hirschland

Hello Friends and Family. 

In 2003, I returned to the United States with my children after almost 20 years abroad in five countries as the spouse of an American Foreign Service officer. As we resettled in Teton County, Wyoming, I began to wonder about my family heritage.

I knew my mother, Dorothy Hirschland, and her immediate family from Cape Cod. I knew my father, Richard Simon Hirschland, son of a German Jewish businessman who had emigrated to the United States. But I knew almost nothing about that family. I was curious.

The one thing I knew about the family is that anyone with the last name Hirschland was related to me. There were five brothers from Steinham who chose the last name when required to do so by the state. 

Except for Salomon, who left Germany well before the Wars, the rest settled near Essen. Simon’s descendants changed the spelling of their last name to Hirshland. The Simon was the founder of the Hirschland Bank by giving small loans to his mercantile customers.

Using the power of communication, known as the internet, I was able to research and find other Hirschlands around the world, and if you have read through the archives, you have seen the many places we have gone. 

Some years have passed since I last worked on the site. But now, after a long break, I have redirected my attention toward it. I do not have the stamina to continue the site alone, but I do not want it to disappear.

Just in the last month, it came to my attention that a family member had been researching the Hirschlands, using technology that was not available to me. We had a short discussion, and he had both the current technical knowledge and the interest to work on the site. He is transitioning in, and I expect he will be posting an introduction.

I thank him for agreeing to continue this website. Meanwhile, if you have stories or events or photos, submit them to richmeijer@gmail.com. And we thank you for your interest.