Five years ago, I posted “Migration to Brazil, or 19 Kirsch Children: Gottlieb Kirsch” and speculated that Gottlieb Kirsch migrated to Brazil. I was recently contacted by descendants of the Gottlieb Kirsch that died in Brazil in 1952. Through much research on their part, we were able to connect our records and establish that it is likely the same Gottlieb Kirsch referenced throughout these records.
The following is an excerpt from a document prepared by Simone Wolfe and Osni Vitor da Silva, great-grandchildren of Gottlieb Kirsch. The authors have graciously allowed the document to be linked for readers here. The records referenced in the aforementioned blog post indicate that Gottlieb served in the Russian Imperial Army from 1884. Information about him stops after this point, but the documents (and family stories) provided by Gottlieb’s descendants continue that story. They are included in the linked PDF.
My name is Simone Raquel Wolfe. I am the great-granddaughter of Gottlieb Kirsch, born in Florentynow, Poland on January 9, 1863, and I am writing to share what our family has discovered — original documents, confirmed dates, and a Brazilian lineage that stretches from Gottlieb’s arrival in Santa Catarina to five living generations today. I found the Kelm History Blog while investigating the origin of the Russian-language documents our family had preserved for generations. Your research on Gottlieb and the 19 Kirsch children was the key that unlocked everything. What had been a mystery became a story. My research collaborator is Osni Vitor da Silva, my cousin and fellow great- grandchild of Gottlieb. Together, and with your invaluable documents, we have been able to close the case that your 2020 blog post left open — confirming beyond reasonable doubt that the Gottlieb Kirsch who died in Jaraguá do Sul in 1952 is our Gottlieb.
Kelm History Blog 