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Pomeranian Flag
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Diese Seite ist auch auf Deutsch verfügbar: Familien Vorgeschichte The Bogenschneiders from Pomerania / PommernThe Bogenschneider family is from Pomerania (from Slavic po, "along"; morze, "sea"), which was a Prussian province on the Baltic Sea situated on both banks of the River Oder, stretching from Stralsund on the west to Stolp on the east. The area west of the Oder was known as Hither Pomerania (Vorpommern), and the area east of the Oder was Farther Pomerania (Hinterpommern). After World War I, from 1919 to 1939, Pomerania was divided among Germany, Poland, and the Freed City of Danzig (Gdansk). The Polish part formed the province of Pomerelia (German Pommerellen; Polish Pomorze) (6,335 sq. mi./ 16,408 sq. km.), with Bydgoszcz as its capital. The German province had 14,830 sq. mi./38,410 sq. km.), with Stettin (Szczecin) as its capital. After World War II, and the Yalta and Potsdam Conference in 1945, most of former German Pomerania west of the Oder (except for Stettin, the peninsula Wollin, and the eastern part of the peninsula Usedom with the city of Swinemünde) was incorporated into the Soviet-occupied German state of Mecklenburg and became part of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany); the remaining and much larger part, along with Stettin and some coastal area, was transferred to Polish administration. Between 1945 and 1949 about 2 million Pomeranians were expelled by the Russians and Poles (Vertreibung) from the former German area and the area was taken over by the Polish government in 1945, with about 250,000 Pomeranians dying in the process (killed, death from exhaustion, starvation, or froze to death). Some were exported as slaves to the Soviet Union, and hundreds of thousands of women were raped. All property was taken from the Pomeranians. The Pomeranians that left had only what they could carry. Many went to the British zone of Germany, with some remaining in East Germany. The Western powers were silent on the ethnic cleansing that removed 99% of the Germans from Hinterpommern. The only reminder today that this province once existed as part of Germany is found in the name of a northeastern German province called Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The Polish administration reform of January 1, 1999 brought self-administration on all levels and formed 16 voivodeships (provinces) over the whole country. The area of former Hinterpommern is now part of the voivodeship Zachodnio-Omorskie (province of West Pomerania) with its capital Szczecin (formerly Stettin) and the voivodeship Pomorskie (Pomerania) with its capital Gdansk (formerly Danzig). Pomerania is primarily agricultural lowland, with generally poor, often sandy or marshy soil. The area is dotted with numerous lakes and forests and is drained by many rivers, including the Oder, Ina, and Rega. Cereals, sugar beets, and potatoes were and are main crops, with livestock raising and forestry as important occupations. Along the Baltic coast are numerous seaside resorts and fishing villages. Rapid industrialization started in Pomerania around 1850, with many workers leaving the farms for the cities. For further information on Pomerania, go to Pomerania on the Resources page of this web site. Records on our early Bogenschneider forefathers indicate that they lived in the city of Stettin, in areas southeast of Stettin in the county of Randow (Kreis Randow), and to the west and northwest of Stettin in the counties of Saatzig and Naugard (Kreis Saatzig and Kreis Naugard). The county of Randow (Kreis Randow) was dissolved in 1939 and the area became part of the counties of Greifenhagen, Naugard, and Ückermünde. In the late 19th century, Pomerania was divided into three districts and 30 counties, with Stettin as the capital. The Bogenschneiders lived in the district (Regierungsbezirk) of Stettin, which had 13 counties (Kreise), including Randow, Saatzig, and Naugard. The other two districts were Köslin, with 12 counties (Kreise) and Stralsund, with five counties (Kreise). The counties of Saatzig and Naugard, and the city of Stettin, today are part of Poland. The area east of the Oder in the former county of Randow is also part of Poland, and areas west of the Oder have been incorporated into today’s German provinces of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg. The BagenschneidersThe surname Bogenschneider was originally Bagenschneider, a Low Saxon (Low German) name. Low Saxon was spoken as a minority language in the northern parts of Germany and in the eastern parts of the Netherlands. Until the end of World War II its area extended into Eastern Pomerania and Eastern Prussia, areas that are now administered by Poland. It is estimated that there still are about 10 million Low Saxon speakers in Germany and one to two million speakers in the Netherlands. Low Saxon lost its influence with the decline of the Hanseatic League in the late 16th century or in the early 17th century. In Northern Germany, "High" German began to encroach from the south and, spreading from the urban centers, eventually usurping linguistic and cultural dominance over the entire region. By the 18th century, Low Saxon was perceived as a "peasants’ language," and High German was the language of the elite and educated.
The Bogenschneiders TodayToday the Bogenschneider surname can be found in various parts of Germany and the United States. The largest concentrations in the United States are in the states of Wisconsin and Illinois. Research to date seems to indicate three main Bogenschneider family groupings in the United States:
It is hoped that through this page that these assumptions can be verified and clarified, and additional information can be added. After World War II, some Bogenschneider family members remained in the DDR (East Germany); others went as refugees to West Germany. We hope that the German family members will be able to share some of their post-war experiences. The Bogenschneider surname is not that common, and it is highly likely that those of us who share that surname, or descend from others with the name, share common ancestors. Hopefully, we will be able to share information and identify all the branches of the Bogenschneider family tree. |
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Due to this perception, it is believed that David Benjamin Bagenschneider,
perhaps around 1772 or later, changed the family surname Bagenschneider, which
meant a "high tailor" or "top tailor" in a town, to the more
prestigious High German Bogenschneider, which meant "bow maker," and was more
military and heroic. After 1772, the name appears as Bogenschneider in
written records. It appears that all those with the Bagenschneider surname
adopted the High German version of the name. This information was supplied by
the family of Heiko Bogenschneider, and we thank him for passing this on.