An unforgettable visit to the Grote ancestral farmstead on September 7th resulted in new connections with cousins in Germany and a wealth of new information for family historian Jane Williamson of Waco, Texas. Jane and her daughter Rachel Hernandez visited Mackenbruch after a long planning process begun in July, 2010 when Jane discovered European Focus […]
Category Archives: Family History Tours
Discover your Family History and research your genealogy with an ancestral home tour.
Kersting Farm in Mackenbruch, Germany
Jane Williamson from Waco, Texas enjoyed taking photographs and walking around the old farmstead where her Kersting ancestors lived before the family emigrated to America in the 1840s. Detailed photographs of the inscription above the door into the house and barn combination can be seen below.
Nurnberg’s Little Chapel Windows
When Nurnberg changed from a Catholic city to a Protestant one (a decision made by the ruler in the 1500s) there was a problem. People still wanted to pray at home, even if they were now using a different method than before. So, they asked for permission to build small alcoves onto their houses, projecting […]
An unforgettable visit to Amberg, Germany
George Then’s father was born in Amberg, in the Oberpfaelzerwald of Bavaria, Germany. He met his future wife in Nuernberg, where they married. They had a son, and emigrated to America to begin new lives in 1927. George Then was born in America. He’d wanted to come to Germany for many years to see where […]
St. Martin Church in Amberg, Germany
The parish church of St. Martin in the heart of Amberg, Germany possesses some of the most amazing stained glass windows we’ve ever seen. They were donated by families in the 1870s and 1880s for the most part. They are brilliant and help bring light into this otherwise dark, Gothic church, built in the 1300s.
Amberg’s Magnificent St. Georg Church
The magnificent rococo church of St. Georg is one of the oldest churches in Bavarian Amberg, Germany. It was built as a Gothic church in 1359. Later, it was taken over by the Jesuits and then in the 18th century, redecorated in the rococo style with the bright colors and stucco work of Johann Baptist […]
Bavarian – American Day in Amberg, Germany
We were lucky to combine our visit to George Then’s father’s birthplace with the annual “Bavarian-American Day” held each year to celebrate the friendship between this town in the Oberpfaelzische Wald with the American soldiers who were stationed here from 1945 to 1993. The market square was a hub of activity. Locals up near the […]
Seeing the handiwork of an ancestor in Munich
George Then had the unique opportunity (a first for a European Focus guest) to see the figures of the famous Glockenspiel atop the tower of the Munich Town Hall up close. A family member in Germany had something to do with the creation of these figures. Exactly what, is still to be determined. But through […]