Which notable German are you most closely connected to?

+36 votes
7.4k views

This week in the  Connection Finder, we're looking at the work that was done for the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia by our amazing WikiTree Challenge participants, alongside some other notable Germans, starting with the composer Johannes Brahms.

Here are the other Germans we're checking our connections to:

Which one is most closely connected to you? If you're one of the 29.1 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree, you can check with the Connection Finder.

In addition to the above and our many Featured Connections, you can check your connections to any category on WikiTree, such as German Notables and German Politicians. Click the green MyConnections button in the upper right hand corner of the category page.

Let us know how you're related below. If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" below the results, e.g. Billy Blue and Johannes Brahms. Then just upload it along with the URL of your direct connection. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles themselves, though. It clutters conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

Help us find and improve the profiles for next week's New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) feature.

in The Tree House by Abby Glann G2G6 Pilot (752k points)
reshown by Chris Whitten
28 degrees from Alan purchase . his cousin was janetta thorn no relation to me but she married william marsh who was my 8th cousin 3 times removed.

Surprise for me: I’m only 15 degrees from Karl Gräber, 22 degrees from Bismarck, and sadly, 26 degrees from Wilhelm Grimm, whom I hoped might be closer. Such a massive project, so grateful to all the Wikiteers who make this such a great resource!!

55 Answers

+17 votes

I am most closely connected to Karl Gräber at 24 degrees.

by Samantha Thomson G2G6 Pilot (268k points)
+19 votes

18 Degrees from Gabriel Loranz

by Aaron Gullison G2G6 Pilot (191k points)
+19 votes

This was exceedingly weird. I have documented German ancestry, yet all my connections (which were quite distant) were through my wife, who has no German ancestry at all.

The closest connection was Otto von Bismarck Schönhausen at 21 degrees.

by Paul Schmehl G2G6 Pilot (151k points)
+20 votes
18 degrees from Gabriel Loranz

No relatives in this group (wow, that's only the second time I remember that happening!)
by Cheryl Cruise G2G6 Pilot (189k points)
+18 votes
20 degrees from both Gabriel Loranz and Philip Reichert

No blood relationship to anyone in this week's group
by Sean Delius G2G6 Mach 4 (45.8k points)
+20 votes

 17 degrees from Gabriel Loranz

I wasn't expecting any close connections now knowing that my ancestors on my father's side were from Romania.

by Judi Stutz G2G6 Pilot (344k points)
+20 votes
The closest by degrees is Otto von Bismarck at 10 degrees (who is shown as a ninth cousin, four times removed, though I think there are some closer relationships).  The next closest is Wilhelm Grimm at 13 degrees (with no known relationship shown).
by Roger Stong G2G Astronaut (1.4m points)
+18 votes
18 degrees from Karl Gräber
20 degrees from Gabriel Loranz
21 degrees from Otto von Bismarck-Schönhausen
21 degrees from Louis John Kress
22 degrees from Friedrich Eichhorn
22 degrees from Phillip Reichert
23 degrees from Friederika Hogue
24 degrees from Wilhelm Grimm
25 degrees from Johann Leonhard Stumpf
26 degrees from Sophie Scholl
31 degrees from Johannes Brahms
by Mike Wells G2G6 Pilot (142k points)
+17 votes
  • Johannes Brahms - 32 degrees
  • Friedrich Eichhorn - 26 degrees
  • Karl Gräber - 22 degrees
  • Wilhelm Grimm - 26 degrees
  • Friederika Hogue - 23 degrees
  • Louis John Kress - 24 degrees
  • Gabriel Loranz - 20 degrees
  • Philip Reichert - 25 degrees
  • Sophie Scholl - 26 degrees
  • Johann Leonard Stumpf - 26 degrees
  • Otto von Bismarck Schönhausen - 22 degrees
No relationships.
by Jennifer Fulk G2G6 Mach 6 (61.5k points)
+17 votes
18 degrees from Wilhelm Grimm. But I'd say my most notable German connection is Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbuettell who is my 6th great grandfather, through his bastard son Christian von Pincier.
by E Vaughan Jerry G2G Crew (710 points)
+18 votes
No blood relationship found. It's possible on my father's side, but I've hit plenty dead ends.

20 degrees - Phillip Reichert
21 degrees - Karl Gräber
22 degrees - Louis John Kress
22 degrees - Gabriel Loranz
23 degrees - Friederika Hogue
24 degrees - Otto von Bismarck-Schönhausen
25 degrees - Friedrich Eichhorn
25 degrees - Wilhelm Grimm
26 degrees - Johann Leonhard Stumpf
29 degrees - Sophie Scholl
32 degrees - Johannes Brahms
by Joel Zummak G2G6 Mach 5 (53.8k points)
+17 votes
19 degrees from Karl Graber.

19 degrees from Frederika Hogue.

19 degrees from Gabriel Loranz.

21 degrees from Fredrich Eichhorn.

21 degrees from Philip Reichert.

22 degrees from from Louis John Kress.

22 degrees from Johann Leonhard Stumpf.

22 degrees from Otto von Bismarck-Shonhausen.

24 degrees from Wilhelm Grimm.

24 degrees from Sophie Scholl.

30 degrees from Johannes Brahms.

Although certainly there are relatives among them, no known relations.
by Frank Blankenship G2G6 Pilot (136k points)
+17 votes
15 deg  Wilhelm Grimm

15 deg  Otto von Bismarck Schonhausen

16 deg  Gabriel Loranz

17 deg  Karl Graber

19 deg  Johann Leonhard Stumpf

20 deg  Philip Reichert

22 deg  Friedrich Eichorn

23 deg  Friederika Hogue

23 deg  Louis John Kress

23 deg  Sophie Scholl

26 deg  Johannes Brahms

23 deg  Alan Purchase
by John Thompson G2G6 Pilot (363k points)
edited by John Thompson
+17 votes
28 degrees to Karl Gräber.
The interesting thing about all the connections is that they all go through siblings of my ancestors who emigrated to America and then go back to Germany. There are no direct German connections.
by Dieter Lewerenz G2G Astronaut (3.1m points)
+18 votes
I am 18 degrees from Otto von Bismarck- Schönhausen

22 degrees from Wilhelm Grimm

24 degrees from Johannes Brahms

25 degrees from Friederika Hague

26 degrees from Gabriel Loranz

29 degrees from Karl Gräber

30 degrees from Phillip Reichert

31 degrees from Louis John Kress

31 degrees from Alan Purchase

31 degrees from Friedrich Eichorn

33 degrees from Johan Leonhard Stumpf

37 degrees from Sophie Scholl
by Kari Undbekken G2G6 Mach 6 (65.2k points)
+16 votes

I am most closely connected to Friedrich Eichhorn at 20 degrees of separation.

by Tommy Buch G2G Astronaut (2.0m points)
The most closely related to Friedrich Eichorn with 20° of separation.

Most closely related to Friedrich Eichhorn, I guess... now I have to figure out who is Friedrich Eichhorn??

I notice  Sue Otness is also related to him to the same degree... so I looked up my connection to her... We are related by marriage... but it was fun looking at where he ancestors lived!

How cool!

Sue Otness We match all the way down...

Tied between Otto von Bismarkck-Schonhausen and Gabriel Loranz at 20 each.

+19 votes

Ach du lieber...I am not biologically related to any of the notable Germans! First time this has happened even with German ancestry on both sides of the family!

Notably, here are my connections by degree:

20 degrees: Friederika Hogus, Gabriel Loranz and Otto von Bismark-Schonhausen; 22 degrees: Kark Graber; 23 degrees: Friedrich Eichhorn and Johann Leonhard Stumpf; 24 degrees: Wilhelm Grimm, Louis John Kress and Phillip Reichert; 28 degrees from Sophie Scholl; 23 degrees from Johannes Brahams.

Einen schönen Tag noch!

by Carol Baldwin G2G Astronaut (1.2m points)
+20 votes

I have very few connections to continental Europe. Anne of Cleves, 19 degrees, is my closest German Notable. Interesting because many of my ancestors were English Separatists.

by Richard Cheek G2G6 (9.7k points)

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