What's a Palatine Anyway?

~~. ---,. ~-~,.,,}.',, ,, ,., ,. ~........... ~ ... --. ·-~ ~\.,---~- - . ~.- -~ ;-~~ - -- ---~~- -----~......-- . .--------. Ethnic Research · What's a Palatine, Anyvvay? James M. Beidler examines the Palatinate, Germany's emigrant hotbed for centuries. THE PALATINATE, which is now 'Comis Pala tinus ' to 'Pfalzgraf' today as the Palatinate. Less than part of the German state The original title of these courtiers 300 years later, a member of the Rhineland-Palatinate, began sup in Latin was comis palatinus (liter Wittlesbach family became plying a steady stream of immi ally, "companion of the palace"). Pfalzgraf as well as Herzog (duke) grants to America in the late 1n English, this title was count of Bavaria. From this date in the 1600s and contributed to the for palatine while in German the 1200s until the early 1800s, there mation of the was a relationship Pennsylvania between the rulers of German culture and Bavaria and of the dialect among Palatinate - culmi German ethnics in nating with the ruler the New World. of the Palatinak So many of the inheriting Bavaria Germans who left for in 1777. America in the 18th In the l 300s, the century were from Pfalzgraf became one the Palatinate that of the members of the the word "Palatine" Electoral College that became synonymous was responsible for with "German". This choosing the Holy is especially borne Roman Emperor. As a out in the case of the result, the area ship captains who became known as the transported these Electora I Pa la tinate, immigrants (primari or Kurpfalz in ly from Rotterdam to German. Philadelphia) and The Reformed were required to file religion of John lists with the Calvin and Ulrich Pennsylvania author Zwingli swept 11,e Palatitrate as depicted in William Blaeu's 1645 atlas Theatrum ities beginning in Orbis Terrarum. through the Palatinate 1727. The captains' in the 1500s, but later lists - as well as the lists show word was Pfalzgraf Charlemagne rulers installed Lutheranism and a ing Oaths of Allegiance - typi used these counts palatine to Roman Catholic dynasty inherited cally mention the number of administer crown lands, and these the area in 1685. The Thirty Years' "Palatines imported". lands became known as palatinata War (1618-48) reduced the While this is indicative of the (Latin), palatinate (English) and Palatinate to ruin, and little more fact many immigrants came from Pfalz (German). than a generation later, in 1688, this area of Germany, it also has After Charlemagne, the Holy the armies of the French King left a legacy of confusion since Roman Empire and its emperor Louis XIV destroyed cities and 18th-century immigrants also were acknowledged as overlords villages. came from other states in south of Germany more in the breach After the Palatinate was again west Germany such as Baden, than in the observance. As a result, occupied by France during the Wuertemberg and Saarland. there were fewer of the "crown Napoleonic era in the early 1800s, The Palatinate is a region lands" to which Charlemagne had most of the Palatinate was divided named neither for a characteristic originally sent counts palatine to between Hesse, Baden and Bavaria. of its area nor a geographic fea supervise. This is how the terms Since WWil, it has been part of the ture. In fact, the region of "Palatinate" and "Pfalz" became state Rhineland-Palatinate (or Germany known in the English attached as names to just a few Rheinland-Pfalz to Germans). language as the Palatinate (Pfalz regions of Germany. In addition to Pfalz and in German), was named for the Otto the Great, the next pow Kurpfalz, this area is also some title of a courtier or official in erful Holy Roman Emperor after times called Rheinpfalz (Rhenish the court of Charlemagne, who Charlemagne, ruled in the mid- Palatinate in English) or ruled from 768 to 814AD and 900s. It was he who appointed a Niederpfalz (Lower Palatinate). became the first Holy Roman noble as Pfalzgraf for the area of Just for confusion's sake, it should Emperor in 800. the Rhine Valley that is known be acknowledged that there is also 40 Familv Chronicle • Tulv / Aueust 2004 a region of Bavaria known as the SAUCO NY CREEK bei Oberpfalz (Upper Palatinate) or Woh•or1 ·· ·ez«-.Kuiztown Prootn: l'a, looo USA Bavarian Palatinate. This is the 011: r •,, ,,. .. ~ ' M' 0 area around and north of Regensburg and borders the Republic. Unfortunately, Czech __ -- hr111lsc ld<hffll']vn1 these terms are sometimes used ,. Vu nttr,m1 HI ____ ______ _ incorrect! y to refer to the Pfalz on the Rhine because of the mere fact \luh1lnrn ml1,_ ·-·-· grbOtfl C that the rulers of the Pfalz on the Rhine were also sometimes Bavarian. Palatine Emigrants by the ,rstei nw-erdt/Pfa1 z" l\bhmm11-sa'31'1 ttrr h'l'IIIFSte111wend en(l<ai s ers l nutexni111om,1g.on _ . ---·:-:---x---~ -- Thousands 1773 : Saucony vree& oei left the \\'•n1t l !tt919ala:IUl l .Pb.11-. 15 ....... 9 . 1748 Wfpr A'IIR10lpgo«1 ._Cg4.. l<v..t.Z't.9.J!'J'l,,_J>ji_!...LJl~-A The wars of the 1600s Schi!f 11Two Brothers" Palatinate devastated and depopu W tl)l),rivfi __ __ -· _ ····--.- Taufpnten: Michael Korb von Weisenbs ch, lated. Many German-speaking 111 ~t{~t,_~:fc,'PJ'eir'f~~oa~g'ii'° §'~,j'!f/'z~~~r'f :~io< u•}A ppOJ.6n1A ··Thewa·ta-;"EhEf!rau ""11 lf B "Heffner 11 Swiss moved down from the E.ff.~nbach . mountains into the Palatinate after the Thirty Years' War and French 011cUcn"i:cll~ lo1 .. QA F... .C hr .ia.:tmann.. --···· ·····-········M• -···· ·-·-·····- --·· ·~·--·- ------------·-·--·-----·--- Huguenots (expelled from France A copy of a card from tlte Palatine emigrant card file. beginning in 1685 when the edict guaranteeing them toleration was Researchers are fortunate that Where the work of Jones revoked) also became part of the Henry Z "Hank" Jones Jr. began stops, the canon of Annette Palatinate population. The invasion studying these 847 "Palatine" fam Burgert begins. Burgert became by Louis XIV coincided with visits ilies nearly 40 years ago. During widely known in the 1980s with from agents of William Penn who that time he has - in conjunction the publication of her two-volume were seeking colonists for with German researchers - set for the Pennsylvania German Pennsylvania - Pen.n's "Holy tracked down the immigrant ori Society, Eighteenth Century Experiment" of religious toleration. gins of hundreds of these families. Emigrants, one volume of which The first families from the Beginning with a two-volume dealt with the Western Palatinate. Palatinate area landed in work titled Tl1e Palatine Families of Since then, Burgert has put out Pennsylvania in 1683 and estab New York - 1710, which was pub books on 18th-century emigration lished Germantown, now part of lished two decades ago, Jones has from a number of towns and areas Philadelphia but originally out in put these origins into print. He of Germany including another the country. A trickling of immi continued with The Palatine major volume dealing specifically gration to Pennsylvania continued Families of Ireland, More Palatine with the Palatinate - Palatine through the rest of the 1600s and Families, and, most recently, three Origins of Some Pennsylvania early years of the 1700s before volumes of Even More Palatine Pioneers. This latter work focuses mass migration to America began. Families: lBt/r Century Immigrants to on towns in the eastern Palatine In the winter of 1708-9, Europe the American Colonies and Their on the west side of the Rhine experienced one of its worst win German, Swiss, and Austrian River. ters on record. (Among other Origins (co-authored with Lewis While Jones' research is "time things, the Baltic Sea froze so Bunker Rohrbach). specific" - he is the expert on the solidly that the King of Sweden Jones' research has gone 1710 Palatines - Burgert's is was able to transport his army through many twists and turns. Ln "geographic specific" - she across it to begin the Great the Even More Palatine set, the delves deeply into the German Northern War with Russia.) immigrant origins of the impor church and other records of select In the Palatinate, this winter tant (in terms of number of ed villages and often finds the ties spurred thousands of people to descendants) Batdorf family in between Old World and New. As find their way up the Rhine River. Pennsylvania were established with many other immigrant They spent time in England before after years of false starts. This was groups, the Palatines often trav being sent off to upstate New one of the families that moved eled in packs. It is common to find York in 1710 as colonists. After from upstate New York to the more than one family from the further adventures, some families Tulpehocken region, and the key same Palatine village on the same stayed in New York while others to cracking the case turned out to ship bound for America. migrated in the 1720s to the be that the family name was really And the Palatines did come to Tulpehocken Creek area of Bardorf, even through a slim America - by the thousands. Pennsylvania (modem-day west minority of early American Even when they did not travel ern Berks County and eastern records about the family included with others from same village, Lebanon County). the "r". they were often responding to the Family Chronicle • July/ August 2004 41 Websites immigrants' actual signatures. Cultural Heritage Center at • German Genealogy: How helpful these lists are for Kutztown University in Rheinland-Pfalz researchers is difficult to play Pennsylvania. (www.genealogienetz.de/reg down. ln addition to the fact that IRHE-PFNrhein-p.html) few colonial-era passenger lists Primary Source Records of the • Genealogy in Pfalz have survived from other ports, Palatinate (www.krebs-onl.de/pfalz/) even the Philadelphia sltips with The most helpful group of records • Frequently Asked Questions: immigrants from the British Isles for researchers with Palatine ances German-Rheinpfalz were not required to keep lists tors is the church register books, (http://thorin.adnc.com/-lynnd since those people were already wltich usually contain baptisms, /gfaql.html) subjects of the British crown and marriages and burials.

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