It has been my pleasure to become aware of the work of Dr. Hermann Stierle who is a resident of Boennigheim. This happens to be the home of a Germanna emigrant of 1717, namely Conrad Amberger, or, as Dr. Stierle prefers to write it, Anberger. He is not related to Conrad Anberger but his special interest lies in the fact that Conrad Anberger was the first to emigrate from Boennigheim to America.
Dr. Stierle has consulted the church records in the original and has been able to extend the work of Johni Cerny and Gary Zimmerman who were limited to the available microfilms. Not only did Dr. Stierle extend the information in Germany, but he utilized the work of Dorothy Ambergey Griffith and the information in Beyond Germanna to present a rather complete story on Conrad Anberger, both in his ancestry and in the history of his travels to America and life there.
This work by Dr. Stierle was published in “ Ganerbenblaetter ” a journal of history for Boennigheim. This journal, or research report, is typical of many to found in the towns and villages of Germany. Collectively, they form a large set of information. Literally hundreds of them are published across Germany. With so many journals, it is difficult to find information, so a reference book has been published which has an index to the material. (At the fall conference of the Pennsylvania Chapter of Palatines to America, Mr. Jensen brought this reference work to our attention but I can’t find my notes just now.)
The “ Ganerbenblaetter ” is a true research journal. It is not a house organ or a newsletter. Similar journals in other towns might have items of a short term nature but the general presentation is one of scholarship. Most of the writers are not historians; they are seriously interested in the history of their town in all of its many facets.
The lead article in the last issue of “ Ganerblaetter ” is Die Orgein der Cyriakus Kirche . Just the title was of interest to me as it indicates one spelling for the name Cyriakus or Cyriacus. Our own Cyriacus Fleischmann had a problem with the spelling of his first name. (You name it and that spelling can be found somewhere in the records.)
The second article treats the relationships of the religious confessions in the early years of the Reformation. Not only does it treat the Catholic and Evangelische faiths, but it also discusses the Jews, Muslims, and the Anabaptists.
The third article is entitled
ALS Weiser Slave in America
. It is this article which had the history of Conrad Anberger. Dr. Stierle seems to have been impressed by the use of indentured servants in America, hence the title which talks of “white slavery in America”.
(19 Dec 06)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.