The earliest Pollenz ancestor, "The Primogenitor" for the purposes of this Pollenz Family Genealogy, is one Joachim Pollentz (later changed to Pollenz) born in 1753 in an undetermined location (Speculations regarding the origin of the surname Pollentz/Pollenz are presented in Part One, Pages 8 & 9). Joachim is documented as a resident of Damborice in Moravia around 1785. The area of Central Europe to which the Pollenz family can be traced is that known today as the Czech Republic, formed on January 1, 1993 when Czechoslovakia split peacefully into that state and Slovakia (See Pollenz Familty DNA Investigations in Appendix 1).

At about the time Joachim Pollentz appeared in Damborice, Moravia was a crown colony of the Habsburg Empire, a Marquisate, with the city of Brünn (Brno) as its capital. In 1849, Moravia became a separate crown land of Austria and in 1918, with Bohemia and Silesia, declared independence and formed the republic of Czechoslovakia. The country underwent additional upheavals, first becoming a German protectorate in 1939 and then a Soviet Socialist Republic in 1948, before freeing itself of Communist rule in 1990 and becoming the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic. As mentioned above, in 1993 the provinces peacefully split into two independent republics.

Come inside and enjoy the history of the extended Pollenz family - that is, the direct line of the Pollenzes and those other families related through marriage. As indicated in the comments which follow, this is a "work in progress" and will continue to be such for as long as at least one interested person exists.

(See Table of Contents, below)


Editor's Comment

A note regarding the origin and continuing updates to the Pollenz Family genealogical website: I published a two-volume hard-copy "first edition" of the Pollenz genealogy/family history in September, 2001. The work was based on data collected and compiled from the early 1950's to that publication date. The bulk of the serious research was conducted from 1995 forward, as explained in the Introduction. I initially printed twenty-five copies and distributed them to interested (and not so interested) extended family members. I had not intended to continue this effort of genealogical research; however, through one means or another, additional information did filter down to me, and I published an Update Addendum containing information gathered from September 2001 to June 2008 (e.g., additional "stories", corrections, new photos, etc.).

Alan Pollenz, one of the recipients of the original genealogy and a part time website designer, had contacted me a year or so after receiving the books and suggested that the work be reborn as a website. After being held in abeyance for a number of years (mainly due to access and security issues, now solved), I eventually accepted his suggestion. Alan completed the design and construction of this website and executed the verbatim transference of the original data, as well as adding new features and my updates, in July, 2008.

As the years flow on I sporadically update or add new features through limited genealogical research and through new information and new family connections that reach me, mainly unsolicited, from Pollenz extended family members. These new data are either added to the ever growing Updates section or inserted as approriate within the body of this website. I have provided automatic links between connected data, both internally and externally to this website, where appropriate, in an effort to make this family history site as easy to navigate as possible. These links are entered in underlined italic medium green lettering, the text GO TO or, in the case of most Table of Contents entries, underlined italic medium green links.

I am indebted to Alan for his beautiful and user-friendly design, his expertise and his continuing interest and am looking forward to the many further updates to this family history that will be generated by both direct and indirect contributions of Pollenz extended family members through the Updates and User Updates features,

One final comment: Distant family relationships are sometimes difficult or confusing to determine. To ease that effort, registered users of this website will find a new set of kinship lists in Appendix 2, one list for each user, which show the relationship of that individual to all persons whose names have been entered into the separately maintained Pollenz extended family genealogical data base.

Update Note 6/13: To enhance readability, this Pollenz Family history has been updated with cross-referenced linkages to related entries throughout the website. The active links are denoted in italicized medium green and underlined.

Richard S. Pollenz

(Last General Review/Update: January 1, 2019)


CONTENTS

FOREWORD Foreword
INTRODUCTION Introduction
PART ONE The Pollenz Family: Direct Descent
PART TWO The Extended Family
PART THREE Family Connections: Interesting But Questionable
PART FOUR In Memoriam: Family Members Who Were Victims Of The Holocaust
PART FIVE The Spirit And Soul Of A Family: Personal Stories
PART SIX Photo Gallery
PART SIX A Photo Gallery Addition I
PART SIX B Photo Gallery Addition II
PART SIX C Special Photo Albums
PART SEVEN Military Salute: Family Members Who Served Their Country
HISTORICAL ADDENDUM 1 September 11, 2001: Terrorist Attack On The United States
HISTORICAL ADDENDUM 2 Significant World Events - 2001 Forward
EPILOGUE The Last Word
APPENDIX 1 A Genealogical Primer & Pollenz Family DNA Investigations
APPENDIX 2 Kinship: Relationship Lists For Each Registered User
APPENDIX 3 Sources/References
SUBJECT INDEX Selected Places, Historical Events And Miscellaneous Subjects
SURNAME INDEX All Surnames Entered Into The Pollenz Family Extended Genealogy Database
SPECIAL SURNAME INDEX Current & Historical Nonrelated Personages Cited in the Genealogy
PHOTO INDEX Photographs, Illustrations, Newspaper Headlines, Charts, Maps and Tables
UPDATES Updates To The Original Genealogy
  A: Personal Story Additions
  B: New Family Connections
  C: Miscellaneous Updates - Births/Deaths/Marriage/etc
  D: Special Photo Albums
USER UPDATES Registered User's Personal Additions
ADDENDUM A 19th Century Pollenz Moravian & Austrian Birth/Marriage/Death Records
ADDENDUM B Pollenz Family External Internet Data Links
ADDENDUM C US Census & Related Pollenz Family Data
ADDENDUM D Pollenz in Print: Pollenz Citations in US Newspapers (1870 Forward)
ADDENDUM E Origins of Jewish Surnames
ADDENDUM F Contact Editor