Volhynia -- Wolhynien

Zhitomir Evangelische Lutherische Kirche
Membership list, circa 1933

Extracted from Family History Library microfilm 0492794 by Evert Moes

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Notes by Evert Moes

In translating from the written Gothic script I have kept to the original text as close as possible. The only variation is the insertion of the month in English. The original text has numbers for the months (for example January is 1, November is 11), using the European method with the month in the middle. This change will make the reading somewhat easier.

The list appears to be arranged by households. The family relations are not always clear, as some families seem to lack one of the marriage partners. This may indicate that the listed spouse is either a widow or widower, or that the unlisted spouse does not belong to the church, but possibly embraces another religion. The dates are assumed to be birthdates, and as the latest entry is 1933 (No. 114), it may be assumed that this list was made up in 1933. The age of the members of the church when this list was compiled can therefore be calculated from this assumption.

The film did not show the entire surface of the pages, and the notations in the margins are not available. Each name has the notation "ev. l." behind it, with some names having a "K" behind the "ev. l.". I am suggesting that this may indicate the church in which the individual was baptised. The "K" could stand for Katholisch, or Catholic.

As can be seen, the maiden name of married women is listed, although it is not always clear what the married name of these women could be. One assumption is that a widow, looking after children with a different name was married to a husband who has the same surname as the children.

One will also find that some households have children with another surname living there as well. It may be that these children are orphans. It should be borne in mind that this list was made up during the famine in the Ukraine which started arround 1932.

There appear to be households where the grandparents are looking after their grandchildren; single women living together; and other living arrangements not further explainable from the list.

You will notice that some of the male members of the households have a "v." before their name. This could mean Verstorben (deceased), but may also have some other meaning. The married women had an "M." before their name for part of the list, the meaning of which is not clear. It should be noted that the pastor (or whoever made up the list) dispensed with this prefix later in the list.

It should also be noted that the creator of this list took some literary license in the spelling of some of the names here and there.

Notes
1. Where figures such as (18)93 are shown, the figures in brackets do not appear on the list.

2) "geb." or "g" means "geboren" or "maiden name".

3) The list creator had the annoying habit of writing "G" and "H" in the same manner. Where there could be a question which is meant, both letters are shown. Where there is practically no question as to the correct letter, this duality is not noted.

Evert Moes
9245 East Saanich Rd,. Sidney, B.C.
Canada V8L 1H6
ya895@victoria.tc.ca

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