Genealogy

Hello — so glad you're here :)

This site is about the genealogical research on the Heidemann, Rönnefahrt and Böldicke / Boeldicke families.

Genealogy means more to me than a dogged hunt for ancestors — it's fun. My interest began many years ago, when I found my grandfather Hermann Böldicke's old handwritten family charts. The many different names, the old German script — I was thoroughly fascinated.

I owe the bulk of this site to my grandfather Hermann Böldicke, who began gathering our families' records many years ago. His search started with the so-called "Aryan certificate" the state required at the time — a piece of paper a life could hang on.

For grandpa Hermann Böldicke, that certificate was a requirement for his job as a teacher in Wildberg. As a civil servant he had to produce his baptism/birth certificate along with those of his parents and all four grandparents, as well as his parents' and grandparents' marriage certificates. A dark chapter historically, but for me it marks the beginning of my own family research and the journey back to my ancestors.

I also report on the current state of my research and present our family tree. You'll find out what our names mean, old terms for illnesses, and old occupational titles.

Still searching for Heidemann, Böldicke and Rönnefarth

Sometimes I get lucky and a fellow researcher gets in touch, a pastor or registry office replies to an inquiry, or I stumble onto something myself. With the Böldicke / Boeldicke family, the difficulty lies in the name's ever-changing spelling. I also get plenty of inquiries myself about the name Rönnefarth/Rönnefahrt.

I'm grateful for any lead that could help me find my ancestors. If your own search led you to this page, feel free to write to me!

"Every generation smiles at its fathers, laughs at its grandfathers, and admires its great-grandfathers." William Somerset Maugham