Can anyone help me figure out the Trier - Luxembourg connection? It appears my great-grandfather, Peter Rollinger, came from Trier circa 1863, and on his naturalization papers it lists his former sovereign as the Emperor of Germany. But he showed up for his naturalization ceremony with my other great-grandfather, Nicholas Kieffer, years before they became in-laws, so I have to assume they knew each other from the Old Country (either that or it was a fabulous coincidence). Since Nicholas Kieffer was from Lintgen, Luxembourg, I am beginning to think that the Trier region was also part of Luxembourg or that part of Luxembourg was part of Germany. Nicholas Kieffer also lists his former sovereign as the Emperor of Germany. FYI: The University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, has all of the vital records of Luxembourg on microfilm. I was able to find the birth certificate of my great-great grandfather from Lintgen, Luxembourg. Thanks, Maureen maureen@dorsano.net

Maureen Curran-Dorsano wrote: > Can anyone help me figure out the Trier - Luxembourg connection? It > appears my great-grandfather, Peter Rollinger, came from Trier circa > 1863, and on his naturalization papers it lists his former sovereign as > the Emperor of Germany. But he showed up for his naturalization > ceremony with my other great-grandfather, Nicholas Kieffer, years > before they became in-laws, so I have to assume they knew each other > from the Old Country (either that or it was a fabulous coincidence). > Since Nicholas Kieffer was from Lintgen, Luxembourg, I am beginning to > think that the Trier region was also part of Luxembourg or that part of > Luxembourg was part of Germany. Nicholas Kieffer also lists his former > sovereign as the Emperor of Germany. Trier was never part of Luxemburg. Prior to Napoleon, Trier was a nation-state comprising land surrounding the city of Trier. It may have included some territory which is part of the present-day country of Luxemburg. You'd have to check historic maps to find out. Some sites with historic maps are listed below. After the Napoleonic wars (Treaty of Paris, 1815) the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was placed under the rule of the Netherlands. It didn't become a completely independent country until later in the century. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Luxembourg It's possible that your "Trier" family came from territory that is now in Luxemburg. Families who lived close to the present-day border intermarried, so it's possible that one member of a couple was from present-day Germany and the other from present-day Luxemburg. Historic map sites: http://www.ieg-maps.uni-mainz.de http://www.rootsweb.com/~deubadnw/history/maps/maps.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~wggerman/map/index.htm http://www.progenealogists.com/germany/germaps.htm Kathy