Eric Kopittke

Eric has been researching his family history in Australia, Germany, England and Wales since 1985. In the same year he joined the Queensland Family History Society where he has been convenor of the Central European Group for over 20 years. He is also President of the Baptist Historical of Queensland.

Academically, he studied at the University of Queensland where he was awarded a Bachelor of Science (Physics and Mathematics), a Bachelor of Arts (Geography and Computer Science) and a Diploma of Education. He currently teaches Physics and Mathematics at St Peters Lutheran College, Indooroopilly.

He regularly speaks at family history societies and at other events as his teaching commitments allow. In June 2012 he has been invited to speak on German research at the New Zealand Society of Genealogists Conference.

He has authored / co-authored a number of publications including A century of the Taringa Baptist Church: celebrating the centenary of the formation of the Taringa Baptist Church 1897-1997 (1997), The Benfer story: The Benfer family in Germany and Australia from 1650 to 1988 (1988), Electronics for physics students (1994), So your ancestor was a Baptist in Queensland! (1995) and, of more general family history interest – indexes to government publications, transcriptions of many cemeteries, Locating your German ancestor’s place of origin and the Emigrants from Hamburg to Australasia 1850-1879 series.

Eric has received the Queensland FHS Award for Services to Family History (1990); was made a Fellow of the Queensland FHS (2000); and in 2006 was awarded the AFFHO Award for Meritorious Services to Family History.

Research interests: Queensland; Sussex, England; Monmouthshire, Wales; Westfalen, Schleswig, Pommern and West Preussen – all in Preussen (Prussia) – the last two are part of present day Poland.