[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Re FW Skorkowka village - Kowalski/Fuchs/ Settled in the early 1800's they changed their surname from Schmidt to Kowalski and more....

Sun Mar 6 14:53:15 PST 2011

I cannot answer all your questions but will make the following comments:

1.  Kowal = Schmidt = Smith
Unfortunately that makes it a very common name that can be difficult to research.

2.  It is possible that your Fuchs family were at one time Jewish but only the record books can prove it.  I would suggest it is unlikely.  Jews did not use surnames until mandated to do so by Napoleon in the late 1700s.  It is far more likely that the Jews adapted or adopted the Fuchs surname than that a conversion occurred.  There is truth to the story about Jews being paid to convert but this was more of a factor, if I recall correctly, in western Europe than in Eastern Europe.

3.  Skorkowka is in the Tomaszow Mazowiecka district and would have been in the Lutheran Parish of that name.  This is probably the town shown as the birthplace of Amelia Fuchs.  However, the reference in her birth record could be to the Parish rather than the actual village of residence.

4.  I assume the records you found on the Galizien site were the extractions of the EWZ records.  It is certainly possible that these are the relatives you suspect but you will need other corroborating records to prove it.

Jerry Frank

----- Original Message -----
From: W MITCHELL <wmitchell1 at bell.net>
Date: Sunday, March 6, 2011 3:01 pm
Subject: [Ger-Poland-Volhynia] FW Skorkowka village - Kowalski/Fuchs/ Settled in the early 1800's they changed their surname from Schmidt to Kowalski and more....
To: ger-poland-volhynia at eclipse.sggee.org

> 
>  Hi 
> 
> New to the site,and I would like to share my family information 
> and questions that i hope I will be able to have some direction 
> on how to solve them. Here are my family facts/stories - I have 
> some photocopied documents in Polish - 
> birth/marriage/passport/immigration documents,  The Russian 
> -internment camp that my grandfather spent time in the now - 
> Ukraine  all translated in to English. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Kowalski family 
> 
>  
> 
> Christoph Kowalski born in Skorkowka abt - 1856 
> 
> family immigrated from Prussia (Germany) previous surname was 
> Schmidt (my grandmother told me this) (I am wondering if they 
> are the Schmidt family that helped start the village of 
> Skorkowka as per the SGGEE Moravian Brethren's. I would like to 
> see if I am able to confirm this)
> 
> - the name was changed to become more Polish (as per my 
> grandmother). (I think this may have occurred around the 1830 
> when there was issues with Germans living in the Kingdom of 
> Polzen)  
> 
> - Christoph had 2 brothers - one named Samuel, other name not 
> known. Christoph had cousins Gustof Kowalski, Gotlieb Kowalski 
> (who died very young) (as per my grandmother) 
> 
> - Christoph was married twice he had 1 son (my great 
> grandfather) Erdman Kowalski and his wife died when Erdman was 
> 3/4 years old. He had two daughters with his new wife (as per my 
> grandmother)(Lidja Ernest - is listed as Erdman's mother on his 
> birth certificate This would be the name of Christoph's 1st wife).
> 
> - They all lived in Skorkowka 
> 
>  
> 
> Erdman Kowalski born in Skorkowka -on 5 May 1880 - died 13 Nov 
> 1968 North Batttleford Sask Canada 
> 
> Amalja Fuch was born near Tomashou (koustetinou hard to read on 
> the birth certificate) - on 30 Mar 1887 - died 27 Sep 1957 North 
> Battleford Sask. Canada 
> 
> - Married Amalja Fuch on 19 Nov 1903 
> 
> (her mothers maiden name - Fryda Springer / her father's name 
> Augusta Fuchs he also was married twice and Amalja had two 
> sisters Emila and Ema Fuchs) (I believe there is some connection 
> to the Kowalski/Pipke family's from the Galizien german 
> Descendents website as Erdman had a cousin named Aldof Kowalski 
> and he was from Skorkowka and the dates are in same time frame 
> and Aldof Kowalski married a Emila Fuchs , but this is something 
> I think I would like to find out if there is a way to confirm 
> this) (My grandmother told me that the Fuchs were at one time 
> practicing the Jewish faith) Although they were married in a 
> Lutheran Church. (as per the documents)
> 
>  
> 
> Erdman and Amalja Kowalski had four Children all born in 
> Skorkowka and they all immigrated to Canada in 1927 and moved to 
> the Area of North Battleford Sask. Canada 
> 
> Wilhelm (William) Kowalski - born on 24 Nov 1904 - Died Vernon 
> BC 01 Jun 1985 
> 
> Otylja (Wanda) Kowalski - born abt 1907 (birth year approx 
> obtained off the Russian documents) 
> 
> Fryda Kowalski - born 2 Dec 1909 
> 
> Eberhardt - born abt 1920  (birth year approx obtained off 
> the Russian documents) 
> 
>  
> 
> The above family was sent(?) to Russian Internment Camp(s) I 
> have photocopies of 4 documents - April 1915 - Ekaterinoslavsky 
> (temporary residence permit) , July 13, 1917 Automatic Flourmill 
> Erdman worked there for two years, 
> 
> June 11 1918  Steam Rolling Mill of Andrey Zaharovich 
> Zlobin  - July 10 1918 Lozovaya-Pavloka Ekaterinoslvsky 
> Provice, Chief of the Settlement of Lozovaya-Pavlovka and 
> Pavlovsky Volost  residence permit 
> 
> I have spent some time on researching this area near 
> Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine and can not find anything about these 
> camps. My grandfather said it was a very bad time for his family 
> and he learnt to speak Russian when they were living there and 
> he went to school as well. 
> 
>  
> 
> My questions are 
> 
> 1) was my Kowalski family part of the Schmidt(s) that was one of 
> the first settlers of Skorkowka? 
> 
> 2) Is is possible that the Fuchs were really Jewish? (I have 
> done some reading that around the mid 1800's there were some 
> families that were paid to change their faith and/or flee the 
> faith because of persecution) 
> 
> 3) Was it really internment camps? and why were they sent there? 
> 
> 4) What was it like for them when they returned to their Village 
> of Skorkowka after they were returned from 1919 to 1927 - My 
> Great grand father paid $1000.00 CAD to the Canadian Land 
> Settlement Program (I have documents) 
> 
> 5) Are the Kowalski's from the Galizien German Decsents part of 
> this family - it sure seems so 
> 
>  
> 
> Any information would be great, so much as opened up on the 
> internet over the last couple of years, I am "hound dog" and 
> love to read and research so any direction(s) would be greatly 
> appreciated!! 
> 
>  
> 
> Kind Regards Wendy Mitchell 
> 
>  
> 
> (my mother nee Lillian Kowalski is Edrmans granddaugher) 
>                                                
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