Mäkelburg/Mecklenburg/Mekelburg/Meakelburg

[JensWillem]

Hello everyone, since i was not raised in Germany i can't write this post in German very well so i will have to do it in English or Dutch, English seems more logical. I have been trying to do research of my family name and have found bits and pieces here and there. The thing i'm stuck on now is something i have found on multiple maps. I will post a picture of a map that looks to be drawn, i don't remember te exact date of the map as this is a screenshot.

So what im trying to figure out is the following; my father believes this place to be the origin of my family. This place called Mekelburg, Meakelburgs, Meakelburg. It's funny how on every map it seems to be written just a bit different. What kind of place was this? What did the people do who lived there and could they really have been my ancestors?

The place was south of Schippenbeil and near Falkenau, today it is called Michalowo but from the images on Google maps we can see there is nothing left at all. It makes sense, because on old church records with people whose last name is similair to mine, the names of Falkenau and Schippenbeil are often mentioned. (Places of marriage, Birth, Death).

I hope someone on here knows a bit more about what "Makelburg" is or was, was it a farm, an estate? Are there any people here maybe with this name? If you know something feel free to reply in German i can read it better than i can write it.

Kind regards,

Jens

[ReReBe]

Hello Jens,

ChatGBT presented me these infos (in German):

Überblick über Mäckelburg(s) – heute: Michałowo

• Der Ort hieß ursprünglich Stinklack, wurde ab 1412 Meckelburg, später bis 1912 Mäckelburgs genannt DeWikiWikipedia.
• Es war ein kleines Gut, seit 1874 als Gutsbezirk in den Amtsbezirk Beyditten im ostpreußischen Kreis Friedland (ab 1927: „Kreis Bartenstein“) eingegliedert DeWikiWikipedia.
• Im Jahr 1910 lebten dort etwa 50 Einwohner DeWikiWikipedia.
• Zum 1. November 1928 verlor Mäckelburgs seine Eigenständigkeit und wurde Teil der Landgemeinde Beyditten, gemeinsam mit Bellienen (Bieliny), Beyditten (Bajdyty) und Groß Sonnenburg (Drawa) DeWikiWikipedia.
• Zwischen Juni und Juli 1938 wurde der Ortsteil in Mäckelburg umbenannt DeWikiWikipedia.
• Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg – 1945 – kam Südostpreußen zu Polen. Der Ort wurde in Michałowo umbenannt und existierte noch für einige Jahre, verschwand dann aber aus amtlichen Aufzeichnungen. Vermutlich ging er in Bieliny (Belliennen) auf und wurde so inoffiziell aufgelöst DeWikiWikipedia.

You can translate the text maybe with Vertalen met DeepL Translate - 's werelds meest accurate vertaler

Best regards
Reiner

[JensWillem]

Hi Reiner, thanks for your reply! It's very cool to learn about some of the history of this place. Do you think there is a place where there is more information to be found about it, what would be the best place to start looking?

Thanks again for your reply and helping me out.

Kind regards,

Jens

[JohannesF]

Hi,

I just want to advise some caution. Just because there is a place with the name of one of your ancestors, does not mean that your family originates from there. Your family probably originates from lots of different places with lots of family names, anyway. This partiular part of your family might come from there. Or it might just have had a different last name a few generations back and then someone changed its spelling.

The logical next step would be to find records for your ancestors leading back there. Start with yourself, your parents, your grandparents and work your way back.

Greetings,
Johannes

[ReReBe]

It's very cool to learn about some of the history of this place. Do you think there is a place where there is more information to be found about it, what would be the best place to start looking?

Did you follow the link to Wikipedia ?
Which kind of information do you expect for this very small place/settlement?
Beyditten click on "Map".

[JensWillem]

[QUOTE=JohannesF;n2946335]Hi,

Hi Johannes,

Thanks for your concern, i know it doesn't mean perse that my family has to come from there. But trough the line of names i know from my grandfathers side i now know that his ancestors come from that specific area. I just find it very interesting that the records that are available of my ancestors online all seem to mention places very close to this estate which name i share. What you say about the names is certainly true, not that many generations ago it had a different spelling, not sure why they change it so often!

Thanks for your comment and your advice.

Kind regards,

Jens

[JensWillem]

Did you follow the link to Wikipedia ?
Which kind of information do you expect for this very small place/settlement?
Beyditten click on "Map".

I followed the wikipedia, and the map aswel. The historical overlay of the map is very cool. The place name is written very big on it i noticed. I guess i really want to know what it looked like and if it is really a place where some of my ancestors came from. Thank you for sharing these sources with me.

I guess finding any image of it or personal stories of someone who knows something about it from maybe their closer ancestors will be very very difficult.

Kind regards,

Jens

[JensWillem]

Hi,

I just want to advise some caution. Just because there is a place with the name of one of your ancestors, does not mean that your family originates from there. Your family probably originates from lots of different places with lots of family names, anyway. This partiular part of your family might come from there. Or it might just have had a different last name a few generations back and then someone changed its spelling.

The logical next step would be to find records for your ancestors leading back there. Start with yourself, your parents, your grandparents and work your way back.

Greetings,
Johannes

I replied to your message but i didn't know how the responses worked, sorry. It's in the thread now.

Kind regards,

Jens

[ReReBe]

Jens, here you find some pictures of buildings in Mäckelburg (Schmiede, Wassermühle, Gutshaus) years 1920 to 1940:
Bildersuche (Standard), Bildarchiv Ostpreußen

[JensWillem]

Jens, here you find some pictures of buildings in Mäckelburg (Schmiede, Wassermühle, Gutshaus) years 1920 to 1940:
Bildersuche (Standard), Bildarchiv Ostpreußen

These pictures are great! Thank you for sharing the link i have never seen it before. It gives me a look into how it once looked.

Kind regards,

Jens