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 […]
Category Archives: Family History Tours
Discover your Family History and research your genealogy with an ancestral home tour.
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 […]
From Villefranche to Menton and why Menton is better than Monte Carlo
We took a Sunday drive today from our home base in Villefranche-sur-Mer over to Monte Carlo, in Monaco. I think we can all attest to why nearby Menton is 100,000,000 times more charming and likeable than Monte Carlo. The city has lost all sense of itself amongst the many ugly behemoths that crowd the waterfront. […]
After all of the Genealogy, Rothenburg ob der Tauber and a lunch stop in Ulm
The Packwoods had just completed a rather intense week of experiences visiting their ancestral villages in Rheinland-Pfalz. As the trip wound down, we made a stop for a couple of nights in the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber before continuing on the 4th to Dachau, where their escorted trip ended and their independent […]