Amish and Mennonite Research: The Forgotten Swiss Germans

Amish and Mennonite Research: The Forgotten Swiss Germans

October 6, 10 a.m. – Noon, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center

Why "forgotten"? Many historians and genealogists discuss the large numbers of German-speaking immigrants without devoting much attention to this unique group of people. The Swiss Anabaptists came to America in two "waves" - primarily the 18th century immigration from Germany to Pennsylvania and the 19th century immigration from Switzerland to the Midwest. The history of the Anabaptist movement in Europe will give researchers a better understanding of the motivations behind their European, and eventual overseas movement. An overview of resources and repositories unique to researching these families will help researchers uncover gems on this side of the Atlantic, as well as help them identify the homes of their ancestors in Switzerland.

Presented by Dr. Michael D. Lacopo. Lacopo is a small-animal veterinarian born and raised in northern Indiana. Although having received his doctorate in 1991, he has been an avid genealogist since 1980. His medical training has afforded him a scientific and analytical approach to his research, which has yielded him a great amount of success in tackling difficult cases. He has been publishing and writing since 1985 and lecturing internationally and doing client work since 2004 and has tracked almost 24,000 descendants of a single Mennonite man born in Switzerland in 1761.

$10; members $8.  This class is eligible for 2 general LEU's