GERMAN: Help Me understand what this German Document means, please

Question

This may get quite long! Bear with me, please

My mother recently passed away and I came across a trove of documents. Birth certificates, telegrams, marriage docs of my grandparents, old German Passports, and some other things. My mother NEVER showed these to me or spoke of her life growing up in Germany (even when I asked ) and after finding all these documents, I have come to believe there is a bit of family mystery afoot. What I am gathering (laboriously) is that her father married my grandmother late in life. My grandmother was 42 years old when she had my mother in 1942. My mother was born in Braunau, Sudetenland (per her papers)

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broumov

 Upon World War I and the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, Broumov with its predominantly German population became part of the new state of Czechoslovakia according to the 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain. After the Munich Agreement, Broumov was occupied by Nazi Germany in October 1938 and incorporated into the Sudetenland.

Question 1: I have her in my tree as born in Braunau, Sudetenland, Germany. Is this correct as this is what is shown on her papers?

Question 2: The attached image shows her birth record as well as her mother and father . The kicker here is that I had never heard of the Edmund Emmanuel Richter! until I found her birth certificate!! I am gathering from online translation that he disappeared after she was born and she legally took her mothers family name of Schmidt.

I need some help to make sure what this paper says. And, a starting point of tracking down Edmund Emmanuel Richter.

Click here for the image details page or here for the full-sized version (3024 x 4032).

Any help or advice is greatly appreciated! And, if you have questions on whether the other documents I have could help with tracking him down, let me know and I'll see what I have on hand.

Angela

Comments

Here is another document which I believe is a Marriage Certificate that has remarks on the back in relation to Edmund Richter. Is it saying she was married to him in 1923?

Based on these two documents (image above and the two below, I am coming to the conclusion that Edmund and Hulda were married and then he disappeared never to be heard from again. Because of this, my mothers last name was changed to Schmidt (Hulda's maiden/family name). My mother would have 13 at this time.

Then in 1955, Hulda marries Kurt Zacharias. Kurt Zacharias evidently adopted my mother on his deathbead (according to what my mother DID divulge to me) around 1965. My mother grew up knowing/believing  (??) Kurt to be her real father.

Back of document:

Another thing, My mother had a DNA test done through Ancestry and there is a link to one person as strong possibility as being a 2nd cousin. I haven't contacted them yet because I just don't know how to go about explaining and asking questions about my mothers family. She has no siblings (that I am aware of, lol) and I have one photo that has writing on it stating the person is her cousin, but that is it as far as relatives.

All help and suggestions is appreciated!!

PS: Excuse my newness, but how do you add a comment to the bottom of the thread??

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Angela,

Who are the passports for? The German passports for my inlaws (immigrated in 1950s) were a genealogical treasure trove. They traced the passport holder’s lineage back for 4 or 6 generations. Hopefully yours contain the same info.

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I have my mothers and grandmother’s German passports. I think there’s 2 for my grandmother. The problem with my grandmother is there is no father listed for her on the document above. I still have to go through some other paperwork so his name “may” be in the here somewhere. Thanks for the tip!

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According to the marriage certificate of Kurt and Hulda they only married in 1965. And on the backside it really says Hulda married Edmund Emmanuel Richter in 1923.

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Can anyone help me draft a request for the case file in German. I'd much appreciate any help!

I'll be writing to:

Landgericht Berlin
Tegeler Weg 17 – 21,
10589 Berlin-Charlottenburg
Germany

Danke schön to Helmut for providing the address!

Answer 1

Certified copy

Birth certificate
Registry office Braunau, Sudetenland,

Ruth Richter is born on October 2, 1942 born in Braunau, Niedersand 91.

Father: Edmund Emmanuel Richter,fabric worker, catholic, unknown residence,

Mother: Hulda Martha Richter, born Schmidt, sales representative, protestant, residence in Klostergrab 72, Kreis Dux.

Changes of registration: ----

Braunau, SUdetenland October 12, 1942

For the correctness of the copy: Berlin, March 23, 1955.

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Registration office I in Berlin:

Through the effectiveness of the verdict since February 8, 1955 of the District Court Berlin in Berlin-Charlottenburg of December 23, 1954 - reference number 32 R.405.54 - is adjudged that the child

Ruth Richter

born on October 2, 1942 born in Braunau, Niedersand 91. is not the legitimate child of the fabric worker, Edmund Emmanuel Richter.

The child will carry from now on the family name

Schmidt.

Birth of the mother: June 17, 1901 in Wehrsdorf/Sachsen.

For the correctness of the copy

Berlin, Oct 24, 1962

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Some remarks. Braunau, Sudetenland is now in Czech Republic, called Broumov.
Dux is also in Czech Republic, called Duchcov.

Wehrsdorf is in today's Germany.

Comments

Thank you for your help. I have added another document above that I need assistance with.

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Fabrikarbeiter means factory worker.

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Basically, she was married to Richter, and had been for quite some time, so the legal presumption was that Ruth was his, but the court (for some reason) found that she wasn't Richter's biological daughter. I agree with Helmut that you should try to get the case file, since it will undoubtedly explain a lot.

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I will write to the court and request copies of the case file. Do I need to send the request in German? If so, can someone help with that?

What documents copies do I need to send them?

Thank you!!

Answer 2

says she was born on 2 October 1942 in Branunau Father says was Edmund Emmauel Richter he was a factory worker and Catholic place of residence is unknown Mother was Fulda Martha Richter can't understand rest on her okay the lower part of the document is where it gets interesting to me I read that in 1955 they come back and try to correct this document and they say that Ruth Richter was not the legitimate child of factory worker Edmund Emmanuel Richter and that she changed her name to Schmidt. They went to Registry office in Berline to try and correct it. Okay hey i wasn't sure but now i am it says Ruths Mother was born 17 June 1901 in Vehredorf / Sacheen.

Well hope this helps some.

Answer 3

In 1942 Braunau was in the Landkreis (county) Braunau, Regierungsbezirk (administrative district) Aussig, Reichsgau Sudetenland, Deutsches Reich.

The gist of the document is that Ruth was born as Ruth Richter but in 1955 her family name was changed to Schmidt because the Landgericht Berlin decided that the person documented in her birth record was not her father. It is not clear who and for what reason initiated the court case. A copy of the case file might shed some light: You could try contacting the court with a request. I'm sure there would be some fees involved but as a direct descendant there should be no problem getting a copy.

Landgericht Berlin

Tegeler Weg 17 – 21,

10589 Berlin-Charlottenburg

Germany

In any case, it appears that Edmund Emmanuel Richter is not the father which makes the possibility of finding the father extremely low.

Comments

Thank you for your help. I have added another document above that I need assistance with.

Answer 4

Can anyone help me draft a request for the case file in German. I'd much appreciate any help!

I'll be writing to:

Landgericht Berlin 
Tegeler Weg 17 – 21, 
10589 Berlin-Charlottenburg 
Germany

Danke schön to Helmut for providing the address!

PS: I just learned which is the proper way to reply to threads. Forgive my duplication of this request for help in this thread.