Descendants of emigrants visited their ancestors' community 300 years later
A special visit to the Biebesheim Local History Museum attracted international interest: Leila and Brian Smith from Canada traveled to the town from which their ancestors emigrated almost 300 years ago . Through an internet connection, Leila Smith had met the museum's deputy director and genealogist, Thomas Schell , who arranged a personal tour of the museum for the Canadian guests.
One trail leads back to the year 1724
The family's history dates back to 1724. At that time, Johann Dietrich Wicker, an ancestor of Leila Smith, emigrated with his family from Biebesheim to Hungary . Just two years later, he died in the small village of Kalazno, which at that time had only about 100 inhabitants. In Hungary, the family name changed over the generations to Wickert.
Johann Dietrich Wicker and his father were tenants of the Lusthausen estate, which was demolished in the 19th century in the Biebesheim district. A memorial plaque at the Lusthausen bridge and the outlines on aerial photographs still commemorate the former estate. Several generations later, descendants of the family emigrated from Hungary to Canada .
Guided tour of the museum and warm welcome
Thomas Schell guided the Smith couple through the local history museum's exhibition, showing them documents and traces of their family history. He also explained that many descendants of the Wicker or Wickert family still live in Biebesheim today – including himself.
Hans-Georg Krings , chairman of the Biebesheim municipal council, also took the opportunity to officially welcome the guests from Canada . At the end of the visit, Leila and Brian Smith signed the guestbook of the local history museum – a symbolic "return" of their family after 300 years.
(GROSS-GERAU – RED/PM)
