Gera or Koestritz, Thuringia, Germany

[Scott - Canada]

I have hit a brick wall and am hoping someone might have time to search church records for my G-grandfather Otto Herger's family in Gera or Koestritz, Thuringia, Germany.
Keeping my fingers crossed,
Scott B
Canada

[Gaie]

Hi Scott and welcome to Rootschat 

Do you have any dates for your g-grandfather?  A birth year would help 

Kind regards
Gaie

[Scott - Canada]

Hi Gaie,
What I have been able to find so far is that Carl Ernest OTTO Herger was born about 1850 in Koestritz, Thuringia, Germany.  This from his naturalization papers in England and his death certificate.  Otto had immigrated to England in 1866.

From FamilySearch film, I found his parents Friedrich Wilhelm Herger (b Jun 1820 in Thuringia, town unknown) married Emma Auguste Mathilde Oettel (b 03 Jan 1817 in Eisenberg, Thuringia) on 16 May 1849 in Eisenberg, Thuringia.  There were no baptisms for the Herger family found on the Eisenberg film.  Various records show that Friedrich Wilhelm Herger was an artist/ porcelin painter in 1854, 1862 and 1866,and lived in Koestritz.

From the kindness of the registry office in Koestritz they located a birth/baptism for Otto's brother Wilhelm MAX Herger b 31 May 1854 in Koestritz, Thuringia.  Max later immigrated to Canada in 1873.  They did not find any other births registered in Koestritz for the Herger family.

A photo dated 14 Sep 1866 and labeled on the back 'Just before leaving Germany to go to England' shows the parents and the 2 sons...and a sister of the same approximate age.  The girl is a complete unknown and sadly I have not been able to find any reference to her :-{( .

Although FamilySearch did have film for Eisenberg, it appears they do not for the nieghbouring town of Koestritz or the bigger center of Gera.

I am hoping someone in the area might be able to help by looking through  nearby church records.
Regards,
Scott B