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Goertz, Adalbert (1928–2011)

Proper Title

Adalbert Goertz fonds

Dates of Creation

1963–1999

Physical Description

2 cm of textual records and one audio cassette

Biographical Sketch

Adalbert Goertz was born on December 3, 1928, to Paul Gerhard (1887–1945) and Margarete (Schukat) (1900–1996) Goertz in Langenau, Kreis Rosenberg, West Prussia. In his early years he spent his time on the family farm. In 1939, he entered the classical school in Königsberg. In 1943, he was baptised by Emil Haendiges of the Elbing Mennonite church. At the early age of fifteen he was drafted by the German army into the anti-aircraft unit. In the war he lost three brothers and his father. He witnessed the destruction of Königsberg and escaped at night as the Russian forces were closing in on February 28, 1945. He made it to West Germany where he stayed after the war and finished his high school education.

In 1950–1951, he was chosen as an exchange student by MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) and studied in Upland College, California. Upon his return to Germany in 1952, he became a student in physics at the University of Frankfurt. On August 8, 1958, he was married to Baerbel Kittler (1933– ) daughter of Horst (1910–1946) and Elfriede (Fast) (1910–2001) Kittler of Danzig. It was around this time he began his research career into Prussian Mennonite history.

From 1958–1960, he was employed as a physicist when in 1960, he and his family emigrated to Boulder Colorado, USA where he became employed at the National Bureau of Standards. In America he has had a distinguished career obtaining his PhD in 1968, and then teaching physics at various universities in the US and other countries. He retired from teaching in 1989. He continues to be active with his hobby of Mennonite history. He has contributed immense amounts of knowledge to the understanding of Mennonite history and is an expert in Prussian Mennonite history. He is a contributing editor of the magazine Mennonite Family History and continues to be involved at Bethel Mennonite Church in Colorado Springs, CO.

Adalbert passed away on May 7, 2011.

Custodial History

The records in this collection have been collected by people interested in Goertz’s work at the Centre of Mennonite Brethren Studies, Winnipeg.

Scope and Content

The material in this collection has been brought together at various times. It consists primarily of articles that Goertz has written about Mennonites in Prussia from the late 1600s to the early 1900s such as immigration lists, church records, and baptisms. A small portion of the material is about his own life in Prussia and the United States. Most of the material is in German; however because of the nature of the material, knowledge of German is not essential to use these documents. There is also one audio cassette of a presentation, “Tracing Mennonite Roots in Prussian and Eastern Europe,” given at a Genealogy and Family History Seminar that was sponsored by the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society.

Notes

  • Volume 957.
  • Described by Conrad Stoesz, October 25, 1999.
  • Accession nos.
  • No restrictions.
  • Finding aid consists of a file list.

File List

Volume 957

Textual:

  1. Off – prints of Adalbert Goertz’s work. – 1963, 1965–1968, 1973–1976, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1997–1999.
    • Robert Stupperich, Kirche Im Osten: Studien zur osteuropäischen Kirchengeschichte und Kirchenkunde, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1963.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Die Mennonitengemeiden Altpreußens Osteuropas im Jahre 1835”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1965, p.108–113.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Aus Mennonitischen Kirchenbüchern Westpreußen”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1966, p.221.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Die Gründer der Mennonitengemeinde Elbing in Kansas”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1967, p.310–311.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Aus Mennonitischen Kirchenbüchern Westpreußens: 2 Gemeinde Montau-Gruppe, Kreis Schwetz ”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1968, p.22.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Aus Mennonitischen Kirchenbüchern Westpreußens: 3 Gemeinde Tragheimerweide, Kreis Stuhm”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1968, p.85–86.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Zur Herkunft der Mennoniten in Deutsch-Wymyschle”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1973, p.280–281.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Westpreußische Mennoniten bei Whitewater/Kansas”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1974, p.10–12.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Rußlandwanderer 1804–1805 aus der Westpreußischen Mennonitengemeinde Montau”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1974, p.118.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Aus Mennonitischen Kirchenbüchern Westpreußens: 4 Gemeinde Orlofferfeld, Kreis Marienburg”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1975, p.241–242.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Aus Mennonitischen Kirchenbüchern Westpreußens: 5. Erstes Danziger Familienbuch”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1976, p.278–325.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Familiennamen in Trutenau bei Danzig”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1980, p.12–13. 3 copies.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Mennoniten um Danzig im Jahre 1818”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1980, p.102–103.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Zuwanderer in die Lutherische Pfarrei Mewe an der Weichesel in den Jahren 1681–1690”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1981, p.308–309.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Westpreußische Mennoniten in Beatrice, Nebraska”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1983, p. 16–21.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Mennoniten in Südpreußen 1795–1806”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1988, p.379–382.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Mennonitengebuten 1759–1781 um Tiegenort/Westpreußen”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1990, p.198 – 200.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, “Erwerbungen Westpreußischer Mennonitenhöfe in den Jahren 1789 – 1798”, in, Ostdeutsche Familienkunde, Neustadt, Germany: Verlag Degener & CO., 1991, p.316–319. 2 copies.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, Altpreußische Geschlechterkunde: Blätter des Vereins für Familienforschung in Ost und Westpreußen, Band 27, Hamburg: Im Selbstverlag des Vereins, 1997.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, Altpreußische Geschlechterkunde: Blätter des Vereins für Familienforschung in Ost und Westpreußen, Band 28, Hamburg: Im Selbstverlag des Vereins, 1998.
    • Goertz, Adalbert, Altpreußische Geschlechterkunde: Blätter des Vereins für Familienforschung in Ost und Westpreußen, Band 29, Hamburg: Im Selbstverlag des Vereins, 1999.
  2. Adalbert Goertz story and articles published. – 1988, 1989, 1994.
  3. Resources for Mennonite Genealogy. – 1990.
  4. Adalbert Goertz, “Migration of Mennonites from West Prussia to Russia 1820–1841”. – [199-?].
  5. Adalbert, Goertz, “The WWII Flüchtlingskartei of Gustav Reimer & Otto Wiebe, (1952)”. – [ca. 1992].
  6. Adalbert Goertz, “The 1789 Land Census/General-Nachweisung of West Prussian Mennonites”. – 1997.

Audio:

  1. Adalbert Goertz, “Tracing Mennonite Roots in Prussia and Eastern Europe,” for the Genealogy and Family History Seminar at CMBC, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sponsored by the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society. – July 24, 1990. Location: NA-02–85.
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