Visit to Langenaubach and Breitscheid

The names of the villages of our German ancestors were passed down in family stories, and one of the Durrant cousins hired a researcher in Langenaubach to locate information. He shared the results with cousins in the Waupaca County area. His initial efforts made locating the correct microfilms much easier.

Films of church records from both Langenaubach and Breitscheid were available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, and I also ordered those films at various Family History Centers where we lived or traveled. The old German handwriting was difficult to read at first, but the names and dates stood out in the films.

When we had an opportunity to travel to Germany in 2007, I emailed a contact that I had corresponded with regarding one of the family surnames. He connected me with his sister Rita, who still lived in Breitscheid. She was willing to host us for a day and made arrangements to visit the former church in Langenaubach (now a museum) and the church in Breitscheid. She also invited us for a "typical German lunch." 

700 year anniversary of Langenaubach; church/museum 

Rita contacted the museum director in Langenaubach who met us for a tour. Unfortunately, we had no time to use the volumes of information that the museum held. The building was lovely and well preserved. 

Church in Breitscheid

The church in Breitscheid was restored; the frescoes behind the altar were discovered during the process. Rita asked the pastor to meet us there and we learned that three villages attended services in Breitscheid. This explained how a man from a nearby village married into the family.


Some of the members of the Schmitt family from Breitscheid (the female line in our ancestry) were potters, and the museum in that village had paintings of the pottery from that time.

Our final stop of the day was at the home of the "village historian" who had prepared charts and information about the Schmitt family. The big surprise of the visit: Hans Henn and I were cousins!

Learning I was visiting a cousin!

*52 Ancestors: "Road Trip"