German Genealogy: Tips for Researchers

Diese Seite ist auch auf Deutsch verfügbar.

Getting Started in Internet Genealogy

With this page we try to present general information and tips on how to go about finding out more about your German ancestors. The proliferation of the Internet in recent years including the participation of hundreds of researchers has made possible an entirely new technique, Internet genealogy, which is the emphasis of this particular web page.

However, our German genealogy team doesn't believe that Internet genealogy is the means to answer all of your research questions. Some questions can be answered most easily by traditional research, while others can be answered faster by the Internet. We find that an integrated approach to your genealogy will be by far the most effective way to complete your researches quickly, accurately and comprehensively. The steps below reflect this philosophy.

Step 1: Identify What Is Known about Your Family
Record what information you know off the top of your head, especially full names, dates of births, marriages and deaths, and places. Then, interview elderly relatives to add the information which you do not know. Record this information as well. Look for any information which may be written down. Do you or your relatives know of the existence of any of the following, perhaps in an attic?

• bible
• certificates - birth, marriage, death
• deed
• journal
• letter
• military records
• obituary
• photo
• school records
• scrapbook
• will

Document all your sources. Organization allows you to develop an overview of what you have so that you can better direct your research.

Step 2: What Do You Want to Learn?
Choose one of your German ancestors and decide what you would like to learn. It is necessary that you know the ancestor's name, at least an approximate year and an associated place in Germany (or other location in Europe). Also helpful to know are the ancestor's religion and the names of other family members born in the same area. If you do not have enough information about the ancestor, even after reviewing your sources in Step 1, American researchers should see our section on Emigration records.

Step 3: Select and Pursue Avenues of Research
Once you have a place name, you need to locate it. Here you have the option of pursuing this via the Internet or traditional means. On the Internet, see the resources listed under Gazetteers and Maps and Regional Index, or, should you prefer, consult an atlas or gazetteer at your local library, or especially, at your nearby Family History Library (FHL).

Once you have sited the location, review the history of the region so that you can understand patterns of emigration, events, jurisdictions, etc. Check to see if there is a regional page on the area on this web server or see the History section of this page; alternatively, you may be able to find a good encyclopedia article or history book which will provide this information.

Now you should be in a position to move forward with actual records. There are many avenues on which you can proceed; your best results will probably come from use of a combination of several of them.

• Family History Center
  The immense holdings of the Family History Library are the most likely place to be able to find records for the place your ancestor came from. Try a Locality Search to see if there are any microfilms. While you are waiting for the microfilms to arrive, also consult the Ancestral file and the IGI to find out if any other researcher has already done work on your ancestor. You may be able to contact them and find that a lot of your work has already been done.
  See our helpful guide to reading old German handwritten scripts once you do access the microfilms.
• Newsgruppen
  • soc.genealogy.surnames.german
    Submit your surnames and places to the newsgroup and then check the archives to see whether anyone has already submitted these names.
  • soc.genealogy.german (bilingual deutsch/english)
  • de.sci.genealogie (deutschsprachig)
• Ortsfamilienbücher
  These books duplicate all the parish birth, marriage and death records for a particular community. Because of the enhanced readability and organization of a machine-printed page, these books can be a great advantage of microfilmed handwritten records. The only problems with this approach is that a book may not exist for your community of interest, and that even if it exists, the book may be out of print and/or unavailable.
• Telephone Listings
  If your surname is unusual, consult the telephone listings to find others who share your name and may possibly have already done research.
• Mailing Lists
  If there is a mailing list for your ancestor's region, join it. Make sure to use this resource wisely for best effect. Do not simply send in your surnames and places as you you would for soc.genealogy.surnames.german. What you should do is not only send this information, but also information on associated years, religion and most importantly, what research you have already undertaken. Think of the mailing list as an expert on family research, although probably not on that of your specific family. This multi-headed "consultant" is at its best when it can advise you on the most useful avenues for you to employ. This also applies to Newsgroups.
• Genealogical Societies of Germany
  You may want to try writing a genealogical society for your region of interest. See the Translations section for sample letters to send in other languages and how to get free help in translating your reply.

Step 4: Use the Information
Now it's time for evaluation. Did you find what you were looking for? Is it complete? Did you find conflicting information? Are your sources credible? You must now distill, correct and organize your findings. The next step should probably be to acquire a genealogical software package to help. Transferring your information into a system like this will help immensely in the task of organization, documentation and presentation.

Once done, return the favor to all those who have helped you, by sharing your information. Contribute to the Ancestral File at the Family History Center. Correct/update/supplement your ancestral information at soc.genealogy.surnames.german. Assist others on the mailing lists with the benefit of your new knowledge. Oh yes, don't forget to pick another ancestor and repeat the process.

[Top of document]