A Wartime German Family Emigration Document Group

1920s/30s passports and citizenship documents to German family Günther emigrating to USA; A collection of documents to the Günther family, emigrating from Germany to the US in the late 1920s. It consists of:

Three German passports, measuring 110x164mm, better than very fine condition with some scuffing and creasing. The first one is issued to Gustav Günther on July 11, 1927, valid for 5 years. It includes a stamp for a quota immigration visa, dated to July 19, 1927, signed by American Vice Consul Edward S. Parker. It also contains an official permission of change of name, stating that Gustav Garzewski and his wife may legally change their family name to Günther. The document is dated to Arnsberg on October 23, 1919. The second one is void (ungültig), issued to Marie Günther and her three children on January 31, 1929. The same Vice Consul, Parker, issued immigration visas to all four in the American Consulate in Cologne, Germany. The passport contains a note that Marie Günther was issued a passport by the German Consulate in Cleveland, Ohio on July 13, 1938. The third one is said passport. Marie Günther’s residence is now given as Pontiac, Michigan. She arrived in Germany on August 2, 1938 and left again on December 6. She arrived in New York on December 13. A leather folder with press button, imprinted “Certificate of Citizenship - United States of America”, measuring 214x102mm, better than very fine condition with some fraying and creasing. It contains the US certificates of citizenship for Gustav and Marie. They are dated to September 9, 1935 and February 7, 1939, respectively.

A family book, measuring 118x187mm, fine condition with some fraying and scuffing, and period repair on the inside. It contains an immigrant identification card for Hannelore, as well as a certificate of marriage for Gustav and Marie, and information on the baptisms of the children. Another leather folder with buttons, imprinted “Certificate of Citizenship - United States of America”, measuring 265x106mm, extremely fine condition, somewhat worn out. It contains the social security card of Hannelore Baitinger, née Günther, a resident of Royal Oak, Michigan.


Footnote: Gustav Günther was a miner from Wattenscheid, born September 16, 1895 in Prostken (modern day Prostki, eastern Poland). He was the son of Johann Garzewski and his wife Charlotte, née Turowski. Maria Martha, née Sowinski, widowed Lehmann, was born on November 24, 1894 in Wattenscheid. She was the daughter of Friedrich Sowinski and his wife Luisa, née Schulz. Gustav and Marie got married on July 12, 1919. Presumably, Marie’s first husband died during the First War. Gustav and Marie had three children, Elfriede, born April 13, 1920, Heinz, born November 18, 1921, and Hannelore, born March 28, 1924. Gustav emigrated to the US in 1927, his wife and their children followed in 1929. Marie went back to Germany for a few months in 1938. The children grew up in the US and Hannelore, the youngest child, eventually married a man named Baitinger. She was the one who kept the family documents.