These documents were sent in by one of our readers, and further exemplifies why ship manifests alone do not paint a complete picture of our ancestors. The documentation provided here can help us learn more about ancestor professions, social standing and wealth, and potentially where they came from. While these documents might be fragmentary or non-existent depending on the location for some areas where the greatest destruction of church books and civil records occurred, this provides a fantastic alternative to the usual genealogical sources. I have personally noticed fragmentary collections exist in Belgard, Schivelbein, Kolberg, and Lauenberg–and these are just the ones I am currently aware of.

Many of these lists mention families who immigrated before the rest of the family came with. Even though gaps in years might occur, they offer hope to genealogists looking for substantial evidence of a former place of residence. Early ship manifests that are still preserved today make note of names, ages, and places of origins. However, good luck determining the village when the ship lists only name “Pommern,” “Prussia,” or “Germany” as the place of origin. This is why these records can make research more efficient for those looking to establish where their families came from in Pomerania.

Through these immigration permission files, it would be possible to match an ancestor’s ship manifest and travel date with those listed on these rosters, essentially bridging the gap between the Pomeranian denaturalization and American (or other) citizenship. This particular contribution details the Lemke family in Lauenburg along with the Granzin and Lietzau families.

was in the archive in Stettin and looked into the emigration records of Kreis Lauenburg from 1868-1871. A lot of documents, around 4000 pages (IMG7054). I found the following emigration permission for the three Lemkes but not for Johanna Wilhelmine Granzin and Julius Lietzau. I found two other Lemkes and another Lietzau and Granzin emigrants, maybe there are connections.

1. Emigration permission 1866-67, Sig. 150 – IMG7006

In this documents I found among other:

1. index of names with emigrants in 1866/1867 – IMG7007/08
2. Emigration permission for Eduard Johann Lietzau from Gr. Jannewitz

• Permission of military Bezirks Kommando – IMG7013
  • He was infantry colonel, registered in “Infanterie Jahrgang 1860, # 82”
• Clearance certificate of the local police – IMG7014
  • He was smith since April 1866 in Gr. Jannewitz. He is married Annette Klopp and both want to emigrate.
• Permission of “Königliches Kreisgericht” (royal district court) – IMG7015
  • No proceedings are pending for Johann Lietzau and his wife Annette née Klopp.

2. Emigration permission 1868, Sig. 151 – IMG7010

In this documents I found among other:

1. index of names with emigrants in 1868– IMG7011/12
2. a 2^nd index of names with emigrants in 1868– IMG726/27/28
3. Emigration permission for Carl Lemke from Bresin

• denaturalization document of „königliches Landratsamt“– IMG7016
  • Büdner (small farmer) son Carl Lemke from Bresin
• Emigration permission of community department – IMG7017
  • The local authority has nothing against emigration. Carl Lemke has a fortune of 100 thalers.
• Permission of “Königliches Kreisgericht” (royal district court) – IMG7018
  • No proceedings are pending for Carl Lemke.

In this documents I found among other:

3. Emigration permission 1868/69, Sig. 152

1. index of names with emigrants in 1868/69– IMG7023/24/25
2. a 2^ndindex of names with emigrants in 1868/69– IMG730/31
3. a 3^rdindex of names with emigrants in 1868/69– IMG732/33/34
4. Emigration permission for Johanna Lemke from Bresin

• denaturalization document of „königliches Landratsamt“– IMG7035/39/40
  • Unmarried Johanna Lemke from Bresin emigrate with consent of her parents. She was born on 18 Aug. 1848. She left Bresin on  23 Mar. 1869 to North America.
• denaturalization document of „königliches Regierung“ (royal government)– IMG7036
• Permission of “Königliches Kreisgericht” (royal district court) – IMG7041
  • No proceedings are pending for Johanna Lemke.
• Emigration permission of community department – IMG7042
  • The father, Büdner August Lemke gave his consent for the emigration. Johanna Lemke has a fortune of 100 thalers. The local authority has nothing against emigration.

5. Emigration permission for Heinrich Lemke from Mersin

• denaturalization document of „königliches Landratsamt“– IMG7026
  • Heinrich Lemke from Mersin
• Emigration permission of community department – IMG7027
  • Heinrich Lemke was herdsman in Mersin since 24 May 1864. The local authority has nothing against emigration. He has a fortune of 170 thalers.
• Permission of “Königliches Kreisgericht” (royal district court) – IMG7028
  • No proceedings are pending for shepherd Heinrich Lemke and his wife Johanne née Kramp in Mersin and their 2 children, Emilie, age 2 and Adeline age ¾ .

4. Emigration permission 1868/69, Sig. 153 – IMG6986

In this documents I found among other:

1. index of names with emigrants in 1868/1869 – IMG7004/05

5. Emigration permission 1869/70, Sig. 154 – IMG6971

In this documents I found among other:

1. index of names with emigrants in 1869/70– IMG6993/94/95/96
2. a 2^nd index of names with emigrants in 1868/69– IMG6997/98
3. Emigration permission for August Lemke from Bresin

• denaturalization document of „königliches Landratsamt“– IMG6972/73/74
  • Büdner (small farmer) son August Lemke from Bresin
  • August Lemke, born on 10 May 1845 , military passport from 16 Sep. 1868

• Permission of “Königliches Kreisgericht” (royal district court) – IMG6975
  • No proceedings are pending for August Lemke
• Emigration permission of community department – IMG6976
  • Büdner son August Lemke, age 25, resident in Bresin. The local authority has nothing against emigration to America. August Lemke has a fortune of 60 thalers.

4. Emigration permission for Franz August Richard Lemke from Labuhn

• denaturalization document of „königliches Landratsamt“– IMG6999/7000/02/03
  • Baker journeyman Franz August Richard Lemke from Labuhn. He was born on 12 Oct. 1844. He had an illegitimate born child Carl Emil, born on 7 Feb. 1866. Mother was Auguste Bisage.

5. Emigration permission for Ferdinand Granzin from Obliwitz

• denaturalization document of „königliches Landratsamt“– IMG6987/88/89/90
  • Worker Granzin from Obliwitz, born on 5 Nov. 1818, his wife Emilie Charrlotte née Haase, born on 22 Feb. 1824, his children Mathilde Hermine Henriette, born on 7 Dec. 1865 and Ferdinand Ernst, born on 11 Nov. 1852

• Emigration permission of community department – IMG6991
  • The local authority has nothing against the emigration of the family to America. He has enough financial resources for emigration.

6. Emigration permission 1870/71, Sig. 155 – IMG6984

In this documents I found among other:

1. index of names with emigrants in 1870/71– IMG6978
2. Emigration permission for Johann Ludwig Litzau from Lauenburg

• denaturalization document of „königliches Landratsamt“– IMG6979/80/81/82
  • Smith journeyman Johann Ludwig Lietzau in Lauenburg. He works by master smith Schönrock. He was born on 9 Feb. 1850 in Jezow. He want to emigrate to Chicago in North America.