Dorschke Family of Upper Silesia

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Here are two documents for another Inquiry to the Bundesarchiv for Viktor Dorschke (1889-1969):

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On May 5 2021, Karynne Moses, a Genealogist, undertook a search for the Dorschke surname in EWZ records on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. She failed to find any files with the Dorschke surname. Below is her report.

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The Bundesarchiv in Bayreuth, Germany, stores the Eastern documentation of the Federal Archives that was created in the 1950s. It contains questionnaires and reports on experiences and documentation about the expulsion of the Germans from former eastern regions after World War II.
laa@bundesarchiv.de

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The Bundesarchiv in Bayreuth, Germany, may also contain "Lastenausgleich" reports. These are Applications for 'Compensation for Damages' filled out after the war by Displaced Persons. The Vertriebene had to of course state where they had lived, and what they had had in terms of property before the war, and their current address, post-war.

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Dr. Markus Meinold of the Stadt Hamm Archives in Hamm, Germany had this to say about Rudi Dorschke Sr.

 "there is in our archive a registration card of Rudolf Dorschke, of the town of Bockum-Hövel, which is now part of Hamm. With the help of this card I can give you the following information: Rudolf Dorschke arrived in Bockum-Hövel in 1950 from Magdeburg. In Magdeburg, he got married to Käthe Irma Wöge in 1946. His place of residence in Bockum-Hävel was heinrich-Heine-Straße till 1952, then Wernerstraße 36. This street is a part of a settlement, which was built at the beginning of the 20th century. He was a Miner at Radbod coal mine. This mine was in operation until 1990. It belonged in the 1950s tot he Altenessener Bergwerks-AG, Part oft the Hoesch AG.
Rudolf Dorschke may have worked here until the late 1970s, but this is only an interpretation, there is no information on this."

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      On August 11, 2021, Brian Paul Kaess of Mexico received an email from Josiee Agnes M. of Poland containing about 12-14 documents and links to three more grave images. Josie M. is a Great-Granddaughter of Leon Kokot (1903-1988) and a Great-Grandniece of Marie Kokott Dorschke (1897-1948), Brian’s Gr. Grandmother. Therefore, they are third Cousins. Marie Kokot Dorschke was a wife to Viktor Dorschke (formerly Drozdzok) (1889-1969). These images have been uploaded to Find a Grave with the appropriate people.
    Included in these documents/images are birth certificates for many of Marie Kokott’s siblings, a marriage record (November 1891)  for Karl Kokott (1868-1930), Brian’s 2nd Great Grandfather, and Marianna Swienty (1870-1945), Brian’s 2nd Great Grandmother. Also, are Leon Kokot’s notes on the family. Most of the Birth/Marriage certificates are from Markowice (formerly Markowitz) Civil Registry Office, near Raciborz (formerly Ratibor), Poland.
       The 12 children for Karl Kokott and Marianna Swienty are as follows:

1)   Carl Kokot, b. 1892
2)   Carl Kokot, b. 1893
3)   Alphons Kokot, b. 1895
4)   Marie Kokott Dorschke (1897-1948)
5)   Martha Kokot, b. 1898
6)   Mechtilde Kokot, b. 1900
7)   Johann Kokot, b. 1901
   Leon Kokot (1903-1988)
9)   Maksymilian Kokot (1907-2003)
10)   Anna Kokot, b. 1908
11)   Jadwiga Kokot Skanina (1909-1991)
12)   Waleska Kokot Siedlaczek(1913-1999)

   Most, if not all, of the Kokot clan was born in Adamowitz (Now Adamowice, Poland)), Upper Silesia, Prussia. Germany.
   Karl Kokott was born Dec 12 1868 in Adamowitz, Upper Silesia. He died Oct 3 1930. His wife, Marianna Swienty, was born Mar 21 1870 in Adamowitz and died Jan 11 1945. They are the parents of Marie Kokot Dorschke (1897-1948) and her siblings noted above. Karl Kokot’s Father was Jakob Kokot, born Jul 6 1840 in Adamowitz and married in 1858 (in Markowitz)  to Apolonia Paulina Niewrzol, b. Feb 6 1832 in Adamowitz, the Mother of Karl Kokott. They are 3rd Gr. Grandparents to Brian Paul Kaess. Marianna Swiently’s Father was Johan (Christiansorind) Swienty, b. Jan 24 1838. Marianna’s mother was (Apolonia)  Pauline Kordula, b. Nov 10 1837 in Adamowitz. They are 3rd Gr. Grandparents to Brian Paul Kaess.


Moderator Comment: See modification/update to this post by Brian, below.

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Johanna (Josiee.agnes) also says her Mom related a story that when she was Young (in the 70’s or 80’s) that Angela (Angelika) Dorschke would visit them from Germany by Car and would bring her dog and gifts. That’s how she knew about Marie Kokott, (Angela’s Mom) but not much.
   Johanna says that Karl Kokot and Marianna Swienty (Swienty means 'Saint' in English) were buried in Raszczyce, but their graves were destroyed or moved to Adamowice. Johanna also says  she lives  in Adamowice (my great grand father Leon built the house in which I live). “Those who emigrated (and I know about) were you great grand mother [Marie Kokot] and Alphons (Alfons) Kokot (he moved to Czech Republic). My mum also believe that one of Leon's sisters may have lived in Canada (but she isn't 100% sure whether it was his sister or his wife's sister).”

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Aleksander Zawilski of Polish Origins says that Marie Kokot and Viktor Dorschke/Drozdzok were both Catholic.

Drozdzok and Mandrisch surname lines of the Kaess Family should show up in the Hohenbirken church records.

The civil registry office responsible for issuing vital records from Hohenbirken was located in Hohebirken itself. Its Catholic parish was located in Pogrzebin.

The following records from the Hohenbirken civil registry office are available to research:
Births: 1874-1917
Marriages: 1874-1933
Deaths: 1874-1884, 1886-1938

As for Pogrzebin Catholic parish, the available records are as follows:
Births: 1786-1876
Marriages: 1819-1934
Deaths: 1796-1924

As for Adamowitz, it belonged to the civil registry office in Markowitz and Catholic parish in Markowitz (Marie Kokott was Catholic as well).

Markowitz registry office:
Births: 1874-1916
Marriages: 1874-1936
Deaths: 1874-1935

Markowitz Catholic parish: 
Births: 1781-1921
Marriages: 1732-1870
Deaths: 1801-1912

So, the good news is that there is a lot of materials to comb through, both civil and religious.

The bad news is that these records are spread around different institutions in different cities.

Civil records from Hohenbirken and Markowitz are in Racibórz.
Parish records from Pogrzebin are most likely in church archives in Katowice.
Parish records from Markowitz are in church archives in Opole.

A visit to only one of these archives is doable within one day of work.

Civil records from Markowitz are available online from 1874 to 1904 (I was able to find the marriage record of Marie Kokott's parents).

Possibly, also Markowitz's parish records could be accessible online (we work with a person who has scanned metric books that are available in LHS centers. Markowitz's parish records are uploaded at FamilySearch, so this might mean he has scans of them as well).

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The property inventories for Hohenbirken and Adamowitz should be located in the Katowice State Archives Raciborz branch as land records. The lands records for Adamowitz run from 1775-1944 and the land records for Hohenbirken/Brzezie run from 1526-1946.