Thanks to my sending out Kimmitt questionnaires to unknown other Kimmitts all over the world, I received a ton of replies from people that I did not know even existed. At the time I thought the Kimmitt name was not wide spread broadly among the world. The response of people sending me e-mail and letters gave me a treasure trove of information that I could put to use in finding my own history.

The Placing of my web page on the internet has also brought a ton of inquiries about the origin of the Kimmitt surname These people too were in the process of investigating their genealogical past and were only to happy to be of an assistance to me.
 

One of the letters I received came from a Thomas Kimmitt in England. On a business trip to Germany, he met a Richard Kimmitt, who had traced his lineage back several generations. His findings led him to the understanding that the Kimmitt surname had originated in a small village along the Baltic sea in the north east corner of what is now Poland. I was living in St. Louis Missouri at the time, and made very good use of the Public Library there. The maps in their collection showed that there is a small village on the Baltic coast with the name "Tolkemit." This was the village that Richard Kimmitt of Germany was talking about. The village is still there today, but because the region is now in Poland, the name is "Tolkmicko."
 

The finding of this kind of information really brought me to the conclusion that I had to see this place for myself. It seemed at the time that I needed to verify in my own mind that there actually was a place where my surname originated.
 

What happened next was an e-mail from a Carmen Jercic of California, saying that there was indeed the ruins of a castle in Tolkemit that was "Castle Kimmit." The e-mail that she sent was in response to inquires I had made about the village of Tolkemit. Carmen said "her Grandmother was from the village. We corresponded back and forth so that we found we were both hunting information about the village. As an aside to the tale, Carmen now has her own web page devoted to "Tolkemit."
 

The information from Carmen tended to substantiate the findings of Richard Kimmitt from Germany. The finding of this kind of information really brought me to the conclusion that I had to see this place for myself. I started right then to plan the journey to Tolkemit.
 
 
 

"Galesburg Illinois

Sept. 29^th. 1998
 

Hi Carmen;
 

Just a note to let you know that my trip to Gdansk, Elblag, Frombork & TOLKMICKO (TOLKEMIT) has finally arrived. I leave from Chicago on the 8th. Of Oct. And return on the 15th or 16th. Of Oct.
 

All of the information you have sent me will be put to good use. I will go to the cemeteries to check on the names you sent me and will gather other information if available.
 

I know the name Kimmitt is not in use in (Tolkemit) this day and age, but the name Kemit originated with the village name Tolkemit. My surname Kimmitt is a later variation of that spelling. I'll get more of that information to you later.
 

How are you doing with your searching of families? Keep me informed, and if I can be of any assistance let me know.
 

Bye for now

bob kimmitt."
 

The flight from Chicago to Warsaw was a 10 hour trip, and then on to Gdansk Poland which was another hour or so. At the airport I rented a car, and settled in Gdansk for a day or two so I could plan the next step. To me the look of present day Gdansk Poland still has the sense of the Russian occupation. The place looked dingy and unkempt.
 

The drive took me southeast from Gdansk to Elblag and then northeast to Tolkmicko. I stopped on the narrow road just before I got into the village, and took pictures of the fields along the way. At the entrance to the village I took a picture of the antique sign of the village "Tolkmicko Wita." I thought to myself, here I am. After all the planning and preparation involved in getting to this place, about all I could do was just sit quietly for a moment.
 
 

The day was chilly, overcast and damp. I was hoping the sun might come out for a bit so that the pictures would be better. I slowly drove into Tolkmicko, stopping to take some more shots of the houses along the way as I entered the village. The houses looked older than I thought they would. They looked as if time was still in the period of Russian occupation after world war II. This was the same thought I had as I drove through the countryside seeing all the fields of the collective farms.
 
 

Here I was in the far northeastern part of Poland, just a stones throw from the Russian border. I have no knowledge of the Polish language, and here I was in one of the farthest places away from English speaking people. The main thing I wanted to do was look around the village and take some photos to show other Kimmitt surnamed people. I parked in the village square and walked around snapping pictures as I went. The villagers that I saw were not in the least interested, and paid me no attention.
 
 

I studied the map I had to see where the "castle ruins" were. Carmen Jercic said in her letter that the ruins were supposed to be about 2 kilometers (about 1 1/4 miles) south-east of the village. I should have studied the map sooner, because I had gone by the area on my way into Tolkemit. After taking the pictures I wanted, I headed back towards Gdansk.
 

Traveling back along the same road I came in on, I stopped about where I thought the ruins to be. Looking to the east there was a slightly hilly area upon which the castle ruins are supposed to be located. It was getting late in the day and I did not want to be stranded out here at night time. I proceed back to Gdansk and thought to find a way to get onto the property where the ruin lie. I had no luck finding someone to get me onto the site of the ruins, and my stay in Poland was coming to an end.
 
 

CLOSER TOWARD CASTLE RUINS

This picture courtesy of Wojciech Korput of Bydgoszcz, Poland

I acknowledge that my planning of the trip to Poland had not taken into account that I might need a lot of local help. The thought of going back to Tolkmicko is a reality. I feel that there are people in the village that can speak or understand some English. Before going back I am trying to locate an interpreter. I am hoping to find someone on the internet that is willing to help in my search. The main thing I need is someone with the knowledge of the history of the village of Tolkmicko Poland.
 

This tale is not over yet, and I know another visit to Tolkmicko is going to happen. The preparations will be more thorough this time around. I still hope to see for myself, the ruins of "Castle Kimmitt." I also hope to find some actual documents about the castle. For now all I can do is wait for the next visit to Tolkmicko.
 

Robert E. Kimmitt Sr, December 2003. Please let me know your ideas or maybe an offer of help.
 

My e-mail is......... Kimmitt@grics.net