Nathan Reiss, New Jersey, nposes@verizon.net
CH-219
Bilthoven, 28 July 2006
Dear Nathan Reiss,
On internet I saw you recently finished a totally new version of your book “Some Jewish families of Hess and Galicia” of 1980. It looks wonderful. Perhaps you remember our correspondence between Feb. 1988 and Jan. 1989 (18 years
ago!).
In the mean time I have published two books (1990 and 1994), both in Dutch, about the Swedish family Meijerfeldt and the Dutch familie Von Meijenfeldt. Instead of writing a third book about the German families, I started a website www.meijenfeldt.nl. If you go to part 3 “Namen” and klick at 3.2. “Joodse Naamgenoten” you could find all the information I gathered from you and from Mrs. Constant E. Vaughn (later Hopkins). I was lucky to get her into contact with her cousin Sali Meyerfeld in New Jersey.
In the mean time three Von Meijenfeldts were born: Laura (October 1988), Lester (July 1990) and Celine (September 1992). I am still working at the Environment Ministery, after 8 years Deputy Director for International Affairs,
I am since 2003 Director for Soil, Water & Rural Environment. Meteorology, climate change or air pollution is still not in my division, sorry.
Looking at your table of contents I am sure that your book contains additional
information about the Meyerfeld families. I will look for a copy in the Dutch libraries.
Kind regards,
Hugo von Meijenfeldt
New Jersey, 30 July 2006
Dear Hugo,
Thank you very much for your email. I certainly remember our correspondence from 18 years ago! Since then I’ve done a lot of research on the Meyerfelds and have found, as I’m sure that you have by now, that there are a number of Meyerfeld/Mayerfeld families that are not connected to each other. However, I included everthing that I know about all these families in my book, so that other persons doing research will be able to get the benefit of what I’ve learned. Although I still haven’t determined which Meyerfeld family I’m connected to, I suspect that it is a group a Meyerfelds who lived in Treysa in the northern part of Hesse — definitely not the group in Biebesheim/Crumstadt to which Sali and Constant are connected.
I actually discovered your Web site on my own just a few weeks ago and found
it to be very interesting. Your technique has been different from mine: I have tended to concentrate on finding people through vital records, city directories and other documents, while you appear to have made personal contact with people who I’ve known only through the records in which their names appear! Is it your goal to find all Meyerfelds, whether connected to you or not?
I don’t think there are any libraries in the Netherlands that have a copy of my book right now, but a relative of mine on the Edelmuth side of the family, Tjeerd Veeger, lives in Amsterdam and has a copy of the book. Perhaps you and he can get together sometime and you can see it. I can give you information about how to contact him if you wish.
Congratulations on becoming Director for Soil, Water & Rural Environment! It’s difficult to imagine how you can find time for your genealogical research while in such an important position. I retired from my position as a Meteorology professor at Rutgers University a few years ago. Before I retired, our department had combined with the University’s Department of Environmental Sciences, which includes soil and water. My main reason for retiring at a relatively early age was to be able to finish my book. I’m certain that if I had continued working as a professor I would never have been able to do that.
Congratulations also on the additions to your family. Since we last were in contact, I have added two grandchildren to my branch of the tree, with a third one on the way.
If I can be of any help in finding out particular information about the Meyerfeld families, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Nathan
Bilthoven, 2 augustus 2006
Dear Nathan,
Thank you very much for sending me such a quick answer. Eighteen year ago we used several months between each letter, now we use only a couple of days. This is just one of the great changes the PC has brought to genealogy.
With regard to the connection between the Jewish Meyerfeld/Mayerfeld families, at a certain point I started to develop a big theory, perhaps because all the Dutch Von Meijenfeldts prooved to be related. In the mean time I share your opinion. Only 200 years ago the Jews were forced to adopt a family name as part of their request for state citizenship of Hesse, Prussia, Westfalen, etc.. The combination of the first name Meyer/Mayer with their rural circumstances through the word ‘feld’ was not so unique that it couldn’t have been invented at more places at the same time.
Your analysis of our different approaches is interesting. Reading back the Preface in your 1980 book, I conclude that we started more or less with the same approach. In 1994 I was ready with all the Swedish and Dutch records and had completed and published both the Swedish and the Dutch family history. Since then I wanted to find all Meyerfelds indeed, but I have to admit with the ultimate goal to find evidence how the Swedish, German and Dutch families were exactly related. Therefore I started to use other methods, like trying to understand the history and social circumstances of the time and – like you noted – approach people.
You are right that there are no libraries in the Netherlands that have a copy of your new book; I checked it digitally. Yes, it would be very helpful to get contact information about Tjeerd Veeger. I visited JewishGen for the first time and found quite some new information; maybe you put your Meyerfelds into their system as well?
Thank you very much for your offer to help me further. Let me first gather all the information from your book and JewishGen; I will come back to you after that.
Best regards,
Hugo