Mystery Monday

Weigel Immigration Mystery

Solved! (I think)

My 3x great grandfather Herman Weigel’s immigration information has been a frustration for me for many years. He had 4 siblings that migrated from Weigelsdorf, Silesia, Germany (now Wigancice, Dolnoslanski, Poland) near Munsterberg (now Ziebice, Poland) to New York. I have had no problem locating passenger lists for the siblings both in New York and in Hamburg, but Herman has remained a mystery – until now.

The story had been passed down that Herman was trying to escape the German military draft when he left the old country. At that time, a person needed permission to emigrate from the government which would not be given until military service had been served. Herman leaving without permission was a criminal act. Later in life, when Herman’s father was dying back in Germany, his brothers returned home to visit their father but Herman could not go for fear of arrest if he returned.

I decided after much frustrated searching that Herman probably used a false name when he left and that I would just have to live without finding his immigration records. I did have Herman’s Declaration of Intent for citizenship and some census records with an idea of his immigration date. I looked again at the declaration. He wrote that he came to the US in November 1878 through the port of New York. He had filed the papers in 1884, so I thought the odds of that information being accurate were much higher than the later census records. I thought I would just look one more time and use the specific information given on that document. I found a surprise and the answer to the mystery (I think).

On November 6, 1878, a Joseph Weigel arrived at the port of New York. He was 26 and single. I checked the Hamburg passenger lists and Joseph Weigel left Germany on 23 October 1878 for New York. He was listed as 26, single, and a “Böttcher” or cooper from Weigelsdorf. This was very interesting because Herman’s brother Joseph Weigel who was 26, single, and a cooper from Weigelsdorf had already immigrated to the US in May of that same year.

Hmmm….

I have researched and I cannot find Joseph leaving the US and going back to Germany between May and October of 1878. I can not think of any other explanation for Joseph migrating twice to the US except that his baby brother Herman borrowed his identity to make his escape from the German army.

I don’t know why, but it tickles me to think of Herman being clever and slipping out of the country “in disguise”. However he got here, I’m glad that he did. I hope his father understood why he had to go and why he could not return.

Let me know what you think! Is there another explanation that makes sense? Is this information enough evidence to prove that Herman used his brother’s identity to immigrate?