Tracking down Family "Buehrig" in Braunschweig and Timmerlah.

The cemetry chapel built in 1887.

I had two visitors today from Oregon in the USA.  They are the sons of Mark who wrote to me last year about trying to trace his great, great grandfather named Buehrig,  who had lived and worked in Timmerlah in the 1840's.  We met at the station and then walked to a hotel, where they managed to get a room for the night.  There is a big international conference this week in the Stadthalle, and every hotel room in Braunschweig is fully booked.  After checking in, we caught the tram to the main cemetery in Braunschweig, where many notable former inhabitants are buried. 

We spoke to a very helpful man who searched the records for the name Buehrig on his laptop.  He found one family grave of that name, which we visited, and wondered where in the history of the family these people fitted in.  Mark has done an extensive search for his forebears, and has traced his great, great grnadfather, but would now like to know if he had brothers or sisters, and if any members of his immediate family are still alive.  It's a difficult search, as Buehrig is a common name and spelt with or without the umlaut.  The weather was lovely after a wet start, when I got soaked just walking to the bus stop.

Scott and Craig talking to a gardener near the chapel.

The cemetery covers an area of 103 acres and is the largest burial ground in Germany.  It is run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church association, but near the main entrance are burial sites for other religious denominations.  The visit was very interesting, as I had never been before, but knew about the many notable people who are buried there.  Today we saw the burial site of the Wolters family, the founders of the famous "Wolters Braunschweig  Brewery."   Tomorrow Scott and Craig visit Timmerlah to meet a man who has searched the Timmerlah church records for the name Buehrig.  He may have some extra information, and we will visit the church and churchyard for more clues of the family's history.  All very interesting. 

Just one small part of the cemetery plan.