The following are English translations of the German documents issued to August and Rika (Knaack) Heiden and their three children prior to being allowed to emigrate to the U.S. in 1873. Apparently, they had to renounce their German citizenship as they left the country.

THE UNDERSIGNED MINISTRY CERTIFIES HEREWITH, that the mason-journeyman, August Friedrich Anton Theodor Heiden, 34 years old, from the Gross Wokern district of Güstrow in this Grand-Duchy, with his wife, née Knaack, 31 years   old, and the after mentioned 3 children: a) Heinrich Friedrick Johann, 6 years old; b) Ernst Carl Fritz, 4 years; c) Meta Friederike Henriette Elisabeth, 1 year old ---------

Upon request for emigration to America, the discharge from the Mecklenburg-Schwerin citizenship is granted.

This discharge-deed causes the loss of the Mecklenburg-Schwerin    citizenship for the persons explicitly named therein at the time of its delivery,   however, it becomes ineffective, if the releasee does not transfer his residence   outside the federal territory within six months of the day of the delivery of the   discharge-deed, or acquires the citizenship of another part of the confederacy.   (Paragraph 18 of the law about acquisition and loss of state and federal citizenship from June 1st 1870. Civil code page 355.)

Schwerin, April 28, 1873

Grand-Duchy Mecklenburg-Schwerin Ministry of the Interior

Authority of [.]

 

Three handwritten pages dealt with three of the five family members August, Rika and Meta. They translate as follows:

 

According to entries in the church record of the Village of Gross Wokern,

August Friedrich Anton Theodor Heiden, son of the unmarried Maria Heiden

of Gross Wokern, was born the twenty-seventh of January, 1838 and was

baptized 4 February 1839 into the Lutheran faith.

 

Klaber  Signature

22 April 1873

 

According to entries in the church record of the Village of Klaber, Elisabeth

Sophie Wilhelmine Friederike Adolphine Knaack, legitimate daughter of the

laborer Christoph Johann Jochim Friedrich Knaack of Mamerow and his wife

Sophie Dorothea, nee Dreier, was born the fifth of November, 1841 and was

baptized 14 November 1841 into the Lutheran faith.

 

Klaber  Signature

22 April 1873

 

According to entries in the church record of the Village of Gross Wokern,

Meta Friederike Henriette Elisabeth Heiden, legitimate daughter of the journeyman

mason, August Friedrich Anton Theodor Heiden of Gross Wokern and his wife,

Elisabeth Sophie Wilhelmine Friedrike Adolphine nee Knaack, was born twenty-

third of December, 1870 and was baptized 8 January 1871 into the Lutheran faith.

 

Klaber  Signature

22 April 1873