My research into the Pankenier family was largely successful because of obscure European birth records becoming available on the internet. These digitized documents have been very helpful in discovering how the Pankenier's may have lived prior to 1900. However, the origins of the Pankenier family remain frustratingly elusive; and I have been unable to locate any written documents about the Pankenier's prior to 1825. There are a few theories on why our family remains shrouded in mystery; and one can only speculate until more details are uncovered. The majority of the documents that have been uncovered during this time are marriage and birth records from Prussian villages in what is now known as northern Poland. Before immigrating to the United States, the Pankenier's lived in the village Finkenstein (now Kamieniec, Poland) from roughly 1755 to 1885.
Editor's Note: There is a fair amount of speculation in this post, as I attempted to "connect the dots" based on the documents I found. M. Pankenier
A map of Prussia with Finckenstein in the center, now known as Kamieniec, Poland.
The earliest known documents of the Pankenier family can be found within the marriage and birth records of the Lutheran Church in Finckenstein. An extensive search of the archives in the Polish city of Kwidzyn, have not produced any evidence of the Pankenier's living in Finckenstein prior to around 1735. This seems to support the theory that the Pankenier's were not native to Prussia, and it's likely that they had immigrated from another country.
The surname 'Pankenier' is not German, or French, or Polish for that matter. The first part of the name - 'Panken' is undoubtedly German; and a quick look in any German phone book can confirm that. However, there is no "-ier" suffix in the German language. The "-ier" suffix is likely to be old French, or possibly dutch, which is used in designating someone's trade, such as a brigadier or chocolatier. The translation of “Panken-ier” is almost certainly a fabricator of cookware.
While the Pankenier's spoke German in Finckenstein, they were probably not always German speakers. They may have been multilingual, or Dutch speakers who assimilated to the surrounding culture in Prussia which was overwhelmingly German.
Looking thru the dictionary of Family Names in the Belgium & Northern France, the surname of 'Pankenier' does have an entry; and it's very likely that our ancestors had originated from either Belgium or the Netherlands. The Netherlands is located on the northwestern border of Germany, and the Pankenier's might have slowly migrated East until they arrived in Poland.
There is also a small region within Belgium referred to as Eupen-Malmédy, which has been populated by German and French communities living alongside each other for hundreds of years.
Map of western Belgium with Eupen twords the top-center; to the south lies Malmédy.
It's entirely plausible that at one point the Pankenier's had lived in Eupen, or possibly another nearby village. I have searched thru the digital records of Belgium and the Netherlands, and have not found anyone with a 'Pankenier' surname. If the Pankenier's had originated from Belgium, then how did the family end up in Finckenstein Prussia; nearly 800 miles from their proposed homeland? It's very likely that the answer has been lost in the winds of time.
It's assumed that life in Finckenstein, was somewhat bucolic, with the majority of the citizens working as farmers or something related to agriculture. What is interesting is that all official documents list the Pankenier males as "workers". This would certainly be a different occupation then a farmer, and its a very plausible that Gottfried Pankenier Sr., and young Gottfried Jr. (1774-1842), were part of the massive staff that would have been required to support Finckenstein Palace.
Finckenstein Palace was a baroque palace that was built in 1716 and completed in 1720. The palace is about two miles north of the village, and was designed by John von Callas. The palace was built for Count Albrecht Konrad Reinhold von Finckenstein and remained in the possession of the von Finckenstein family until 1782. After 1782, Finckenstein Palace was occupied by several other noblemen up until the 1940's.
Finckenstein Palace in 1930 when it was still used by Polish and German nobleman.
In January 22, 1945, during their invasion of Poland the Russian Army set the palace on fire during their invasion of Poland. All that remains of Finckenstein Palace is a ruined shell which is still visible today.
Left to Right: On the left is a picture of Finckenstein Palace taken circa 1930. On the right is a photo taken in 2006 depicting the crumbling ruins of the palace after the Russian Red Army had invaded during World War II.
The palace became famous when Napoleon had marched his army into Finckenstein in 1807, during the Napoleonic War (1803-1815). The village was also home to Friedrich Ferdinand Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten, who was a Prussian nobleman living in nearby Finckenstein Palace.
When Napoleon had first seen Finckenstein Palace he had reportedly exclaimed "Enfin un chateau!" ("Finally, a castle"). Napoleon and his army remained at the palace during the spring. During this time, Napoleon had signed the Treaty of Finckenstein between France and Persia; and continued discussing the war campaign against Prussia with his generals and trusted officers.
Historical documents have confirmed that Napoleon and his highest ranking officers were lodged at Finckenstein Palace, while the entirety of Napoleon's Grande Armée were bivouacked in the immediate area. It's unlikely that all of the soldiers and conscripts had tents, and many were forced to find shelter in barns, abandoned buildings, or the bare ground when nothing else could be found. Several of the soldiers might have found lodging in the nearby village of Finckenstein, much to the villagers chagrin.
In 1806, Napoleon had met the noblewoman Maria Countess of Walewska he became enraptured with her extraordinary beauty and the two began a secret affair until they parted ways in 1809. Napoleons affair nearly overshadowed Finckenstein Palace, and in later years a Hollywood movie was filed in 1937 chronicling their licentious relationship.
A portrait of Maria Walewska when she was approximately twenty years old. She had hoped to convince Napoleon to help Poland gain independence, which had her travelling to Vienna and Paris to be with the french general.
The circumstances behind Gottfried Panknier Sr. living in Finckenstein may never be known; and its pure speculation that Gottfried Panknier Jr. birth was actually born within the village in 1774.
Records indicate that Gottfried Sr. had three children - Anna Panknier (1757-1825), Anna Maria Panknier (Arndt) (1765-1831), and Gottfried Panknier Jr. (1774-1842).
I was been unable to find any additional information on Gottfried Sr. or his family, and it's assumed the family worked and lived in Finckenstein from approximately 1750-1860.
The Lutheran Church in Finckenstein where a few the Pankenier's were baptized and married. On the right is a image from the Church marriage record of Gottfried Panknier III (1804-1870) and Anna Maria Vogtin (Vagtin), which is seen directly below his name.
Life in the Kingdom of Prussia during the 19th century was very different then the Poland of today. Early in the 18th century, Poland was part of the Prussian Empire and governed by German rule that had originated in the early 1500's. The people of Prussia were ruled by a German Monarchy, in which the ruler had unquestioned authority over the entire Prussian Kingdom.
The politics and economy of Prussia was very similar to the Feudal system of the Middle Ages. In this case, farming was handled by tenant farmers who paid rent and obligatory services to the landlord, who was typically a nobleman. Each town or village had an elected leader who supervised the fields and grazing rights, maintained public order, and supported a village court which handled minor offenses.
Much of the villages' communal life centered around church services and holy days. Inside the family, the patriarch made all the decisions and tried to arrange advantageous marriages for his children. This form of hierarchy is very similar to the modern German family customs of today.
At the time that Gottfried Sr. was living in Finckenstein, the majority of the citizens were Germans. While there was small population of Polish citizens, the people of Prussia were strongly influenced by the German culture. The people of Finckenstein spoke German, worshiped within a Lutheran church, and practiced German customs.
The landscape that surrounds Finckenstein has not changed much in the last 200 years. During the time the Pankenier's were living in Finckenstein, the majority of the citizens were farmers that supported the Kingdom of Prussia. Under the best circumstances, the farmers would be able to keep a small portion of their crops in order to feed their family and to sell in nearby cities for a modest profit. It is assumed that Gottfried Sr., his Wife, and his children were employed as staff for Finckenstein Palace. They would have had roles such as blacksmith, husbandmen, cook, which all would have fallen under the general term of "worker".
Left to Right: A Polish cottage of the 19th Century. Most German and Polish families lived in similar structures. Center: The countryside around Kamieniec, formally the village of Finckenstein. Very little has changed in the last two centuries. Far Right: Charles E. Pankenier Jr. standing on the outskirts of Kamieniec Poland in 2006.
The people of Western Prussia can be considered a devoutly religious group, but it's very possible that families produced some children out of wedlock. There was a definite pattern of couples marrying after the birth of their first child. As far I can ascertain, illegitimate children (particularly in rural areas) were brought up as accepted members of the family, taking the family surname while there was no record of their birth or baptism in the Church records. Keeping this in mind, it's possible that Gottfried Sr. children were never recorded in the church records.
There are several events surrounding the Pankenier Family during this time period, which have been briefly mentioned below:
Descendants of Gottfried Pankenier Sr.:
