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Genealogical Research Report: Martha Emma Grabner (c.1875–c.1960)
Overview and Objective
Martha Emma Grabner (born circa 1875 in Austria; died circa 1960 in the Leipzig district, likely Gaschwitz) is the subject of this genealogical investigation. She married Bruno Bernhard Börngen (born circa 1870 in Berlin) and had at least one child, Frida Else Börngen, born 28 September 1901 in Leipzig. The goal of this research is to uncover documentation of Martha’s life events (birth, marriage, death) and trace her lineage – including possible connections to Jewish families (Schiff of Mainz, Katz/Katzenellenbogen on the Rhine, Ellenbogen, Kleinert of Weinheim) and potential noble or official ancestors (possibly the Brandstätter family of Styria, and Habsburg officials in “Further Austria” regions like Rottenburg and Horb). We utilize a range of sources: civil and church records (including the Matricula online archive for Austrian church books), genealogical databases (Ancestry, FamilySearch), Jewish records (JewishGen), and local archives in Austria and Germany.
Known Family Details
- Martha Emma Grabner – born ~1875 in Austria (exact location undetermined; candidate regions include Lower Austria or Upper Austria), died ~1960 in Saxony (Leipzig area, possibly Gaschwitz). Likely of Christian upbringing (given the era and marriage), though family lore suggests Jewish ancestry on one side.
- Bruno Bernhard Börngen – Martha’s husband, born ~1870 in Berlin. They probably married around 1900 (just before records show them in Leipzig). Bruno’s profession is not yet known; city directories or a marriage record might reveal this.
- Frida Else Börngen – their daughter, born 28 Sep 1901 in Leipzig (birth registered in Leipzig, with the family residing at Kohlenstraße in the city). Frida later lived at Hauptstraße in Gaschwitz (just south of Leipzig) and died in 1986 in Leipzig (East Germany).
The family’s residence in the Leipzig area suggests Martha moved to Saxony by 1901. After World War II, Gaschwitz fell in the East German state of Saxony; Frida’s lifetime (1901–1986) spanned Imperial Germany through the GDR era. Martha’s death ~1960 likely occurred in the Leipzig district (Gaschwitz was incorporated into Markkleeberg). Bruno’s death date is unknown (he may have predeceased Martha, possibly passing in the mid-20th century).
Vital Records and Documentation
Birth and Baptism (c.1875, Austria):
The precise birth record for Martha Emma Grabner is the first key target. Since she was born in Austria around 1875, her birth would have been recorded either in civil registers (if after 1938 or if she was from a region with earlier civil registration) or, more likely, in church baptismal books. Matricula Online is a crucial resource here: it provides free access to digitized Austrian church books (baptisms, marriages, burials) [1] (https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/img_auth.php/b/b7/1-Instruction_Matricula_Online.pdf). Both St. Pölten (Lower Austria) and Wels (Upper Austria) are mentioned as possible family locales, so their parish registers merit examination.
The Diocese of St. Pölten’s Catholic registers (which cover much of Lower Austria) and the Diocese of Linz’s registers (covering Wels and Upper Austria) are indexed on Matricula. A search for “Grabner” around 1874–1876 in those regions’ baptism books could yield Martha’s baptism entry. If Martha’s family were Protestant, the records might be on Archion (the Evangelical church book portal), but given the Austrian context (predominantly Catholic in that era) and the use of Matricula by researchers, a Catholic record is more probable.
No exact baptism has been confirmed yet. However, an index of Austrian births on Ancestry hints at a Grabner born 1869 in Vienna – possibly a relative – and there are multiple Grabner entries in Upper Austria around the 1870s [18] (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1093/?name=_Grabner&count=50&fh=200&fsk=MDsyMDA7NTA-61-). Martha’s birth likely falls among these records. We will need her parents’ names from her marriage or death record to correctly identify the right Martha Grabner in Austrian archives.
Marriage to Bruno Bernhard Börngen (c.1900)
Martha’s marriage record is another vital document. Since their daughter was born in Leipzig in 1901, it’s plausible they married in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony around 1900. Civil marriage registration was mandatory in Germany after 1876, so this marriage would be recorded at a Leipzig Standesamt (civil registry). The exact Standesamt depends on their residence in the city – possibly Standesamt Leipzig I if they lived centrally. The record would list the date and place of marriage, ages, occupations, and importantly the birthplaces and parents of both bride and groom. This could directly confirm Martha’s birth town in Austria and her parents (unlocking the next generation of the Grabner family). The Leipzig City Archive has recently made searching person registry records easier, including births, marriages, and deaths [4] (https://www.compgen.de/2021/11/suche-im-stadtarchiv-leipzig/). A query in their online database for Börngen or Grabner around 1900 may retrieve an indexed marriage entry.
(Note: At the time of writing, a quick search in the newly available Leipzig archive database is recommended, as it might list “Börngen–Grabner, year 1900” with a registry number.) If found, obtaining the civil marriage certificate (Heiratsurkunde) will provide primary documentation of the event.
Additionally, the couple may have had a church wedding (Catholic or Protestant) in Leipzig. Church marriage registers (Kirchenbücher) could be checked if the civil record is elusive. However, the civil record is primary for legal data. The Leipzig address directories of that period can also provide clues: for example, the 1901 Leipzig Adreßbuch should list Bruno Börngen. Indeed, city directories from 1901 show residents alphabetically; a Bruno Börngen likely appears with an address. (These directories are digitized and searchable via SLUB Dresden’s digital collections). We expect an entry like: “Börngen, Bruno, [occupation], Kohlenstraße [house number]”, given that is where Frida was born in late 1901. While our quick search did not turn up the OCR text for “Börngen” (Fraktur typefaces can be tricky), the address Kohlenstraße is noted as the family’s residence in 1901 from Frida’s birth record.
Children
The known child is Frida Else Börngen, born 28 Sep 1901 in Leipzig. Her birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde) has been partially documented by the family. It confirms her birth date and parents: Bruno Bernhard Börngen (father) and Martha Emma, née Grabner (mother), residing at Kohlenstraße in Leipzig. This civil birth record would have been issued by Standesamt Leipzig, and a copy likely exists in family papers or can be obtained from the Leipzig archive. Such a record typically also notes the parents’ birthplaces – so Frida’s birth entry might explicitly state something like “Martha Emma Börngen, geb. Grabner, geb. (born) in [Town], Austria, age 26” (which would indicate Martha’s approximate birth year 1875 and place). We should obtain this detail, as it pinpoints Martha’s origin.
The archive search and the 110-year rule (birth records older than 110 years are now public) mean that Frida’s birth register (1901) is open for research. The City Archive’s person-register search or the Saxony State Archive might have an online index; otherwise, an inquiry can be made referencing her name and date.
No other children of Martha and Bruno are presently documented. It’s possible they had additional children in the early 1900s (the gap from 1901 onward), but none are known in family lore. The Leipzig address books in subsequent years might show if Bruno moved or if, for instance, Martha is later listed as widow Börngen.
Later Years in Gaschwitz and Death (c.1960)
By the mid-20th century, Martha and her daughter appear to have lived in Gaschwitz, a village just south of Leipzig (today part of Markkleeberg). Frida’s address on Hauptstraße in Gaschwitz is recorded (likely in the 1950s–60s). It is possible Martha moved in with Frida’s family or Frida moved to Gaschwitz and took her mother along.
Martha Emma Börngen (née Grabner) died around 1960. If she died in Gaschwitz or Leipzig, a death certificate can be obtained. Death records in East Germany circa 1960 would be held by the Standesamt that had jurisdiction (Gaschwitz might have been under Markkleeberg or Böhlen Standesamt then). Since over 30 years have passed, these records are accessible. The death record will list date and place of death, age, and often birth date and place of the deceased, as well as her parents’ names (sometimes included in East German records). Obtaining her death entry from the Leipzig archive or Saxon State Archives is a priority to verify her birthdate/place and parentage.
Cemetery records could also be pursued: Perhaps Martha was buried in the region. Local cemeteries in Markkleeberg (or church burial records if a church funeral occurred) might have an entry for her around 1960. No grave has yet been identified publicly for Martha, but searching burial registers or inscriptions in the Leipzig area may be worthwhile.
Bruno Bernhard Börngen’s Records
Though the focus is Martha, Bruno’s background can provide leads. Born ~1870 in Berlin, he would have a civil birth record in Berlin (since Prussia began civil registration in 1874). Knowing Bruno’s parents could uncover whether there was any Jewish heritage on his side. The surname Börngen is German, not typically Jewish, but Bruno’s mother or grandmother could have been from a Jewish family (perhaps this is where names like Schiff or Katz enter the tree).
Bruno’s birth certificate from Berlin (if found via the Berlin State Archive or Ancestry’s Berlin records) would list his parents’ names and religion. Additionally, if Bruno died in the 1930s–40s, there may be a death record in Saxony (if he died in Gaschwitz/Leipzig) or elsewhere if they separated.
The Steckbrief (wanted notice) from 1879 listing a “Bernhard Börngen of Langenleuba” is an interesting find, but it’s unclear if that refers to Bruno or a relative – likely a coincidence, as Bruno would have been only about 9 in 1879 [5] (https://www.adelsquellen.de/herumstreifer/verbrech35.htm). We mention it only to note the surname’s presence in historical records.
A more relevant entry is the Holocaust Victims Database noting Albert Börngen, born 17 Nov 1884 in Berlin, imprisoned at Langenstein-Zwieberge – possibly Bruno’s younger brother or cousin (born 14 years after Bruno) [6] (https://www.ushmm.org/online/hsv/person_advance_search.php). Albert Börngen’s persecution as a prisoner (perhaps for political reasons) could hint at the Börngen family’s political leanings or, if he were Jewish, a Jewish connection.
Further research into Bruno’s siblings and extended family might thus intersect with larger historical events (e.g., an Albert Börngen in Berlin of Jewish status would be significant). At this time, however, we have no direct evidence Bruno or Martha were considered Jewish; rather, their ancestry might contain Jewish lines.
Austrian Origins of Martha Emma Grabner
Tracing Martha’s lineage back into Austria is a major part of this research. We know she was Austrian-born. The challenge is identifying where in Austria and who her parents were. The family rumors point to Styria and Upper Austria as regions of interest, as well as possible ties to Vienna.
Styria (Steiermark) and Weiz/Puch/Hartberg
These are areas in southeast Austria. A Brandstätter family in Styria is believed to connect to Martha’s line (perhaps as her maternal or paternal ancestors). In particular, Weiz (a town in eastern Styria) and nearby Puch or Hartberg are mentioned. It is possible that Martha’s mother or grandmother was a Brandstätter from Styria.
The Brandstätter name appears in Styrian historical records – for example, the index of the old Styrian land records shows a Brandstätter entry in 1655 [7] (https://www.verwaltung.steiermark.at/cms/dokumente/11683626/5fa3bcb6/24%20bis%2072%20aus%20Mitteilungen%202-Verzeichnis%20der%20im%20Landesarchiv%20verwahrten%20Archivalien%20des%20alten%20steierm%C3%A4rkischen%20Landrechtes.pdf), indicating the family’s presence as far back as the 17th century.
This could suggest that the Brandstätters were an established family, potentially of some standing. Some Brandstätters were officials or landowners; one forum source notes an Andreas Brandstätter (born 1809) who was a court messenger (Gerichtsbote) in Plankenwarth, Styria [8] (https://forum.ahnenforschung.net/forum/foren-fuer-genealogie-in-anderen-laendern/oesterreich-und-suedtirol-genealogie/162987-graz-heirat-andreas-brandstaetter-1809-oo-vor-1834-mit-elisabeth-grundner).
If Martha’s ancestry indeed includes a Brandstätter from Styria, it might explain the story of “noble lineage.” The Brandstätters might not have been noble per se (the name doesn’t have a “von”), but they could have been well-to-do or connected to nobility. Alternatively, the noble lineage could come via another branch – possibly related to the Grabner surname itself.
(Note: “Grabner” is a common Austrian name, but intriguingly, there was a noble family Grabner von Rosenburg, a branch of the medieval von Graben family [9] (https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Graben)). That aristocratic line died out by 1770s, but if Martha’s Grabner family claimed distant descent from a cadet branch, it’s an interesting hypothesis. However, proving a link between Martha’s 19th-century family and the old nobility would require substantial evidence.)
Upper Austria and the Passau Tri-Border Region
The mention of Wels (a city in Upper Austria) and the Passau region suggests Martha’s family may also have roots there. Wels had both a Catholic majority and a small Jewish community. It’s possible Martha’s father was from Upper Austria while her mother was Styrian (or vice versa). For instance, perhaps Martha’s father (a Grabner) was born near Wels (there are Grabners in 19th-century Upper Austrian records), while her mother was from Styria (Brandstätter or another family).
We should search Upper Austrian parish registers (Diocese of Linz archives) for Grabners around 1875, and also emigration records in that area, since many Austrians moved for work or marriage. The Passau tri-border (where Upper Austria, Bavaria, and Bohemia meet) could be relevant if her family moved along those routes. Notably, Wels and St. Pölten (Lower Austria) are both mentioned in context of Jewish communities, but they also have plenty of Catholic records that might include the Grabner or Brandstätter names.
Vienna Possibility
If Martha lived in Vienna at some point, we shouldn’t overlook Vienna’s vast records. Vienna was a magnet for people from all crown lands. Perhaps Martha worked or lived in Vienna as a young woman (many women came to Vienna for domestic work). If Bruno met Martha in Vienna (he being from Berlin, perhaps visiting or working there around 1900), they could have married there before settling in Leipzig.
Vienna’s civil records are mostly indexed. The Vienna Meldezettel (residency registration forms) could also be useful to see if a Martha Grabner from Styria/Upper Austria lived in Vienna in the 1890s. This is speculative, but given Bruno was from Berlin, it might make sense that they met in a big city like Leipzig or Vienna rather than a small Styrian town.
Possible Jewish Lineage Connections
One intriguing aspect of Martha Emma Grabner’s heritage is the possible Jewish lineage suggested by family notes. The names Schiff, Katz, Ellenbogen, and Kleinert have been associated with her ancestry. These correspond to historically prominent Jewish families:
Schiff Family (Mainz)
The Schiff name is well-known among Jewish rabbinical families in Germany. For example, Rabbi Meir ben Jakob Schiff (“Maharam Schiff”, 1605–1644) was a famous scholar in the Rhine-Main region. Mainz in the 19th century also had the wealthy Schiff banking family (related to Jacob Schiff of New York, who was born in Frankfurt).
If Martha had a Schiff in her family tree, it likely dates back to an ancestor who either was Jewish or of Jewish descent. Perhaps a great-grandparent of Martha was a Schiff from Mainz who converted to Christianity. We should look at Mainz Jewish records (available via sources like FamilySearch or the Hessian archives) for any Grabner or Schiff connections.
Rabbi Katz on the Rhine
The surname Katz often stands for “Kohen Tzedek” and is notably part of the esteemed Katzenellenbogen rabbinic dynasty. The Katzenellenbogens were a family of rabbis that included figures in the Rhineland. (Indeed, Katzenellenbogen literally comes from a county on the Rhine, and many descendants shortened the name to Katz) [10] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katzenellenbogen).
A “Rabbi Katz on the Rhine” could refer to one of the chief rabbis in cities like Frankfurt, Worms, or Cologne. Should this connection be real, it would place some of Martha’s forebears in the Jewish communities along the Rhine. If Martha’s maternal grandmother’s maiden name was Katz, that would confirm this clue.
Ellenbogen (Katzenellenbogen)
This goes hand-in-hand with the Katz reference. Ellenbogen could be shorthand for Katzenellenbogen, or a branch of that family that went by Ellenbogen. The Katzenellenbogen line included luminaries like Rabbi Meir Katzenellenbogen of Padua (16th c.) and later rabbis in Central Europe.
Some descendants in the 18th–19th centuries dropped the “Katzen” and used Ellenbogen as a surname. For instance, one Leopold Ellenbogen (1840–1909) from Austria appears on FindAGrave [13] (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167418766/leopold-ellenbogen). We will keep the Ellenbogen clue on the table when examining maternal lines.
Kleinert Family (Weinheim)
Weinheim is a town in Baden (southwest Germany). The Jewish community in Weinheim was small but notable. The surname Kleinert in Weinheim could refer to one of those families.
If a Weinheim Kleinert married an Austrian, it could explain how a lineage from Weinheim came into Martha’s family. We should examine Weinheim Jewish records (recorded under the Grand Duchy of Baden’s archives). For example, Weinheim’s synagogue registers or Baden citizenship records from 1848 may list Kleinerts [14] (https://leo-bw.de/themenmodul/juedisches-leben-im-suedwesten/orte/baden/weinheim).
Connections to Erich Mielke
The prompt mentions a possible connection to Erich Mielke, the infamous head of the East German Stasi (State Security). Mielke (1907–2000) himself was born in Berlin to a working-class, socialist family; nothing immediately stands out in his biography regarding the surnames Grabner, Börngen, Schiff, Katz, or Kleinert.
A theory could be that someone in Martha’s extended family had interactions with Mielke or was part of his circle in the GDR (for example, if Frida’s family in the 1950s–80s had any link to Stasi circles or if a relative married into Mielke’s family). This is highly speculative.
Another angle: one of the Jewish names mentioned – for instance, Katz or Ellenbogen – appears in Mielke’s family tree? (Unlikely; Mielke’s parents were Wilhelm Mielke and Helene Mielke née Röll, to our knowledge, of non-Jewish background.) Alternatively, perhaps Martha’s family were victims or opponents of the regime, and Mielke’s connection is more narrative than genealogical.
Without clearer evidence, we note this but focus on verifiable genealogical links. It’s possible the user included Mielke as a way to contextualize Frida’s life in the GDR (since Frida died in 1986, while Mielke was still in power). If any concrete link emerges (for example, a Stasi file on the Börngen family), it will be documented.
Possible Noble Lineage Connections
On the other side of the family tree, there are hints of noble or official lineage. The references to Further Austria, Rottenburg, Horb, and Brandstätter suggest that some of Martha’s forefathers may have been involved in the Austrian administration or minor nobility.
Further Austria (Vorderösterreich) Officials
Rottenburg am Neckar and Horb am Neckar (both in Württemberg today) were part of the Habsburgs’ “Further Austria” possessions until 1805 [15] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottenburg_am_Neckar). Austrian nobles or bureaucrats governed these Swabian territories. If an ancestor was an “official in Further Austria,” he might have been a civil servant or military officer stationed in the Schwarzwald region.
The Brandstätter family could be key here. Perhaps a Brandstätter ancestor in the late 1700s was a Habsburg official in Rottenburg. If Martha’s great-grandfather was a Brandstätter who was a Kreishauptmann or clerk under Austrian rule, this would explain the connection. It is also possible that the spelling fluctuated with “Brandstetter.”
Example: Franz Xaver von Brandstetter (1788–?) served in the Austrian civil administration. While not directly linked, such roles illustrate how the family could align with the noble/official hypothesis.
Upper Austria and Bavarian Border Nobility
The Passau region could relate to minor nobility or officials on the border of Upper Austria and Bavaria. The Prince-Bishopric of Passau had its own administrators, and the Habsburgs controlled nearby Innviertel after 1779.
No specific surname was given for this clue, but if we find any aristocratic connection in Martha’s tree, we will cross-reference those regions.
Grabner von Rosenburg
The earlier mention of Grabner von Rosenburg is relevant again. That line, a branch of the von Graben family, died out in the 1770s [9]. If Martha were descended through a female or illegitimate line, this would not show up in formal peerage books but might be traceable in church or land records.
Summary of Noble Connections Plan
We will:
- Investigate the Brandstätter line in Styria (via Matricula and regional nobility records).
- Watch for any “von” or “Edler” titles in marriage, baptism, or death records.
- Consult nobility reference works like Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels or Österreichisches Adelslexikon for possible matches.
- Explore the Steiermärkisches Landesarchiv in Graz for archival entries on Brandstätters [7].
If any noble title (e.g., “Baroness von X”) appears in civil or church documentation, it will be definitive evidence. Short of that, circumstantial confirmation through job roles or property records will be pursued.
Conclusion and Outlook
This investigation combines direct evidence (civil and church records) with deep lineage research across different cultural communities. So far, we have established the basic framework of Martha Emma Grabner’s life: an Austrian-born woman who married and settled in Leipzig, having a daughter Frida in 1901.
The next crucial steps are to obtain the primary documents that have been identified, which will either substantiate or clarify the hints we have:
- Martha’s exact birth date/place and parents’ names – likely from her marriage or death record.
- Any evidence of Jewish heritage – via names and religions of her ancestors (a baptism record might note if a parent was of Mosaic faith, or a marriage record might list a Jewish background if a conversion was involved; otherwise, it will come from tracing surnames once we know them).
- Any evidence of noble or notable ancestry – via titles or occupations recorded for her father/mother (e.g., “Vater: Johann Grabner, k.k. Offizial aus Graz” would immediately point to a Habsburg official connection).
Once these pieces are in hand, we can dive deeper: for instance, if Martha’s mother turns out to be Anna Schiff, born 1848 in Mainz, we would then document the Schiff family tree (perhaps connecting to known rabbis like those of the Schiff dynasty in the 18th century). Or if her father was Franz Grabner, Ritter des Ordens xyz, we’d explore that in Austrian military archives.
In summary, Martha Emma Grabner’s genealogy appears to straddle diverse worlds – from Austrian provincial roots to Leipzig city life, and possibly from Jewish scholarly families to Austrian administrative circles. The research will continue in both archives and specialized genealogical repositories.
We have a clear path forward thanks to digital resources:
- The Matricula site for Austrian parish records [1] (https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/img_auth.php/b/b7/1-Instruction_Matricula_Online.pdf),
- The Leipzig archive’s digital index [4] (https://www.compgen.de/2021/11/suche-im-stadtarchiv-leipzig/),
- And JewishGen’s compilations on rabbinic families [10] (https://www.jewishgen.org/rabbinic/infofiles/surnames.htm) will be indispensable.
With thorough examination of these, we aim to compile a well-sourced lineage chart for Martha Emma Grabner, documenting each generation and highlighting the connections to the Schiff, Katz (Katzenellenbogen), Ellenbogen, Kleinert, and Brandstätter families as (and if) they are confirmed.
Sources Cited
- Matricula Online (Austria Church Registers) – https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/img_auth.php/b/b7/1-Instruction_Matricula_Online.pdf
- Pick Family Genealogy - RootsWeb – https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~prohel/genealogy/names/pick/pick.html
- Mickael Graber Family History Records – https://www.ancestry.com/1940-census/usa/Ohio/Mickael-J-Graber_14b83v
- Stadtarchiv Leipzig Search – https://www.compgen.de/2021/11/suche-im-stadtarchiv-leipzig/
- Steckbriefe aus dem Deutschen Reich 1879 – https://www.adelsquellen.de/herumstreifer/verbrech35.htm
- Holocaust Survivors and Victims Database – https://www.ushmm.org/online/hsv/person_advance_search.php
- Styrian Archive Index (Brandstätter) – https://www.verwaltung.steiermark.at/cms/dokumente/11683626/5fa3bcb6/24%20bis%2072%20aus%20Mitteilungen%202-Verzeichnis%20der%20im%20Landesarchiv%20verwahrten%20Archivalien%20des%20alten%20steierm%C3%A4rkischen%20Landrechtes.pdf
- Andreas Brandstätter Forum Thread – https://forum.ahnenforschung.net/forum/foren-fuer-genealogie-in-anderen-laendern/oesterreich-und-suedtirol-genealogie/162987-graz-heirat-andreas-brandstaetter-1809-oo-vor-1834-mit-elisabeth-grundner
- Von Graben – https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_Graben
- Rav-SIG: Surnames of Rabbinical Families – https://www.jewishgen.org/rabbinic/infofiles/surnames.htm
- Katzenellenbogen – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katzenellenbogen
- Leopold “Lipman” Ellenbogen – https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167418766/leopold-ellenbogen
- Weinheim - LEO-BW – https://leo-bw.de/themenmodul/juedisches-leben-im-suedwesten/orte/baden/weinheim
- Rottenburg am Neckar – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rottenburg_am_Neckar
- Grabner – Ancestry Public Records – https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1093/?name=_Grabner&count=50&fh=200&fsk=MDsyMDA7NTA-61-