For generations, there's been the story that a direct ancestor of mine (great-x5-grandfather) had fought in the Battle of Berezina (B.o.B.), with two of his brothers. They survived and, on their way back, supposedly ended up in Amsterdam, where they found themselves wives and started the Dutch branches of a once German family.
It's a nice heroic story, but to be honest: I find this very hard to believe.
For one thing, the B.o.B. was in 1812 and the ancestor in question would have been 16 at the time. And how did they just "end up in Amsterdam"? It's not exactly en route, if you travel from Belarus to Germany..
On the odd chance it was actually not him but his father: he never went to The Netherlands. Also, in 1812, he had (at least) five children under the age of 15, the youngest being 5; I can't imagine him just taking off and going to Russia to fight in some (relatively random) battle.
Still, I'd like some answers. Closure, if you will.
So I'd like to know: is there any way to find out if anyone of my ancestors was, indeed, in that battle? Would there be any lists of soldiers or something like that?
I'd like to hear if you have any tips!
Well, the answer partly depends upon which side your ancestors fought on. Russian troops did fight in Berezina, and also took part in the 1813/14 campaigns in central Europe and the Low Countries. The Grande Armée of Napoleon's 1812 invasion, likewise included a massive non-French contingent. There were some 25000 conscripts from the Low Countries that crossed the Niemen. Again, which side of the battle your ancestors fought can untangle this question.
There are two resources you might want to check out. The discussion forums on napoleon-series.org are rather lively at times and a number of the posters do have knowledge of the orders of battle for various battles, so you might want to pose a question there. Second, the historian Alexander Mikaberidze has written a fine book on the Battle of Berezina. The book is worth checking out, but you also might be possible to email him. Emailing historians and other academics is always a hit and miss affair (and be advised, you are not owed a response), but it could be a welcome distraction for a professor right before the semester starts.