West Prussia 1812 Citizenship Database

This database is an extract of 2,382 records from the General-Verzeichniss saemtlicher in dem Departement der koenigl. Regierung von Westpreussen vorhandenen Juden welchen das Staatsbuerger-Recht ertheilt worden. ["General Register of all Jews residing in the Royal Governmental Province of West Prussia to whom Citizenship was granted"], Marienwerder, gedruckt in der Koenigl. Westpreuss. Hofbuchdrukkerey. [Marienwerder, printed in the Royal Westprussian Court Press], (1812).

In the foreword to the register there are "instructions to be observed in regard to the process of Citizens as opposed to the foreign Jews".  Among others: "A further instruction is to be observed by the police authorities in relation to the Jews arriving from foreign lands as set out in the edict of 11 March 1812 regarding the citizen’s rights in relation to the Jews in the Prussian states".

The edict covered all Jews in West Prussia who were able to earn their keep.  It differentiated – and excluded – those Jews who entered the province illegally, and lived off official and unofficial charity.  In future they were to be deported summarily.

The columns in this database are:

• Surname — Newly opted family name taken by the new Jewish citizen
• Given Name - Original
• Given Name - New — Newly opted personal name taken by the new Jewish citizen
• Town Name - German — Place name of current abode
• Town Name - Polish
• Subsidiary List — Sequential number on a local subsidiary list (It appears that local lists - no longer available - were used to compile this Global Register)
• Page Number — This entry appears on this page number of the original 1812 West Prussia document

There are 50 unique localities represented.  In order to assist research, all locations are listed here below, with both their 19th-century German and modern Polish place-names:

This data has been compiled by David Lewin, Search and Unite, London, from a copy of the 1812 official publication. It was printed in Gothic German.

Any researcher who might wish to do a more general search is welcome to contact David Lewin and request the data to be sorted by any of the criteria contained in this database.

David Lewin
London, March 21 2000

Searching the Database

This database is searchable via both the JewishGen Germany Database and the JewishGen Poland Database.