Local family database Belgard-Schivelbein

Church in Dohnafelde

The rural county of Belgard, with a total area of 1649.49 square kilometers, was among the largest counties of Pomerania. In 1939 it had 79,183 inhabitants.

This county existed in its final form beginning in 1932, when the smaller county of Schivelbein was annexed to it. This was done to erase an ancient frontier between Pomerania and Brandenburg, since until 1815 Kreis Schivelbein was the northeastern outpost of the Neumark, belonging to Brandenburg. Meanwhile the counties of Belgard and Kammin were part of Pomerania, and blocked a possible push to the Baltic Sea on the part of Brandenburg.

The purpose of the data bank is to collect information on former residents of the county - in order to give any interested person the chance to get information from historical materials which, due to the consequences of World War II, often did not survive in their original and complete form (or perhaps are no longer accessible to the public).

The basis of the data bank has been the indexes to surviving churchbooks and civil records of the county. This information was supplemented by copies of individual documents, passports (which during the Nazi time documented a person's ancestry), family historical albums and family trees, which were made available by former residents and also those doing family history research in the area.

For now there is information, though often just fragments, from about 43 parishes or districts of a civil record office, namely: Alt Skanskow, Alt Schlage, Arnhausen, Belgard, Bramstädt, Briesen, Brunow, Bulgrin, Buslar, Damen, Grössin, Gross Tychow, Gross Poplow, Gross Rambin, Klützkow, Kollatz, Labenz, Langenhaken, Lankow, Lenzen, Muttrin, Naseband, Nelep, Neu Buckow, Polzin, Pumlow, Rarfin, Reinfeld, Roggow, Rützenhagen, Schivelbein, Schlenzig, Schlönwitz, Schmenzin, Semerow, Simmatzig, Standemin, Venzslaffshagen, Woldisch Tychow, Wopersnow, Wusterbarth, Wusterwitz, Wutzow and Ziezeneff.

My wish is that everyone who finds connections to his/her family in this data bank, or who considers it helpful, useful and significant, will make their proven historical records available to be added to the information already there. Only in this way can we eventually succeed in really making this data bank a place where all those interested in the county of Belgard can get help and information.

Since the data bank will be added to and expanded on a regular basis, it will be always worth your while to check it often. Further details pertaining to individuals entires are available upon request.

Dieter Schimmelpfennig

Translated by Christopher Wolter