Researching Family from Opava

Discussion in 'Looking for Ancestors' started by kmp104, Aug 9, 2008.

  1. kmp104

    kmp104 New Member

    Hi All,
    I was just reading these message boards and wondered if anyone can point me in the right direction.
    My father was born in Troppau - now known as Opava. He was a surrogant child. His biological mother born and died in Opava. My father had a full blood sister who his mother kept. I am trying to find any information on this family - Wranka/Wrankova. I know there was another child born that was not surrogant, her name was Ursula Wrankova.
    My father was born prior to the war - 1939, the first child born in 1937 and Ursula in 1945.
    I have been to Opava and went to the archives but not speaking the language no one could help me. I found my grandmothers grave in Opava.
    I am looking for my fathers sisters but I do not know their married names or where else to look. Can anyone give me some advice please,
    Thanks,
    Karen
     
  2. wer

    wer Well-Known Member

    Always known as Opava, Troppau is just the German garble of Terra Opavia.
    You should look for alternative spellings "Vránka/Vránková, Vranka/Vranková, Wranka/Wrankowa" and "Uršula, Urszula".
    That's the worst time to be born in Opava. The town was annexed by Germany in 1938, most of the Czechs were expelled. The archives were partly taken over by Germany, partly transfered to different Czechoslovak archives and subsequently taken over by the Germans after the 1939 invasion into the remains of Czechoslovakia. The archives came back under Czechoslovak administative in 1945.
    That's the best you can do. Did you notice that there are two archives in Opava? One smaller regional archive (Státní okresní archiv Opava
    Lidická 2a, 746 22 Opava) and one big country archive (Zemský archiv v Opavě, Sněmovní 1, 744 22 Opava).
    You could try to ask the cemetery management for the names of the persons who take care of the grave.
     

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