Villages


Regional Interest Group:
Bessarabia & Dobrudscha Chapter (BESS)

Village Coordinators:

Elvire Necker-Eberhardt

Elvire's Korner

Jakobsonsthal

 

  • Region: north of the Danube between Braila and Galatz, often combined with Dobrudscha villages
  • Area: earlier Wallachia, now Muntenia in Romania
  • District: Braila
  • Rayon:
  • Founded: 1843/1844 by mostly Bessarabian Separatists
  • Religion: Ev. Lutheran
  • Location: A-11
  • Longitute and Latitude:
  • Parish: Odessa, temporarily in 1865 part of the Prussian Lutheran Church of Berlin, Braila, today Konstanza
  • German Name: Jakobsonst(h)al
  • Romanian name: after 1940 Baldovenesti, today Piscul German
  • Russian Name:
  • Ukrainian Name:

Remarks:

Jakobsonsthal was the only German village in Romania outside the Dobrudscha and Bessarabia, i.e. north of the Danube and west of the Pruth River. However, as the Jakobsonsthal Germans in 1940 were resettled together with those of the Dobrudscha, this village is usually lumped together with this group.

History:

The first baptism in Jakobsonsthal’s church book is entered in April 12, 1843 but 1844 is usually given as the founding year for this village.

In the spring of 1844 a group of 45 families settled in the region between Braila and Galatz, at the mouth of the Sereth tributary, north of the Danube. Most of these early settlers were so called Separatists from Bessarabia who had wandered around since 1842 in search for land. They finally resided here despite strong warnings of the governor of the Braila district, Arnold von Jakobson. This area was known for its frequent Danube floods. Sure enough in 1846, 1857, 1861, and later on in 1897 Jakobsonsthal’s mud brick houses dissolved by the Danube and Sereth waters.

Another problem existed for these villagers as they were considered “foreigners” by the local authorities and as such could only rent or lease land. Only in 1922 with the Romanian agrarian reform could they purchase 5 or 6 ha of land, too little really to sustain a family.  

Despite all these conditions, many of Jakobsonsthal’s inhabitants kept rebuilding their village so that in 1940 together with the Dobrudscha Germans 163 of them were resettled in Germany. Others however, left over the years and moved to Bessarabia (to Bortscheag, Oneschti, etc.) or settled in Acpunar, Atmagea, Catalui or other Dobrudscha villages.

Until 1940 the name “Jakobsonsthal” remained for the Germans as a tribute to the village’s first benefactor, Arnold von Jakobson. During WWII its name became Baldovenesti, to day it is known under Piscul German or General Praporgescu.

Genealogical material for this village can be found in the Galatz LDS films # 127 0534 and 127 0535 for the years 1856 – 1941 and the Jakobsthal (sic) LDS film # 176 8087 for births 1843 – 1877, marriages 1868 – 1879 and deaths 1868 – 1880.

for members onlyJakobsonsthal Family Names

for members onlyJakobsonsthal Village Births

for members onlyJakobsonsthal Village Births Galatz Film

for members onlyJakobsonsthal Confirmands LDS Galatz for 1859/ 1866/ 1874/ 1875

for members onlyJakobsonsthal Village Marriages

for members onlyJakobsonsthal Village Marriages 1856 – 1941 Galatz Records

for members onlyJakobsonsthal Village Deaths

Click on map below to view larger map of Jakobsonsthal

Jakobsonsthal map

Books:
From Catherine to Kruschev, by Adam Giesinger, pgs. 118
Homeland Book of the Bessarabian Germans, original text by Albert Kern. See information on mother colony, Krasna, pgs 199-201.
Heimatbuch der Dobrudscha-Deutschen 1840-1940

Heritage Review:

Issue Year Page Title
21 1978  4-14 Black Sea Germans from the Rumanian Dobrudja (Part1)
22 1978 17-26 Black Sea Germans from the Rumanian Dobrudja (Part2)
23 1979 7-18 Return Trip to Rumania
15-4 1985 6 Reasons for the Immigrations to the Dobrudscha
15-4 1985 7-14 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 1)
16-2 1986 34-41 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 2 & 3)
16-3 1986 24-37 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 4)
16-4 1986 7-18 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 5)
17-2 1987 33-36 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 6)
17-3 1987 20-31 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 7, 8 & 9)
17-4 1987 31-40 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 10, 11 & 12)
18-2 1988 22-28 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 13)
18-3 1988 29-54 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 14)
18-4 1988 14-17 The Germans in the Dobrudscha (Chapter 15)
16-3 1986 38-39 Early Dobrudscha Germans in North Dakota
18-4 1988 17-21 About the German Farm Wives of the Dobrudscha
19-2 1989 3-4 German-Russians from the Dobrudscha in Dakota Territory 1882
19-2 1989 4 Anna Maria Brandt Recounts Her Ancestry
19-2 1989 24-28 From the Community Book of Atmadscha
19-2 1989 28 Plan of the Colony Atmagea
19-2 1989 29-30 How We Survived World War One
19-2 1989 31-33 The Schielke Family History As We Know It
19-2 1989 33-35 Mehrer's Came to America in 1872
22-1 1992 35-39 Church Records
-1st Germantown Baptist Church
22-3 1992 15-21 Church Records
-1st Germantown Baptist Church
22-4 1992 30-35 Church Records
-1st Germantown Baptist Church
23-1 1993 19-29 Church Records
-1st Germantown Baptist Church

War Records

Members OnlySupplimental Information:

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