Hello Sheila, Kassel is a town in Germany located about midway on a straight line between Hannover 130 km (80 mi) to the north and Frankfurt the same distance to the south. The town is situated about 180 km (113 mi) east of Dusseldorf and 205 km (130 Mi) west of Leipsig. About eight years ago I spent several days in the town of Kassel doing research in the archival library of a Hessen-Kassel historical society. I was researching my immigrant 4th great grandfather, Johannes Zulauf. He had paraded in review before the Landgrave of Hesse on 29 February 1776 and then marched out of Hessen-Kassel in a troop movement that followed down river valleys to the North Sea. There he embarked on a troop ship headed for America. He arrived at Staten Island on 15 August 1776, two weeks short of six months after leaving Hessen-Kassel! He was captured by Americans in 1779, was held POW in Reading, Pennsylvania, and he settled there after the War ended. My immigrant ancestor changed the spelling of his surname from ZULAUF to SULOUFF in Pennsylvania toward the end of the 18th Century. I would enjoy corresponding with any subscriber on this ListServ who is researching the ZULAUF surname, although I regret my German is not very good. As regards the spelling of the town's name, it is my understanding that Cassel is the English spelling and that Kassel is the German spelling, so actually both spellings are correct. Also, I have read that in past centuries the town's name was written with a hyphenated Hessen in front of the town name and that today the name Kassel stands alone without the hyphenated prefix of Hessen. In my 1995-96 ADAC MaxiAtlas Deutchland the town's name appears as Kassel without the prefix. Nelson R. Sulouff Author of Johannes Zulauf, Soldier-Immigrant, Father of Sulouffs and Suloffs In America, published in Journal Of The Johannes Schwalm Historical Association, vol. 5,4 (1996) and vol. 6,1 (1997). //////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ----- Original Message ----- From: Carol Byers To: HESSE-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2004 11:17 AM Subject: [HESSE] RE: ECKERT - Hesse Cassell Hesse Cassell, which is actually Hesse Kassel, in 1866 this area became part of Hesse-Naussau. Hesse-Naussau consists of two districts Kassel and Wiesbaden. This is a very large area, and almost impossible to locate your ancestor with out knowing the village/town/city and religion of your ancestor. The best approach is finding your ancestor is to first learn everything you can about your ancestors in American. I live in the Sacramento, CA area and belong to the Sacramento German Genealogy Society. If you live here we could help you, as we have a monthly study group and mentor at the Sacramento Family History center. My suggestion is for you find every record dealing with your ancestor, and see if this would give you a clue of his home town. Once you have this information you will be able to find records in Germany. The online, www.familysearch.org, web-site has online research guides you can download, and I would recommend the one on immigration and Germany. Also, if you are near Sacramento, let me know, and I will be glade to help you get started. I'm not an expert, but I'm learning and can get you help from those who can. -----Original Message----- From: Dustbunnytoo@aol.com [mailto:Dustbunnytoo@aol.com] Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2004 2:31 PM To: HESSE-L@rootsweb.com Subject: ECKERT - Hesse Cassell I have just finally found the birthplace for my ancestor John ECKERT and his parents was Hesse Cassell. Unfortunately I don't know precisely where this is represented in modern Germany. Can someone help me? I would also love any info anyone might have on this family. John was born in 1823 and had moved with his wife, Barbara Kinn, to Pa. by 1860.With appreciation...Sheila