Kenneth, If Osterode near Wolfenb�tel, is the town of interest, (Old state of Braunschweig) you might find information at: Niedersachsische Staatsarchiv Fortsweg 2 38302 Wolfenb�ttel Germany You can get genealogy correspondence translated free at the following: http://www.genealogienetz.de/misc/translation.html or http://www.genealogy.net/misc/translation.html or http://wiki.genealogy.net/index.php/Transserv There are at least two persons in the Neidersachises Stadtarchiv that are fluent in english but I have always used german to clntact them. Also, a german letter writing guide is available on the Family History (Mormon) library site at: http://www.family search.org/sg/LGGerman.html Good Luck Carl in Texas > [Original Message] > From: K E <kenofnocal@yahoo.com> > To: <NIEDERSACHSEN-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 5/7/2006 22:39:44 > Subject: the Hempels of (possibly) Osterode and or Herzberg am Harz > > Greetings. I've just begun to research my German > ancestry, and have determined (through census data > from the later 19th century) that my 3rd > great-grandparents Charles Hempel (b abt 1822/23) and > Augusta Klapperodt (b abt 1827) as well as their three > sons (Charles, John, and Ernest) seem to have come > from the Kingdom of Hanover (in present-day Lower > Saxony). (snip) > > The Hempels arrived about 1865, and settled in Norfolk > County, Massachusetts. They told census takers in 1870 > that they came from Hanover (by which I presume they > meant not the city but Kingdom of Hanover), and > Charles Hempel Sr or his wife Augusta told 1880 census > takers they were from Prussia (which is consistent, > given that Hanover was invaded, and occupied by > Prussia in 1866). > > In the 1880 census Charles Hempel Jr told census > takers he was from "Osterow, Germany." There is no > such place as Osterow, Germany, but there is an > Osterode am Harz in Lower Saxony, which happens to be > a few miles from Augusta Klapperodt's possible place > of birth - Herzberg am Harz (this according to her > cemetery record - at least there Herzberg part [there > are multiple Herzbergs in the country but this is as I > understand it the only one in Lower Saxony]). > > According to census recrods, Charles Hempel (Sr) (who > may have been named Carl [if not Carl Augustus] > Hempel) was born in 1822/23. Again: we don't know > where in Germany he was born but Osterode am Harz and > Herzberg am Harz are possibilities. He married Augusta > Klapperodt (and this may be only an approximate > spelling) - perhaps sometime in the mid to late 1840s. > Augusta was born about 1828 - again, perhaps in > Herzberg am Harz. > > Charles and Augusta's first son Charles William (who > was likely named Carl Willhelm Hempel at birth) was > born in 1850 (perhaps in Osterode am Harz or > thereabouts). Their second son John (perhaps named > Johann) was born in 1856 in Germany.Their third son > Ernest L Hempel was born in 1864, also in Germany. > > The Hempels were jewelers by trade, and there has been > some speculation in the family that they might have > been Jewish converts to Christianity before coming to > America. We have no hard evidence to support this > possibility, but the circumstantial case is not > without merit. > > There is apparently an archive > (http://www.staatsarchive.niedersachsen.de:80/master/C504_L20_D0.html) > for the state, but my German is extremely primitive. > > Any tips or leads that you think may be helpful > would be welcome. > > Thank you very much. > > Best regards, > > Kenneth Hempel > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com