For those with Kirsten ancestors from Germany, let me suggest checking the village of Tanneberg in the Kingdom of Saxony - about 12 miles north of Chemnitz. There were at least five generations of Kirstens born in Tanneberg and many others in surrounding towns. In 1825, August Kirsten (b. 1803) left Tanneberg and settled in Glauchau where his ten children were born. His son, Edward Hermann Kirsten (1841-1917), immigrated to the US in 1869. For those who think their Kirsten ancestors originated in Tanneberg (or near by villages)in Saxony, let me suggest the book, "The Kirsten, Wissinger, Klein and Biglin Families: 1650-1997" by Edward Kirsten. It is available at the Family History Library, Library of Congress and most of the major genealogical libraries in the US. It should be available through interlibrary loan.