The seventeen reels of microfilm which comprise the records of the Leopoldine Society contain correspondence, statements, reports, and miscellaneous documents of the organization and its members. The society had its origins in Vienna, Austria in 1829 under the leadership of Frederick Rese, a German missionary who later became Bishop of Detroit. The group dedicated itself to the support of missions in the United States, sending to America funds and goods, as well as missionaries, solicited from Austrian and other European dioceses. The society flourished until the 1870's and finally dissolved in 1921.

The microfilm was made from the original documents of the Society now stored in the Vienna Archdiocesan Archives. (Two additional reels of microfilm, not indexed, contain copies of the Society's annual reports Berichte der Leopoldinen Stiftung im Kaisertume Oesterreichs for 1841-1875). The seventeen reels of manuscripts contain correspondence to and from Leopoldine Society officers and missionaries such as Archbishop Eduard Milde and Bishops Frederick Rese, Edward Fenwick, Benedict Fenwick, John Neumann and Benedict Flaget. Other documents include correspondence with European and American dioceses concerning donations and distributions, mission reports (including approximately 15 mission reports from Fr. Frederick Baraga), financial statements, circular letters, internal correspondence and memos, and minutes of Board of Directors' meetings.

Reel nine mostly contains internal documents of the Leopoldine Society (usually memos or notes), many of which are fragmentary or are difficult to read. There are several registers of correspondence at the beginning of reel nine, but the order in which the letters were filmed differs so greatly from the order used in the registers that these volumes are now useless as indexes. Reels twelve and thirteen and the end of reel nine contain financial ledgers and account books. The rest of the reels consist almost entirely of correspondence and reports.

All of the documents on microfilm (except for the account books and ledgers) have been translated and calendared. The item list that follows was based on these calendar cards.

Abbreviations: LS = Leopoldine Society LSBD = Leopoldine Society Board of Directors

Aliases: Degel, Philip (search for Degler, Philip) Diocese of Leoben (search for Diocese of Steyermark) Diocese of Trient (search for Diocese of Trent) Diocese of Zagrabia (search for Diocese of Agram) Diocese of Zagrabia-Agram (search for Diocese of Agram) Diocese of Zips-Scepusienses (search for Diocese of Zips) Diocese of Scepusiensis (search for Diocese of Zips) Diocese of Seckau (search for Diocese of Gratz) Diocese of Strigonium (search for Diocese of Gran) Dreiadinetz (search for Dreinadimetz) Bruchmann, Johann C. (search for von Bruchmann,...) Famia, Anton (search for Famea, Anton) Frydy, Aloys (search for Frydek, Alois) Habsburg, Ferdinand I (search for Ferdinand I) Habsburg, Franz I (search for Franz I) Kaindl, Franz (May be Same Person as Kaindl, Joseph) Kaindl, Joseph (May be Same Person as Kaindl, Franz) Kaindl, W.J. (search for Kaindl, Joseph) Pagerth, Anton (search for Pogerth, Anton) Pope Gregory XVI (search for Gregory XVI) Pope Leo XII (search for Leo XII) Rapisch, Wenzel (search for Repisch, Wenzel) Von Benevuti, Johann (search for Benvenuti, Johann) Von Benvenuti, Johann (search for Benvenuti, Johann) Von Benvenuto, Johann (search for Benvenuti, Johann) Von Benvenutti, Johann (search for Benvenuti, Johann) Von Gressel, Amalia (search for Gressel, Amalia) Von Habsburg, Ferdinand I (search for Ferdinand I) Von Habsburg, Franz I (search for Franz I) Von Rauscher, Joseph Othmar (search for Rauscher...) Von Thun (search for Thun) Von Ziegler, Gregory (search for Ziegler, Gregory) Von Ziegler, Vinzenz (search for Ziegler, Vinzenz) Zu Firmian, Leopold Maximillian (search for Firmian...)