first generation
Map of germany, 1800 |
Family historyJoseph Schoen died in Germany in 1854. The exact location is unknown, but he lived most of his life in Silesia, Germany.
Theresa Meiss died in Germany in 1939. The exact location is unknown, but she lived most of her life in Silesia, Germany. Together they had 7 children, including Anton Schoen (Second Generation). |
Language HistoryThe Silesian region was a part of Germany until the end of WWII. At this time, it mostly became a part of Poland, with some area going to the Czech Republic. The Silesian German dialect has diminished to having only 22,900 speakers in the present day due to anti-German sentiments in Poland during the 1940s and 1950s.
At right is a copy of poem written in the Silesian dialect and published in 1829. Archive.org provides more information, the full text, and a computer-generated reading of the poem. |
Language sample |