You can email us at info@ogsa.us.  How can we help you?  Please check the list in the left column for other information about our society. 

Discussion Lists...
The Ostfriesen Pages is the companion web site for the Ostfriesen email discussion list. There's lots of great Ostfriesen resources and information there as well as everything that you need to know to join and participate in the the Ostfriesen discussion list. The list archives can be searched at: http://searches2.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=OSTFRIESEN.

Join the list and discuss anything that concerns Ostfriesen genealogy, culture, folklore, history, and heritage. Go there! Join! Enjoy!  Read the FAQ pages before you post as they may answer some of your questions.  Need help?  Ask!

• Ostfriesen Resources...

  • Books:
    Once Upon a War by Diana Helmer
    Diary of a War Child by Diana Helmer
    Both of these two books have been published and are the stories of OGSA member, Gertrud Schakat Tammen. They tell the stories of a small girl being raised during WWII in East Prussia and, later, in Ostfriesland. They are both available through Perfection Learning. (Search by title as the author's name is misspelled on the site.) There are both hard- and soft-cover books available.
  • The Politics of an Tudor Merchant Adventurer, A letter to the Earls of Ostfriesland, Ramsey, G.D.
    
    Amazon.com has a number of books on Ostfriesen history.  Check that out.

    Check out our book corner for a wide variety of other books on Ostfriesen history, culture and customs.  All translated by Gene Janssen into English.  You can order them from OGSA.

  • Other Societies:
  • Northwestern Iowa (Library/meetings at George, IA)
    Ostfriesen Genealogical Society
    2185 Monroe, Ashton, IA 51232
  • Central/Eastern Iowa 
    Ostfriesian Heritage Society
    905 E Ave., Grundy Center IA 50638 / New library in Wellsburg, IA. with research center.
  • Ostfriesian Heritage Society of East Central Illinois
    3154 CR 2000E, Rantoul IL 61866
    (217) 892-4776
  • Northwest Ohio
    PLATT DUUTSCH VEREEN VUN NW OHIO
    LOW GERMAN CLUB OF N. W. OHIO
    Attn: Bob Stockman, 10748 100th St., Alto MI 49302  
  • Tazewell County Genealogical & Historical Society
    719 N 11th Street, PO Box 312
    Pekin, IL   61555   Phone 309-477-3044
    Ostfriesen research center with OSB.   www.tcghs.org / tcghs@tcghs.org
  • Most Ostfriesen OSB are also in the St. Louis County Public Library, St. Louis, MO.
    They have a large genealogical collection.
  • For Ostfriesen heritage items such as kluntjes, German imported Porzellan, Ostfriesen tea and tea sets, tableware, etc. Ostfriesen Tea & Porzellan Shop, 15802 N Ave, Holland IA 50642
    (Jct. Highway 14 & 20 North of Grundy Center, IA) Open by chance or call. MasterCard/Visa accepted.
    Phone/Fax: 319/ 824-3774 Markstea@gcmuni.net / www.homestead.com/MarksTea

  • The Ostfriesland Society of Iowa, Inc. is selling
    a) the books with the title "Where did they stay? - East Frisians in America" ,
    b) and many other books.
    Details through emails: frisian@netins.net, buentingtea@netins.net 

     

  • For others sources, contact OGSA directly.
     

   

• 

Library Resources...

• The holdings of OGSA are located at the Minnesota Genealogical Society Library in South St. Paul.  The library hours are located on the home page.
   
  The library's holdings include Deutsches Geschlecterbücher for Ostfriesland and over over 50 volumes of the Germans to America Series, plus copies of all of the Ortssippenbücher or Ortsfamilienbücher for Ostfriesland. 

	Germans to America: Lists of Passengers Arriving at U.S. Ports, by Ira A. Glazier, Filby P. William (Editor). 1850-1890
	Ostfrieslands Ortssippenbücher Herausgegeben von der Ostfriesischen Landschaft Verbindung mit der Upstalsboom-Gesellschaft.  Many out of print books have recently been reprinted or are scheduled for reprint! Also available from OGSA — click for more.
	Ostfriesische Nachrichten German language newspapers on microfilm, 1896 - 1951. A great source of obituaries. An index is available. Click for a large, detailed view of the masthead (60K).
Plus...	The indispensable Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. Leipzig: Bibliographisches Institut, 1912-1913. We also have a lot of maps in our library for your use.  Find your ancestral village in Germany!