[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] German Naturalization prior to emigration

[Paul Rakow]

   Dear Mauricio,

        There are records, if you are lucky. I have looked through
  naturalisation documents from the early 20th century, in the
  Geheim Staatsarchiv in Berlin (though I didn't find anything
  for my own family).

         The best starting point I know is an online article
  by Oliver G"unther,

  http://wolhynien.de/pdf/rw_GstAPK.pdf

  (but it's in German)

        You are more likely to find something if your family
  initially intended to stay in Germany, and then moved on
  years later. If they were in Germany simply passing through on
  their way to Bremen, there would be less chance of an easy
  paper trail.

              Paul Rakow
              rakow at ifh.de


  Mauricio Norenberg <mauricio.norenberg at gmail.com> wrote: 
>
> Dear list,
>
> I heard that many Volhynians, when left that area, went to Germany and
> re-naturalized as German Citizens before they went to the Americas.
> One person whose ancestors went to Brazil at the same time as mine could
> find naturalization records somewhere in Germany, and his family came from
> Volhynia.
>
> Apparently, families would leave Volhynia and sometimes would stay in
> Germany for sometime before take the ship.
> Others, with less resources could not do anything rather emigrate straight
> away.
>
> To take my ancestors as example, they left Bremen in 1908.
> But how could I tell when they really left Volhynia? Are there any records?
>
> Are there any records specifically for Germans who came from Russia\Volhynia
> circa 1908?
>
> Best regards
>
> Mauricio
> Wellington - New Zealand
>