People from Pomerania frequently immigrated to Rochester, New York. Consequently, there are a vast number of records that may be of use to others doing research in this area. While some of the churches listed at the following site were home to various backgrounds, one can also find places of origin. Some denote “Pommern” and others are more specific to “Stolp” and other areas.

The Rochester Genealogical Society has gone to great lengths to digitize records from quite a few churches in the surrounding areas. However, the church books provided are not the only parishes in Rochester, and other may be found by running a proximity search for churches in Google Maps. When in doubt, contacting the local parishioners may be helpful.

After attending the IGGP international conference this summer, I discovered that there are many Lutheran churches who still maintain their old church books, but will not allow any group associated with the Mormons to photograph their records. Hence, while the records may not be digitally available, it might be worthwhile to write to the local parishes to inquire about records if you suspect an ancestor was a member of a nearby church in Rochester, NY.

Christopher DeWuske

I founded this website to help others make connections with their genealogy. I've been at my own family history since 2014 and have made significant progress since then. My hope is to one day determine where my family name came from. In the years since I started my genealogy, I've become something of an expert on the resources and history of Pomerania. I'd like to share what I've learned with you to help you on your own journey to discover your heritage. With the right information and enough patience, I believe researchers like us can break down the barriers to our family histories and make more freely available so others can trace their families as well. Let's work together to rebuild the stories of our ancestors!