Hello Fred, Thank you for the information. I did receive an answer from the Elblag city office yesterday;
* **Responding your request I would like to inform you that I have been trying to find a copy of your Grandfather Passport and unfortunately couldn't find it. I was informed that during Second World War most of documentation was destroyed. I even checked in our National Archive Office in Gdansk ( they have some documentation from Elblag) but they didnt find anything.* *So I am so sorry I couldnt help you in this matter, however if you need any information from our civil office ( marriage details, home address etc.) there is a chance to find it.* * * Very interesting and I did read somewhere that documents were destroyed but I wasn't sure which. My grandfather was a gardener. Grandma was born in Lobsens, Poland and they met and married in Elbing, had 2 sons there and immigrated to Canada in 1930. Interesting I have all my grandmother's passport etc., but not my grandfather's. The good thing is that from the ship passenger lists I could find where and when he was issued his German passport but that is the only "document" I could find so far but I am searching for more. Elblag staff member was very kind and fast but the passport of grandfather is a no go but I do believe that I can find some other document somewhere to show he was in fact a German citizen. I really like this group and reading so much about the history of Elbing to present day Elblag has opened up the history man in me to want to learn more. Keep in touch and let me know if you have any other ideas or leads that would help me find some proof of German citizenship. Kindest regards, Brian On Fri, Oct 3, 2008 at 4:03 AM, W. Fred Rump <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > On Wed, Oct 1, 2008 at 1:10 AM, blondtokyo <[EMAIL > PROTECTED]<brianmattu%40gmail.com>> > wrote: > > > > Ancestry.ca was great as it has the passenger list and listed when > > grandfather arrived as a landed immigrant in Canada and that his > > German passport was issued on January 27 ,1930 and place of issue: 87 > > Elbing Germany. > > Where in present day Elbing (Elblag, Poland) could I try and contact > > and purchase a copy of my grandfather's German passport? > > I doubt very much that any such passport records exist. At least, I've > never heard of any. > > > If anyone could help me that would be wonderful. > > Thank you and I look forward to learning so much more about Elbing! > > > Grandfather was born in Berdjansk Russia (Prussia) in 1899 and even > > though he was born in Russia, wasn't everyone there considered German? > > > > German citizenship law is a bit different in that one could be born in > another country but claim German citizenship based upon their German > blood or ancestry. There are several hundred thousands of Russians in > Germany today who were granted entry and ciizenship based upon their > ancestry. Kreis Berdjansk was Russia but settled by many Germans who > lived there using their own language and customs. You best source for > information is the Germans from Russia group > http://www.grhs.org/rig/crimea/html/website_updates.html > > More then likely your grandfather came to Elbing for work and probably > at the Schichau shipyards which were in a great growth period at this > time. Do you have any idea as to what his occupation was? > > Fred > > -- > Fred Rump, (239-775-7838) > 730 5th St. NW Naples, FL 34120 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] <fredrump%40gmail.com> 239-775-7838 > http://albums.phanfare.com (check my orchids under timeless) > 'Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little > temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety'. -Benjamin > Franklin > >
