HI, I have been researching pre-immigration myself. It is bugging the hell out of me. Unfortunately due to the constant divide of Prussia, wars etc, records are very hard to find. Have you had any success of late? Not knowing the name of Johann's first wife is frustrating me.

Hi,
I am a descendant of Johann Georg(e)GRAETZ.
A book called Wider Horizons with the history of the Graetz family in Australia was printed in around 1974. This book also does not have the name of his first wife.
All I know is that she died at sea on the Catharina en route to Australia, she was the mother of his 4 children and she was buried at sea. The Catharina arrived in Adelaide on January 25 1839.
I guess this is about 7 years too late.
My mum has a copy of the book. I can be contacted at dallas.graetz@hotmail.com
I have met some Graetz's in Australia who's ancestors came out on the George Washingon in 1844. I don't know if that family were closely related to mine.
Cheers
Dallas

Johanna Beate Kwast (Quast) is believed to be Johann Georg's first wife and need to confirm this from the church book records or the duplicates. Napolean went through Prussia and destroyed a lot of records which makes research very difficult. The Australian Graetz family will celebrate 200 year of migration to Australia in Jan 2039 so hopefully we have more information by then. I am looking for contacts who would be interested in organising such a milestone during the Jan 26 long weekend in the famous Barossa Valley. There are 6 branches of the family, 4 children by first wife, 2 by 2nd wife.

I can be contacted at blackcat64013@outlook.com. Please mention family reunion in the subject line.