Tazewell County
Genealogical & Historical Society
Ortssippenbücher (OSB) Collection

Many of the early settlers of Tazewell County emigrated from the Ostfriesland area of Germany. One of these settlers, Teis Smith, became a successful businessman in Pekin. He encouraged many other Ostfriesen families to migrate to central Illinois, providing employment in his wagon factory.

Ostfriesland, also called East Friesland or East Frisia, is an area in the northwest corner of Germany on the North Sea coast and Includes the German islands in the North Sea. Ostfriesland is a region rather than any kind of administrative or political district such as a state or province. Ostfriesland is contained within the German state of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony). The approximate borders of Ostfriesland are the Netherlands to the west, south to about Papenburg, and east to Oldenburg. The largest city in Ostfriesland is Emden. Other important cities are Aurich, Leer, Esens, Jever, Norden, and Wittmund.

Ortssippenbücher (OSB) books contain important information for Ostfriesen researchers such as names, occupations, family relationships, and dates of births, marriages, and deaths for families of a specific Ostfriesen town or village. The information (usually extracted from local church records) is presented alphabetically by family group surname.

OSBs are created by volunteers, some of whom have spent up to fourteen years writing them. The books are written in German and typically cover the time period from the mid-1600’s through 1900.

OSBs are published in Germany by the Upstalsboom-Gesellschaft (Genealogical Society of Ostfriesland).  Although these books are a great resource, please remember they are still a secondary source. Errors have been known to exist.

Our OSB collection is currently thought to be the largest in the State of Illinois. We are always interested in expanding the collection.  If you know of a source of some of the other OSB volumes, please contact us.

Ostfriesland Village	Years Covered	Ostfriesland OSB Volume	Deutsch OSB Volume	Remarks
Amdorf	1649-1900	Band 22	A 131
Ardorf	1749-1900	Band 37	A 210
Arle	1720-1900	Band 71	A 367
Asel	1631-1930	Band 70	A 366
Aurich	1700-1900	Band 5	A 67	Includes Oldendorf
Backemoor	1712-1900	Band 11	A 82
Bagband	1696-1900	Band 27	A 163
Baltrum	1707-1962	Band 3	A 65
Bangstede	1724-1900	Band 12	A 130
Barstede	1684-1907	Band 31	A 175
Bedekaspel	1726-1900	Band 29	A 169
Bingum	1760-1900	Band 33	A 192
Böhmerwold	1695-1910	Band 68	A 364
Breinermoor	1700-1900	Band 10	A 77
Buttforde	1646-1920	Band 76	A 401
Canhusen	1740-1900	Band 41	A 222
Canum	1729-1900	Band 47	A 241
Collinghorst	1701-1900	Band 34	A 200
Detern	1644-1900	Band 40	A 217
Ditzumerverlaat	1853-1900	Band 53	A 266
Driever	1767-1900	Band 36	A 209	Includes Esklum
Dykhausen-Neustadtgödens	1611-1900	Band 60	A 313
Eggelingen	1651-1920	Band 54	A 267
Emden (French Reform)	1661-1897	Band 63	A 341
Engerhafe	1666-1900	Band 38	A 214
Esklum	1682-1900	Band 36	A 209	Includes Driever
Filsum	1716-1900	Band 46	A 234
Freepsum	1719-1900	Band 49	A 243
Groß Midlum	1701-1900	Band 50	A 244
Großwolde	1728-1900	Band 55	A 268
Grotegaste	1725-1900	Band 35	A 208	Includes Mitling-Mark
Hesel	1643-1900	Band 8	A 71
Holtgaste	1695-1900	Band 59	A 299
Holtland	1629-1900	Band 26	A 161
Holtrop	1634-1900	Band 17	A 135
Horsten	1682-1900	Band 13	A 184
Ihrhove	1723-1900	Band 32	A 188
Jarssum	1786-1900	Band 74	A 400
Jemgum - Parts 1 & 2	1674-1900	Band 72	A 388
Kirchborgum	1724-1900	Band 19	A 116
Landschaftspolder	1766-1900	Band 63	A 316
Larrelt	1671-1900	Band 43	A 231
Leerhafe	1672-1900	Band 45	A 233
Leerort	1600-1900	Band 18	A 113
Loga	1728-1900	Band 9	A 72
Logabirum	1719-1900	Band 7	A 70
Logumer Vowerk	1730-1900	Band 44	A 232	Includes Nesserland
Loppersum	1720-1900	Band 42	A 223
Marienchor	1755-1910	Band 69	A 365
Middels	1684-1950	Band 4	A 66
Mitling-Mark	1637-1900	Band 35	A 208	Includes Grotegaste
Moordorf	1892-1900	Band 73	A 399	Includes Victorbur
Nesserland	1719-1872	Band 44	A 232	Includes Logumer Vowerk
Neuburg	1648-1900	Band 23	A 132
Neustadtgödens	1695-1900	Band 61	A 314
Norderney	1688-1900	Band 67	A 352
Nortmoor	1671-1900	Band 20	A 177
Nüttermoor – Parts 1 & 2	1663-1900	Band 28	A 166
Ochtelbur	1706-1900	Band 15	A 108
Oldendorf	1700-1900	Band 5	A 67	Includes Aurich
Potshausen	1685-1900	Band 30	A 162
Reepsholt – Parts 1-3	1633-1900	Band 14	A 97
Steenfelde	1719-1900	Band 39	A 220
Strackholt	1706-1900	Band 52	A 246
Timmel	1699-1900	Band 21	A 136
Twixlum	1706-1900	Band 58	A 298
Uphusen	1727-1900	Band 24	A 142
Veenhusen	1669-1900		A 315
Victorbur	1620-1900	Band 73	A 399	Includes Moordorf
Völlen	1677-1900	Band 57	A 282
Werdum - Parts 1 & 2	1662-1900	Band 6	A 68 & 69
Westerbur	1556-1900	Band 25	A 147
Westerende	1663-1910	Band 16	A 98
Wirdum	1652-1900	Band 56	A 281
Woltzeten	1780-1900	Band 48	A 242
Woquard	1724-1900	Band 1	A 176
Wybelsum	1724-1900	Band 51	A 245