Genealogy Chat

Has any one out there had much luck tracing there German Ancestors if they have could they give me a few tips?

My partners nan was Charlotte Karla M M Ahrens born Hamburg (We think) 27th Jan 1906 She had a son Rainer Ahrens born 15th Oct 1944 in Hamburg. She died July 1987 in London & Rainer died Aug 1995 aged 50 in Grantham Lincs.

Charlotte moved to England about 1945 we think she wed a Charles Goldsmith but we are not sure if that was here or in Germany.
Can anyone help??

I have had terrible trouble tracing German ancestry in the mid-1850's - for a friend - as all their records are "state" based rather than national, due to the fractured nature of the area before it became a single country - without much to go on, in terms of which area (Bavaria, Prussia etc etc) it means checking all the states !!

However, there are a few useful sites such as :-

http://www.germanculture.com.ua/library/links/genealogy.htm

For reference, here is Charlotte's death registration under Goldsmith:

Name: Charlotte Karla M M Goldsmith
Birth Date: 27 Jan 1906
Death Registration Month/Year: Jul 1987
Age at death (estimated): 81
Registration district: Tower Hamlets
Inferred County: London
Volume: 14
Page: 829

Shazzlou,

Try googling Anglo-German Family History Society or use the Top Tips/advanced search facility on the left side of this screen.

Peter

The thing im confused about is why would she have come over to England in 1945 as being German surely she was not popular in London! Also im assuming Ahrens is her maiden name as my partner thinks on his dads birth certificate it said father unknown.
Also i dont know if she wed Charles Goldsmith in Germany or London & surely Goldsmith is a Jewish name. Ahrens is German isnt it?

If she were Jewish, or connected to a jewish family then getting out of Germany was a priority.

Think of the recent Jerry Springer WDYTYA show and his Jewish family in the German death camps and Jewish ghetto's.

Assuming she came over in 1945 as Rainer her son was born in 1944 was there not a ban on Jews leaving the country then? Also if she was Jewish she would have left before then wouldnt she?