The Wagners have their roots in Scandinavia, but due to many territorial disputes, especially in the 17th and 18th centuries, which led to border shifts, the family is now based in several European countries.
For me personally, it was a long journey and search until I finally understood who we are and, above all, who I am. Only in the last 20-25 years have I been able to really understand many events and occurrences and thus also understand them a little. Above all, the cross-connections to the Austrian, Bohemian and Polish relatives, who belonged to the local nobility, were very extensive.
The Wagner family is a very old family whose roots go back to the Viking Age. For me personally, my story begins with my direct ancestor Andreas Wagner, born around 1560 (son of the court chancellor Johann Wagner). Several of my ancestors had the first name Andreas and so the name is associated with a special tradition in the family.
The history of the family is very changeable and in parts also confusing. Today, the descendants are scattered all over Europe (Germany, Sweden, Norway, Great Britain, France, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Latvia). Whether there are also descendants overseas is unfortunately not known, but quite possible.
The church records of some countries and the secret state archives in Berlin were a great help in researching the family history.
Unfortunately, many records and documents were lost during the two world wars (1914-1918 & 1939 - 1945) or were destroyed for fear of persecution (especially by the Bolsheviks). The family suffered much misfortune, especially during the Second World War, and found themselves virtually destitute in Russian territory at the end of the devastating Second World War. This circumstance and the persecution of the communists worsened the situation of the remaining family members.
Due to all these circumstances, some documents have to be evaluated today in a meaningful and comprehensible way and supplemented accordingly. This often requires the assessment, opinion and expertise of specialists.
With the knowledge of the history, we carry the Wagner family name today with pride and in memory of our ancestors.