Introduction to German
Research
by William "Rod"
Fleck
Chairperson of the German
Interest Group of the Seattle Genealogical Society –
1991-2000
The following is the lecture
outline that I hand out when I do my presentations within Washington State. I hand this out, because of the
occupational defect I suffer from – I talk really, really fast. This way you can listen, read along, and
revisit it later. If this helps you
in some way, then my purpose in posting it was fulfilled.
I. Purpose and
Preparation
A. A secret - you
are all historians. General purpose
- be good historians who have an emphasis in family history.
1. Now some at
my alma mater would cringe at that statement, yet
2. You are
conducting historical research on a specific topic area that involves the
discovery, verification, documentation, and evaluation of materials from actual
historical documents.
a.
Historian!
b. Actually,
in some ways conducting a family research effort is like developing a master's
thesis.
3. So why do
the Ivory Towered Ph.D.'s cringe when they hear family historians called
historians?
a. Because we
have a tendency not to do a few things:
(1) Organize our materials
in a standard format.
(2) Annotate are finds in a
fashion that permits others to easily verify the conclusions we have
reached.
(3) Sometimes place heavy
reliance on myths, tall tales, and intuition - not that that is wrong, the
Ph.D.'s do it also, but not to the same extent. Nor is this bad, but it requires one to
document when you are doing that and why.
b. Yet we can
overcome this attitude.
(1) I have written on this
in the past, but organization is a good starting point. Utilize a methodology that allows you to
quickly find what you have - the binder approach is what I use.
Demonstrate.
(2) Also you need to make
sure that you annotate your family group sheets of the source of information
that this contained on the sheets.
B. Specific purpose today, however, is to
focus on doing research in Germany.
This is a bit broad, but I do hope to lay down a basic frame work that
you can use in your efforts and then handle questions for as long as there are
some.
1. Primary
need is to know the city, town or village your ancestor came from and in which
area of Germany their "heimat" is located.
a. What do I
mean when I say German research, I like to use the phrase Germanic research, it
is more encompassing.
1. The Kaiser Reich of
1871-1914
a. Modern
Germany as it is now reunified
b. Parts of
Poland
c. Parts of
France
OVERHEAD
2. Yet the
suggestions will also work if you are researching in the area of
Austria
b. Usually
what we need, we may already have!
1. Review what
you have
a. Make note
of any location of origins that are beyond Germany or Prussia (unless the later
is prior to 1850).
Discuss
b. Also write
down any other information - such as "near Cologne"
i. This
is a hint, but remember that this may not be saying that Cologne was the point
of origins – rather it may be an effort to locate a region by your ancestor when
they were speaking to others not from that region.
ii. Easy
reference point for most Americans.
c. Also note
any information regarding when immigration may have occurred, as well as the
individual's religion upon arrival in this country. These last facts will help you when you
write to Germany.
2. Exhaust
state side services
a. LDS -
Family History Center
i. IGI -
both microfilm and CD-ROM
ii. Family
History Library - Mention PALMER's
holes!
iii. FHS COMPUTER CAN
SAVE YOU TIME AND FRUSTRATION. On
line site is located at http://www.familysearch.org/Search/searchcatalog.asp
and this is really a thing to mark for your favorites.
b.
Associations here
i.
GGSA and GRA and FEEHS
ii. Search
sources
a. Immigrant Genealogical
Society
P.O. Box 7369
Burbank, California 91510-7369
* FANA
searches.
b. Lineages, Inc.
P.O. Box 417, Salt Lake UT 84110
(801)531-9297
iii. GENEALOGICAL
RESEARCH DIRECTORY - Book
c. Books
(available in the Seattle Public Library Reference Section, might be available
in your local library). I'll just
mention a few.
i.
1850-1891
Glazier & Filby's Germans to America
ii. Filby's Philadelphia Naturalization
Records
iii. Zimmerman's German Immigrants: 1847-1862 Bremen to
NY.
d. Internet -
Check out the http://www.rootsweb.com/
for a listing of genealogical areas, as well as surnames, and then post your
message to the list. You may have
to subscribe, and doing so will probably provide you with a wealth of
information about the region or others working on the surname you are working
on. You may be able to get
assistance from experts in the area you are researching simply by typing out a
query. Some
comments:
i.
Include the surname and location in your message line of your
post;
ii. Provide as
much information as possible
e. Specific
Internet pages/places
The mother of all home pages -
·
http://www.cyndislist.com/
Great site that has some 43,000 links on it
relating to genealogy - organized by category
·
http:/www.genealogy.com/gene/genealogy.html
Home page for German genealogy - worth
stopping at and up dated on a regular basis.
Federation of Eastern European Historical
Societies - a must visit place for those dealing with Germans in Eastern
Europe. Check the portion of the
site that deals with the specific ethnic organizations and
groups.
·
http://www.genealogienetz.de/genealogy.html
A German based page with a great amount of material continually added. –
very easy to search by village – topical site map as
well
·
http://www.germanna.org/
This organization specializes in the early
1700 immigrants of the Pennsylvania/Virginia areas.
·
http://www.familytreemaker.com/
Associated with the very popular
genealogical program, this is a good place to do
searches.
·
http://www.rootsweb.com/
Search this surname section to see if
someone is working on your same line - good way to find
cousins.
·
http://etv.de/abfragen/bin/neuabrage.pl
This is how you can search the German
phone book for surnames - German - may take a few tries to understand
it.
use this to find towns, addresses
(in USA), etc.
·
HUNDREDS OF OTHERS, e-mail
me for some of the ones that I have used on a regular basis and I can send you
the links.
2. You have
found it! The name of the village,
town or city, or you have the name of a state that is not as broad as
Prussia. Now
what.
II.
Contact/Writing
A. Need to talk
about the archival structure.
1. General
statements
a. Except in
the five new German states, the former East Germany, the phrase "decentralized"
is an understatement.
b. Yet,
professional and courteous beyond belief.
c. Also
swamped with requests. So later
I'll mention some tips on writing that will help you to get your letter
answered!
2.
Structure. Two major
divisions at the outset - Religious and secular
a.
Religious
(1)
Evangelical
(a) Includes
Lutherans, Reformed and United churches
(b) General archives do
exist, but from my experience and my member's experience most of the items
you'll be looking for (vital records, etc.) will be kept in the local community
or in the district parish archives.
(2)
Catholic
(a) Organized into
ecclesiastical districts centered around bishops and archbishops.
i. 27
archives with earlier church records.
ii. Most of the
information will probably be in the local churches
iii. Yet your letter
to the Arch bishopric's Archive will probably be forwarded for
you.
(b) Records, as is also the
case with the Evangelical church records, will be in a combination of German and
Latin script. With the First Name
and the surname being written in Latin Script making it somewhat easier to
decipher.
(3)
Jewish
(a) I have no
experience in this area whatsoever
(b) I do know that many
records were lost, destroyed during the Nazi-era.
(c) Best source for
material and guidance here is to make contact with the Association of Jewish
Genealogical Societies (P.O. Box 900, Teaneck, NJ 07666). This Association is an umbrella for the
45+ Jewish genealogical organizations in the U.S. and Canada. They also publish a valuable magazine to
Jewish or gentile genealogist working in Eastern Euorpe - Avotaynu. Also visit their web site - http://www.avotaynu.com/ for
information.
b.
Secular/Governmental
(1) Remember that Germany
did not exist as such prior to 1871 as a state. Prior to that it was a Confederation of
Dukedoms, Principalities, bishoprics, etc.
You need to have a historical map and a modern map to help you pinpoint
where you need to search.
(2) Some general
divisions
(a) Staatsarchiv and
Landesarchiv
These are the equivalent to the state archives, in political
analogies. But, they are very
different in that they will contain immigration petitions, military records,
guild records, copies of the vital records, citizenry books, and censuses if
conducted.
(b) Stadtarchiv
These are city archives or local archives. These, depending upon the Land in which you are working, may have
all of the documents that you are looking for or are hoping to
find.
(c) Familienarchiv
These archives are focused upon a specific family, usually nobility, and
may be located in historic homes, castles, estates, etc., or at the Staatsarchiv
or Stadtarchiv. Existence is hard
to determine, yet E. Thode's book lists some with complete addresses. While Baxter's book just lists the
families name and the Land in which the archive is located.
B. Tools to help you
determine who to write to? where to
write?
1. Map work -
historical and modern geography is going to be your best
guide.
a. Find a
historical map of Germany - most LDS Family History Centers have on either on
microfilm or in "hard copy. Seattle
Public Library has an Atlas of the German Empire - 1892 (R912.43 B471A) that is
very good.
b. Locate your
village, town, city on the historical map.
(1) LDS has on microfilm in
every FHC a Meyers Gazetteer that can
help you in this effort. (Film # 496.640 & 496,641; Fiche
6,000,001-029) However Meyers is
printed in fraktor and may not be the easiest to read. It will, however, give the location by
district, region, state and kingdom of every village with that name. A good introductory article on the use
of Meyers can be found in The German
Connection, Joan Lowrey, Vo. 14, No.3, 7/90.
OR, you may want to check out the Ritters Geographisch-Statisches Lexicon,
2 vol, located at Suzzalo Library, University of Washington, Seattle – Call
number is G103 R58, 1910.
**** A good guide to this source is available
from Evelyn Ruehl, of Kin Hunters at 2319 North 45th Street, #321, Seattle, WA
98103
(2) The US Board of
Geographical Names has a Gazetteer of the former West and East Germany. These can be much simpler to use than
Meyers yet will not have all of the information that Meyers
would.
(3) Some of the old
Imperial German Atlases have gazetteers in them and these can be invaluable for
you to use.
(4) REMEMBER - you need to
look for the village that is consistent with the information you already
have. For example, if an ancestor
says they were Bavarian on every USA census, and there are five villages with
the name Steinau in the former Kaisers Reich, you will only want to know if
there is one in Bavaria to begin with.
2. Modern
maps
The best overview I have found of modern Germany is the Ravenstein, Deutschland - 1:500,000
(approx. $9). Yet, check around,
also check out the sources I listed in an article on sources available to the
German genealogist in SGS’s 1993/4 Bulletins. On line sites are awesome for
this:
·
http://www.uke.multimap.com/ - a great
map source for Western Europe – very easy to use
·
http://www.mapquest.com/ - another one that
is awesome.
3.
Books
a. Always
check to see if there are books on researching in your particular area, or at
least articles. This can save you a
lot of time and effort.
b. The German Research
Companion,
by Shirley Riemer is really a heck of a book that gives you information in 25+
chapters covering anything you wanted to know. The price is $34.95, yet if a group is
interested in getting multiple copies, she might be open to a less
price...contact her at P.O. Box 221356, Sacramento, CA
95822-8356.
c. Histories.
(1) Not many in English. –
Take Die Chronik der Deutschen, & the Bohemia
Book
(2) Prof. G. Schweitzer's
book is the best written, yet the print used is not the easiest on the eye. Also it is $19+. A good read however and it will help you
sort out the basics of German history.
Contact his publisher at 407 Ascoti Cout, Knoxville, TN
37923-5807
d.
C. General Concepts
1. "Hurry-up
and wait"
a. You will
not get instant answers
b. About the
time you forgot that you mailed the item is when it will
arrive.
2. "Targeted
shotgun approach"
a. Mixed
results, and I have had some German experts look at me disapprovingly when I
mention this. However, it's worked
for my group in SGS, and for myself.
b.
Explained
(1) Alter the letter so
that you send a copy to the village archive, sometimes via the Bürgermeister, as
well as to the Staatsarchiv.
(2) May also want to
address one to the local minister -
Evang.
Pfarrer
Kath.
Pfarrer
3. E-mail
mailing lists –I would almost recommend starting here – just in case. These groups can help you quickly limit
an area of search, may help find other researchers etc. http://www.rootsweb.com/ also has message
boards that can be a good place to post a general query, but not the same as
e-mail mailing lists – which can be found at their mailing list site for
Germany.
D.
Writing
1. English
versus German...write in what you know! (I have been told by one professional
researcher/lecturer that this may be perceived as rude by the German
receiving. While that may be the
case, I have yet to find a form letter that I truly find to be adaptable to what
an individual wants to write. Also,
I hate form letters – my group for nine years has used this advice and found it
to be a positive way of doing business.)
2. ALWAYS,
ALWAYS, ALWAYS send at least two International Exchange
Coupons.
a. Cost you a
little over a dollar a piece and provides a means of return postage to your
foreign recipient.
b. Like
getting a S.A.S.E - you kind of feel guilty if you throw it
away.
c. Also helps
with groups that cannot afford to pay postage for responses.
3. Remember
that kindness, humility, brevity and neatness is an archivist's dream - so Keep
It Simple!!!
a. Outline
form of your letter.
b. One page
maximum length.
4.
Correspondence log
E. What is available
to ask for.
1. Examples I
have
a. Civil
registry - Reichspersonenstandgesetz or
Gerichtsbücher
b. Vital
records - Kirchenbücher
(1) Extract
format
(2) Copied
format
c.
Confirmation records
(1) Usually a part of the
Kirchenbücher
(2) May be seperate as Konfirmationbücher
d. Guild
records - Gilderbücher
e. Military
records - Musternlisten [1]
f. Property
records - Grundbücher
g. Immigration
- Auswanderenlisten
2. Other types
of documents that may exist, depending upon the area.
a. Census - Volszählungen - rare and not like
ours
b. Police
Registers - Einwohnermelderegister
c. Local
Family Books - Ortssippenbücher
d. Lineage
Books - Geschlechterbücher
e. City
Directory - Addressbücher
f. House Books
- Häuserbücherbücher
g. Citizen
Register - Bürgerbücher
h. Newspapers
- Zeitungen
3. Two other
examples of very different things
a. The
rejection letter - very short with little that looks like
information.
b. Third
Reich
(1) Gauleiter Extracts -
Probably will only get these from individual researchers or individuals
researcher families in areas that were occupied by the Program by the Nazi
government to extract "German vital records" and make copies.
(2) Ahnenpass - requirement
within the Third Reich to prove “blood purity” back so many generations
depending upon positions and involvement within the government, military,
factories, etc.
III. THE WAIT &
RESULTS
A. "The waiting is
the hardest part..."
1. Once you
have forgotten you have written
2. What do you
do in the mean time?
a. Read your
histories - even the driest histories can help shed light on the experiences and
world events that surrounded, and probably influenced your
ancestors.
b. Work on
fleshing out the American portion of the family history
c. Make notes
regarding things you may have discovered in your historical readings that could
have impacted your ancestor's lives.
B.
Results
1. If in
German, you may need translators – Check with local college and
such.
a. If you get
a result, or find someone who is very helpful, please always send a note of
thanks
b. Also help
us update the Source List.
2. Payment of
international assistants
a. Some may
ask for cash so they can play the currency markets.
Government agencies will not
want cash, so I recommend using a source that provides a check drawn on a bank
within Germany. Or if at all
possible, see if they will now take a check drawn on your bank. This is starting to become very
common. Other means of payment can
be by credit card via a secure internet site, or through payment mediums such as
http://www.paypal.com/
2. Once you
have material in a readable form
a. Update
group sheets
b. Annotate
source for new information
c. Complete
your correspondence log.
3. Reevaluate
your record as a whole and make plans for your next round of letters and
inquiries.
Finally, feel free to drop
me a note at: 530 Collins, Forks, WA 9833
Be patient, sometimes the
job, family, or hobbies prevent me from a quick
response.