Historical Events Affecting the Germanna Immigrants

(This Page Was Last Modified Saturday, 02-Feb-2008 10:07:54 MST.)

Historical Events Affecting the GERMANNA Immigrants

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(Michael L. Oddinino began publishing some of his research on the Germanna Colonies Mailing List at Rootsweb on 19 September 2007. I, as webmaster of this website, asked Michael if I could compile his work here on a page dedicated to the work. He gave me permission and, thus, this web page. Thank you Michael for the fine work. This is invaluable historical background for our Germanna research. [GWD])

The German "Palatinate"

Many of the Oddenino ancestors that settled in colonial Virginia were from Germany, specifically the Palatinate area of western Germany. The area has been described as follows:

The Palatinate - The German Tuscany

From the above link:

The Palatinate extends from the Rhine plains to the Vosges mountains in France. The velvety hills of the Palatinate Forest function as a temperature and weather buffer. Hence, the area is a sun-drenched region whose mild, almost Mediterranean, climate supports the cultivation of kiwi fruit, lemons, almonds, and figs alongside the grapes. Millions of vines grow along the German Wine Road which begins in Bockenheim and runs 80 km south to the German Wine Gate in Schweigen on the French border. The Palatinate offers beauty for all senses to enjoy.

Here is a colorful map of Germany illustrating the homeland of many immigrants to Virginia:

Thanks to the gracious permission of the publisher, here is an illuminating article on the Palatinate from Family Chronicle Magazine found in the July - August 2004 issue by James M. Beidler titled What's a Palatine, Anyway?

Here is a link to a website for Palatines to America for more information on researching German ancestry from the Palatinate.

There is a Mailing List (also known as a Discussion List or Discussion Group), called GERMANNA_COLONIES, at RootsWeb. This List is open to all subscribers for the broadcast of their messages. We urge more of you to make it a research tool for answering your questions, or for summarizing your findings, on any subject concerning the Germanna Colonies of Virginia. On this List, you may make inquiries of specific Germanna SURNAMES. At present, there are about 1200 subscribers and there are bound to be users here who can help you.
If you are interested in subscribing to this List, click here. You don't need to type anything, just click on "Send". You will shortly receive a Welcome Message explaining the List.

(GERMANNA Historical Events, Copyright © 2008 Michael L. ODDEINO.)

(GERMANNA Historical Events Website, Copyright © 2008 George W. DURMAN.)

This material has been compiled and placed on this web site by George W. Durman, with the permission of Michael L. ODDENINO. It is intended for personal use by genealogists and researchers, and is not to be disseminated further.

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Many of the Oddenino ancestors that settled in colonial Virginia were from Germany, specifically the Palatinate area of western Germany. The area has been described as follows: The Palatinate - The German Tuscany
From the above link: The Palatinate extends from the Rhine plains to the Vosges mountains in France. The velvety hills of the Palatinate Forest function as a temperature and weather buffer. Hence, the area is a sun-drenched region whose mild, almost Mediterranean, climate supports the cultivation of kiwi fruit, lemons, almonds, and figs alongside the grapes. Millions of vines grow along the German Wine Road which begins in Bockenheim and runs 80 km south to the German Wine Gate in Schweigen on the French border. The Palatinate offers beauty for all senses to enjoy.