TRAVELS IN DEUTSCHLAND - September 1972

Ben Ciriacks has just returned from a ten day trip to Europe, where, among other activities, he managed to visit the Bremen & Osterholz-Scharmbeck area.  He highly recommends the Bahnhofs-Hotel in the beautiful and immaculate city (pop. 12,000) of Scharmbeck. At a cost of only $8.00 a day, Ben slept good, ate steak for dinner, had a big breakfast and managed to see the best of Germany.  For three days he visited the churches of St. Willihard and Sankt Jurgen looking up the records of the family in that area.  He saw the big farms (house, barn and all in one big building) that our forefathers may have once built and/or occupied. From his research we now know more about the Kleinmoor, Lilienthal, Turfmoor (now called Frankenburg) & Scharmbeck Cyriacks.  It appears that Christopher Cyriacks (born 7/2/1783) moved from Etelsen to Sankt Jurgen ** to marry Helena Helmken around 1815, or so.  His fifth child, Christopher, settled in Kleinmoor and started the family (and apparently the spelling) now identified as Cyriaks. **FOOTNOTE: Sankt Jurgen is the name of the principal church and the territory that comprises the towns of Scharmbeck, Kleinmoor, Turfmoor, etc.  Lilienthal is another territory and church immediately south.

ETELSEN: In 1850, one 'Claus' Hinrich Cyriacks married Metta Mehrtens and had seven children.  The Godparents of four of these children were bloodline Cyriacks relatives from Etelsen.  The first child, Hinrich (born 4/2/1852), is the man who had 'twelve' children, many of whom came to New York at the turn of the century.  His siblings, Brune, Anna Catharina & Christian Friedrich had already come to the New York area in the 1880's. So, although no definite link was established between the Scharmbeck and Etelsen Cyriacks, the fact that the Godparents (usually siblings of the mother or father) were from Etelsen indicates that a link does exist.  We just hope that the next member of this large family of ours to visit Germany can find that link (and some others to boot.) Ben owes most of the success of his efforts to the wonderful people he met at every turn.  Herman Biermann and his wife, Margaret, helped Ben get started by finding the Church in Scharmbeck that had Cyriacks records.  From there, thanks to the help of the church secretaries, Ben was pointed toward Lilienthal and Sankt Jurgen. Although the pastor of St. Jurgen is retired, his son, George, spoke very good English and helped find all of the information in the records there.  Ben says it's always a great feeling finding people everywhere who are kind and helpful. [ 1999 update:  Within six months of returning to Milwaukee from this trip, Ben moved to Albuquerque.  About 36 moves later, he returned to the same home from which this trip was launched.  Part of his philosophy of life was always to pass along to others the kindness shown him during various journeys throughout the world.  Without exception, his hosts always agreed - never feeling obliged to be personally repaid, themselves.  (In the early 21st century, this is being called Pay It Forward.") ]

 

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