Subject
Hirman
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Description
Even though I have 4 grandparents from the Czech Republic who are long deceased I thought I would focus on one- my maternal grandfather Jan Hirman who was born in Kladno, Bohemia in 1886 and came to New York City in 1908. He died in 1954, I was born in 1951 so I know very little about his family and would like to know if he had relatives left in that area of Bohemia. I have not found anything with that name and since it sounds sort of German I am wondering if he perhaps was one of the many German Bohemians. I will probably hire a Professional Researcher soon, but if anyone has anything to offer, this is the place I suppose.
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Hi, Karen, I did a quick search of the birth index for Kladno to see if the Hirman name is listed. Unfortunately, the index for the year 1886 is not yet published online. I did look back for a couple decades earlier. The name “Hirman” was not present (but I did look rather quickly). However, the spellings “Herman” is found in 1859 (Josef) and “Herrmann” in 1843 (Anna). As you do your research, I suggest you remain open to the possibility that the spelling of the name may have changed when your grandfather entered this country. Also be aware that names were often spelled differently through the generations in the Czech Republic, depending upon whose influence contolled the country, the preference of the priest (if the person providing the information could not read or write), etc. Before you hire a genealogist, I would attempt to locate other records here to see if the name remains consistently spelled. Also be aware that your grandfather may have listed “Kladno” as the location, but in reality if may be a smaller village in the surrounding area. That village may or may not have it’s records associated with the Kladno records in the archives. Keep digging for any other clues you may be able to reference in the US as you prepare to hire a genealogist familiar with that area. Good luck! Jerry