to see) from the 16th century, and there are stories that the surname has Sephardic Jewish origins, expelled from Spain in 1492. Unfortunately, these stories can be traced only to records destroyed in WWII. Building on the tremendous efforts of Debbi Girth, Elizabeth Gerwitz, and many others, I've assembled quite a bit of my paternal line, but my direct Önsbach line is still quite small: http://www.gerwitz.com/genealogy/pedigree.php?rootid=I7899&PEDIGREE_GENERATIONS=5 I'd love to find others who research this name or the associated Ernst, Sugg, Siefermann, Braun, Weber, Kiefer and will help as I can. (I now live in Seattle where research is difficult.) --- hans.gerwitz

Hello Hans, have you already found our memberpage which has additional information about some towns? The name Gerwitz is listed in Urloffen, in the emigration list of Önsbach and veterans of the Napoleonic Wars from Önsbach. Also the Napoleonic War veteran Sigm. Görrwitz from Fautenbach. And in Urloffen the Vogt (overseer) Görwitz, who was murdered (also his wife and 2 daughters) in 1817. - Wendelin On Mon, 3 Nov 2008 22:02:30 -0800 Hans Gerwitz <hans@gerwitz.com> wrote: > I'm thrilled to find this list! > > My surname, Gerwitz, is well established to Önsbach (outside Achern) > via a series of emigrations around 1870. Family lore has it that > the Görrwitz family occupied the same home (which I've been to see) > from the 16th century, and there are stories that the surname has > Sephardic Jewish origins, expelled from Spain in 1492. > Unfortunately, these stories can be traced only to records destroyed > in WWII. > > Building on the tremendous efforts of Debbi Girth, Elizabeth > Gerwitz, and many others, I've assembled quite a bit of my paternal > line, but my direct Önsbach line is still quite small: > > http://www.gerwitz.com/genealogy/pedigree.php?rootid=I7899&PEDIGREE_GENERATIONS=5 > > I'd love to find others who research this name or the associated > Ernst, Sugg, Siefermann, Braun, Weber, Kiefer and will help as I > can. (I now live in Seattle where research is difficult.) > > --- > hans.gerwitz >

Hello Hans, I'm glad you found the list too! My 6th Great Grandfather is Gottfried Gorrwitz d. 05 Apr 1747 in Önsbach. I am descended from his daughter Elizabeth Gerwitz b. ca 1713 who married Georg Armbruster. I'd be happy to share any information I have on them. Paul (in Virginia) ----Original Message----- From: Hans Gerwitz <hans@gerwitz.com> To: deu-bad-ortenau@rootsweb.com Sent: Tue, 4 Nov 2008 1:02 am Subject: [Ortenau] Gerwitz in Onsbach (Achern) I'm thrilled to find this list! My surname, Gerwitz, is well established to Önsbach (outside Achern) via a series of emigrations around 1870. Family lore has it that the Görrwitz family occupied the same home (which I've been to see) from the 16th century, and there are stories that the surname has Sephardic Jewish origins, expelled from Spain in 1492. Unfortunately, these stories can be traced only to records destroyed in WWII. Building on the tremendous efforts of Debbi Girth, Elizabeth Gerwitz, and many others, I've assembled quite a bit of my paternal line, but my direct Önsbach line is still quite small: http://www.gerwitz.com/genealogy/pedigree.php?rootid=I7899&PEDIGREE_GENERATIONS=5 I'd love to find others who research this name or the associated Ernst, Sugg, Siefermann, Braun, Weber, Kiefer and will help as I can. (I now live in Seattle where research is difficult.) --- hans.gerwitz ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to DEU-BAD-ORTENAU-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message