Kiwanis Club Guest Speaker

Walter Breyer, a retired Chemical engineer and the secretary of the Lumpkin County Kiwanis Club, presented a program on his personal search for his roots. His father and mother were both born in Konigsberg, which was a part of the Prussian Empire. After World War I, it remained a part of Germany, but was separated from the main body by the Danzig Corridor, which was a part of Poland. Then, after WW II, the USSR took it over and changed the name to Kaliningrad. Because it was a warm water port on the Baltic Sea, the Soviets established a submarine base, and it became a closed city.

After Walter retired, he became interested in genealogy. He started with an 1896 photograph of the house in which his father was born, a 1931 street map of Konigsberg, and the internet. He was able to make contact with a book dealer in Kaliningrad (Konigsberg), who was of tremendous assistance. The result was that Walter and his sisters traveled to Kaliningrad, saw his father's house, and was kind enough to share his photographs and adventures with the Kiwanis Club of Blairsville.

The Kiwanis Club of Blairsville is dedicated to serving and supporting young people in the immediate area around Blairsville through numerous projects. The Kiwanis Club meets at the Cobbs Mill restaurant in Blairsville at 12:00 Noon each Monday. Come join in the fun with us. For more information, contact President Charlie Krick at (706)781-6793.