Koblenz Questionnaires

Questions and Answers

 

by Gayla Gray 
 

Originally published in the  Heritage Review, March 2008
 

What are Koblenz Questionnaires? 

What information might I find on a Koblenz Questionnaire?

Will I be able to read Koblenz Questionnaires? What language are they in?

Why are the Koblenz Questionnaires important?

Does the Germans from Russia Historical Society have all the Koblenz Questionnaires ?

Are the Koblenz Questionnaires available at the LDS Family History Library?

Has anyone indexed the questionnaires?

What information is contained in these indexes?

Are the EWZ records different from the Koblenz Questionnaires?

 

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What are Koblenz Questionnaires?
The Bundesarchiv films from Koblenz are resettlers’ questionnaires filled out by villagers from Bessarabia, Bukovina, and Dobrudscha when they were brought out of Russia at the beginning of World War II.  The questionnaire is a one-page form (front and back) containing vital information about the villager. 

• What information might I find on a Koblenz Questionnaire?
  The information on the Koblenz Questionnaires consists of:

name of head of household

current place of residence

his or her occupation

birth date and place of birth

place and date of death

confession and religion

spouses' same information (if married)

date of marriage and location (if applicable)

names, birth dates and locations of birth of children (name of spouse if child is married) and death dates (if applicable)

emigrated (day, year, destination)

parents' information along with dates of birth and location (if known)

does family have property and is so, size of propety

name of ancestor and location of where and when they emigrated

first, second and so on regarding place of settlement

name and profession of ancestor who emigrated (on mother's side)

from what land, town, year and to where emigrated

if family spread out in other countries

if an Ahnentafel (ancestor chart) is available for family and where it is

if pictures of ancestors are available and where

notable happenings for the family or individual

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Will I be able to read Koblenz Questionnaires? What language are they in?
Most of the questionnaires are handwritten by the villager, but you will also find some that are typed. The questionnaires are written in German.

Why are the Koblenz Questionnaires important?
They contain information about our ancestors that may or may not be included in other records.  The Bessarabia and Dobrudscha questionnaires often contain information on families that resided in other parts of the Black Sea area, such as Odessa and Crimea. In some villages, the majority of the families have links back to Odessa.

Does the Germans from Russia Heritage Society have all the Koblenz Questionnaires?
Yes, GRHS has copies of 31 reels pertaining to the Black Sea area. There are nineteen films on Bessarabia, eight films for Dobrudscha and four for Bukovina. (The Koblenz Archives does have other collections for areas outside of the Black Sea.) They are only available for viewing at GRHS headquarters in Bismarck, North Dakota. However, GRHS does offer Research Services, and can provide you a copy of the Koblenz Questionnaire you are interested in (for a fee).

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Are the Koblenz Questionnaires available at the LDS Family History Library?
At this time, they are not available at the LDS Family History Library.

Has anyone indexed the questionnaires?
Yes, the Koblenz Questionnaires have been indexed and are included in the Black Sea German Database listed under village name.

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Are the EWZ records different from the Koblenz Questionnaires?
Yes, the Koblenz Questionnaires were filled out first. EWZ records were filled out later and contain much more information. See the EWZ Q&A.