Hi Ida and others Immigrants in Palatinate Calvinists can be found in any region of Palatinate: Metz and the area called Metzer Land, Courcelles and Zweibrücken. They came from Netherlands and the area close to Liège and Verviers and Picardie.In Zweibrücken you will find the families Grandam, Hardi, and Raquet from Verviers by Liège.[1] Many arrived at Zweibrücken from Metz or Metzer Land or Courcelles. The Walloons have spread into all directions, and many of them came to the Palatinate area. Here it might be possible by research in the future to find connections from the emigration from the Netherlands and the refugees, who later arrived at Brandenburg. We have for many families an empty "gap" between 1550-1650, and because of that gap, we can't connect the families to families in their home countries. Probably a lot of Walloons came through Frankfurt a.M. and/or Strassbourg. The first group of religious refugiés in Palatinate were from The Spanish Netherlands and Flemish-speaking. Later the refugiés from the French-speaking part of The Spanish Netherlands arrived. The first colony was in Frankenthal, and these colonist did not come directly from the Netherlands, but came through Schönau by Heidelberg. Ludwig III wanted them to become Lutherans, and then the Palatinate count Johann Casimir invited them to come. The first one had left their home as early as 1521, 1525 and 1529 under Karl V, but in the years 1567-1573 the emigration was more like a flight because of Filip II, duke Alba and the Spanish Inquisition.[2] Frankenthal About 1562 Frederik III (the pious) takes over the souverenity. He closes the monastery in Frankenthal, which became home for 58 refugee families, who had left the Netherlands because of Calvinistic religion. Flemish as well as Walloons came to Frankenthal, and the Germanspeaking population were there of course also, so Flemish, Walloon (a language close to French) and German were spoken in this city. Some information as a contract from 1562 and a landbook from 1596 exist. The people from The Netherlands arrived from Frankfurt in to ships to Roxheim with their Priest Petrus Dathenus (Piet Daets)[3]. They used Flemish as church-language, and the churchbooks are still existing[4]. In 1578 36 Walloon families arrive, in total 72 persons, expelled from Heidelberg by Ludwig IV. They make another Walloon parish. In 1618 they get their own church (Walloon-language). In Gross Frankenthal was also a monastery with Augustinian monks until 1562, and in Klein Frankenthal since the Middle Ages has been a convent with women. This town was occupied by the Spanish in 1623-1632 and 1635-1652. Here a French Reformed Church was started in 1578 by Walloons from the Flemish Church in the town, who had been started as early as 1562. Some more people arrived from Heidelberg and the towns near by, and 1577-1689 the Walloon Church was the same as the old convent church. From 1674 more people arrived. The name of the church is changing l'Eglise réformée Wallone, L'Eglise francaise and Ecclesia Gallica. Frankenthal was totally destroyed by the French the 15.th of September 1689. The parish registers are placed in the town archive.[5] From 1618-1651 the town was occupied by Spanish, Swedish, and again Spanish soldiers[6]. 1689 the town was destroyed by the French; the town is burned down, the church destroyed, the town is robbed, and the Walloon church would never be replaced. The Walloons took of in direction of Hanau and Magdeburg. The Netherlands (Flemish?) and Walloon parish was destroyed.[7] Mutterstadt and Billigheim Walloons and French were living as colonists in the wardestroyed village from 1651. Their church was belonging to French Reformed Church of Alsheim-Gronau. From 1689 most of the community took of for Uckermark.[8] In Billigheim was also a colony, probably people from Schönau or Frankenthal, and during the 30-yearswar there was also occupation by French and Swedish troops. In 1664 some new refugiés arrived from the area Pays de l'Alloeu, and the area was at that time called "L'alloeu Nouveau". During these years are mentioned some names of the colonists: Poillon, de Camps, Salinger, Charlet, Boquay, Segon, Baleu, le Doux, Vattier, de la Place, Harlem and de Lattre. In the colony arrived in 1665 also Valdensians from Piemonte. During the years 1669-1686 are found these names: Layro, Broe, de Faese, Balleux, Herlan, Herpain, Guemar and Ardin. The parish had to fight for its rights, and in this regard are mentioned Boidin, Salomé, Salangre, Combert, and they even got af new house for their priest.[9] The Calvinists in Billigheim left their town in the same way as the colonists of Altenstadt, Archenweyer, Impflingen, Insheim, Offenbach, Rohrbach and Steinweiler Palatinate in the autumn 1686 after harvest. They were called Brigade d'Alsace, And marched directly to Nordhessen, among these were the families: Fouquet, Desrameaux, Delattre, Perrin and Bouché. These families had been living in Oberamt Germersheim, wich Ludwig XIV had claimed the right for. The family Fouquet came from Minfeld, the family Lefèvre from Oberhausen and Bevière from Winden.[10] Oggersheim and Friesenheim In 16.th and 17.th century were in Oggersheim a strong French Reformed Parish and community. In 1652 they had a priest, who were helping out a lot of refugiés in i Friesenheim, Oppau, Edigheim and Studernheim. In taxpaying list from 1584 no Walloon family names are mentioned, perhaps the Walloons were free from paying or were to poor to pay tax. Oppau was a new colony in a destroyed place, and Walloons had arrived here from 1648. Oppau was a minor village belonging to Oggersheim.[11] In Friesenheim were refugiés and Walloons arriving in 1652. Friesenheim was also belonging to Oggersheim. In 1689 a big part of the population took of heading for Uckermark, Brandenburg.[12] Mannheim Mannheim was destroyed in 1606 by Friedrich IV of Palatinate. The name was at that time Friedrichsburg. Mannheim was a fortress. The 24.th of January 1607 the privileges were printed in 4 languages and all confessions were equal[13]. To have more inhabitants some more good privileges were added by Karl Ludwig in 1663 for the citizens of Mannheim.[14] Many new people arrived. Two thirds of the inhabitants were French-speaking (Perhaps Walloon?), and only one third were German speaking. Only ¼ of the houses were owned by Germans. Also Jews and Portuguese were owing houses.[15] In Mannheim were have all kind of Huguenots. Walloon speaking Walloons arrived 1568 from The Spanish Netherlands[16], many of them took of in 1623 heading for Hanau og Frankfurt a.M., but some other new ones arrived 1651[17]. It seams as the Spanish occupation ended in the area about 1551-1552, and the new colonies were founded. But what happened in Picardie and Thierache in these years. Was the war going on in that area, og was the Calvinists thrown out of the area by force or threats. I would like to know that too. Hanne Thorup Koudal http://home5.inet.tele.dk/koudal/slaegt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Fritz Leonhardt: "Hugenotten im Zweibrücker Land", s. 109 [2] http://www.evpfalz.de/ingenheim/startseite_CB6B2009FC204BE5A9D2FB2A42BF31EA.htm [3] Erich Keyser: "Städtebuch Rheinland-Pfalz und Saarland. Bind 4, hefte 3", s. 137 angiver født 1531 i Kassel (Flandern), død 1588 i Elbing. En af de betydeligste teologer i den nederlandske reformerte kirke i det 16. årh. [4] Johannes E. Bischoff: "Lexikon deutscher Hugenotten-Orte mit Literatur- und Quellen-Nachweisen für ihre evangelisch-reformierten Réfugiés-Gemeinden von Flamen, Franzosen, Waldensern und Wallonen", s. 104 [5] Johannes E. Bischoff: "Lexikon deutscher Hugenotten-Orte", s. 104 [6] http://www.zak-ft.de [7] http://www.zak-ft.de [8] Johannes E. Bischoff: "Lexikon deutscher Hugenotten-Orte", s. 202 [9] http://www.evpfalz.de/ingenheim/startseite_CB6B2009FC204BE5A9D2FB2A42BF31EA.htm [10] Wilhelm Beuleke: "Die Hugenottenkolonie zu Strasburg in der Uckermark", s. 7 [11] Johannes E. Bischoff: "Lexikon deutscher Hugenotten-Orte", s. 215-216 [12] Johannes E. Bischoff: "Lexikon deutscher Hugenotten-Orte", s. 114 [13] Johannes E. Bischoff: "Lexikon deutscher Hugenotten-Orte mit Literatur- und Quellen-Nachweisen für ihre evangelisch-reformierten Réfugiés-Gemeinden von Flamen, Franzosen, Waldensern und Wallonen", s. 187 [14] http://www.uni-mannheim.de/mateo/start5.html [15] Helmut Friedmann: "Alt-Mannheim im Wandel seiner Physiognomie, Struktur und Funktionen", s. 18 [16] Johannes E. Bischoff: "Lexikon deutscher Hugenotten-Orte mit Literatur- und Quellen-Nachweisen für ihre evangelisch-reformierten Réfugiés-Gemeinden von Flamen, Franzosen, Waldensern und Wallonen", s. 188 henviser til F. Hupp: "Die Heimat der Stadt Mannheim" (1939, s. 159) [17] Johannes E. Bischoff: "Lexikon deutscher Hugenotten-Orte mit Literatur- und Quellen-Nachweisen für ihre evangelisch-reformierten Réfugiés-Gemeinden von Flamen, Franzosen, Waldensern und Wallonen", s. 188