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Genealogists Trace Obama's Roots to Germany

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 5, 2009 1:14 PM CDT

(Newser) – President Obama’s trip to Germany is a bit of a homecoming for him, according to a Utah-based genealogy group. Ancestry.com’s researchers traced his family tree back to his eighth great-grandfather on his mother’s side and found a German ancestor, after tracing , the Salt Lake Tribune reports. That antecedent was a politician, too—mayor of the town of Orsingen.

That ancestor's grandson left Besigheim, Germany, for Pennsylvania in 1750. Besigheim’s deputy mayor was delighted by the news, enthusiastically inviting Obama to visit the city of 11,400 people. "f he would come and visit at some stage, it would be a great joy for the city and for the people," he said.

US President Barack Obama, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel look around the Church of Our Lady in Dresden, Germany, Friday, June 5, 2009.
US President Barack Obama, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel look around the Church of Our Lady in Dresden, Germany, Friday, June 5, 2009.   (AP Photo/Eckehard Schulz)
U.S. President Barack Obama visits the Church of Our Lady in Dresden, Germany, Friday, June 5, 2009.
U.S. President Barack Obama visits the Church of Our Lady in Dresden, Germany, Friday, June 5, 2009.   (AP Photo/Matthias Rietschel)
U.S. President Barack Obama, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, walk together in Dresden, Germany, Friday June 5, 2009, prior to the beginning of bilateral political talks.
U.S. President Barack Obama, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, walk together in Dresden, Germany, Friday June 5, 2009, prior to the beginning of bilateral political talks.   (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
President Barack Obama, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, arrive in Dresden, Germany, Friday, June 5, 2009.
President Barack Obama, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, arrive in Dresden, Germany, Friday, June 5, 2009.   (AP Photo/matthias Rietschel)
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I took it for granted that some great person came from Besigheim. That it is Barack? That is great for us. - Bernhard Kober, owner of a cafe in Besigheim, Germany

If this turns out really to be the case, we will extend an invitation to Mr. Obama and if he would come and visit at some stage, it would be a great joy for the city and for the people. - Klaus Schremps, Deputy Mayor of Besigheim, Germany

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
Forderon
Jun 9, 2009 2:03 AM CDT
Of COURSE the native Americans migrated there, how else would they get there? It's pretty common knowledge that they migrated from Asia through the Bering Strait.
Caps
Jun 6, 2009 12:01 PM CDT
Good.
riffran
Jun 6, 2009 4:45 AM CDT
big deal......unless you are 100% native American.....you have ancestors in Europe, Africa, Asia ect....and even the Native Americans are thought to have migrated to the Americas..

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