1: Research
2: Archives and Libraries
3: Church and Cemetery Records
4: Civil Registration
5: Emigration and Immigration
6: Military Records
7: Maps and Gazetteers
8: Newspapers
9: Geo/Culture/History
10: Get Help
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Partners and Sites: FamilySearch Ancestry MyHeritage | Websites: FS Wiki GenealogyLinks
Germany StatesGoal 1: Get started with German research.Vault
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Choices
AExplore German research.
- Basics: Get started researching German ancestors.
FS Wiki—German Genealogy
AC—German Research, Beginning—24:43 - 2013 - Learn about researching German ancestors in these articles.
TH—Researching German Ancestors - 2018
Basic Research Outline for German Genealogy - Use the Gathering Information article to help with German research.
FS—Gathering Information - Town of Origin: Learn about finding the German town of origin for your ancestor.
PR—Finding German Immigrant Town of Origin, Part 1: Record Types
PR—Finding German Immigrant Town of Origin, Part 2 : Advanced Strategies - Learn more about finding the town of birth in this video.
AAC—Finding the Town of Birth for Your German Ancestor—5:18 - Get tips for finding your German immigrant ancestor's hometown, in this blog post on the
Genealogy Roots Blog site. - Tips: Watch this video for tips on finding German ancestors.
FS—Finding German Ancestors: Tips from James Beidler - 2017
- Learn to avoid common problems in German research.
AAC—Some Pitfalls in Germanic Research—2:33
Records
- Record Finder: Use the Germany Record Finder to understand record types for research.
FS—Wiki: Germany Record Finder - Record Types: Learn about different types of German source records.
PR—German Original Sources - Ancestry: Learn how to find German records for research in these Ancestry articles.
AC—Researching German Records
AC—Finding Your German Ancestors - 2016
- * Good: Using the articles and videos in this Choice, write down key learnings for research records. Then use the learnings for searches for an ancestor.
- * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.
BLearn about German genealogy terms and surname patterns.
- Terms: Study common German genealogy terms in these articles.
TH—Genealogy Word List
FS—Genealogy Word List - 2019
- Surnames: Learn about German surname origins in these articles.
TH—What Does Your German Last Name Mean? - 2019
FS—Germany Names
- Learn about the history of German surnames.
What Your German Surname Says About Your Ancestors—8:31 - 2019
- Learn about surname variations in records.
RT—Schmidt, Schmitt, or Schmit: German Surname Variations—21:26 - 2022
- Find German surnames by location in the Genealogy.net site.
- Explore surname distribution (a map where certain surnames are prevalent) in Germany.
- Spelling, Names, and Places: Learn about spelling variations in German names.
FS—Spelling Variations in German Given and Place Names—57:42 - 2017 - Learn how to decipher German names and places.
BYU—Deciphering Names of German People and Places—49:55 - 2022
- * Good: Using the articles and videos in this Choice, write down key learnings for terms and surnames. Then use the learnings for searches for an ancestor.
- * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.
CUse effective research methods for your German ancestors.
Vault
- Sites: Explore online databases and sites for German research.
TH—German Genealogy Online - Learn about the Compgen website for research.
FTM—Compgen.de Tour—2:36 - 2018
- Resources: Watch this BYU Webinar to learn more about available online resources for German research.
BYU—German Online Resources—40:59 - 2016
- Eastern Germany: Learn strategies for research in the eastern provinces of Germany.
Strategies and Sources for Eastern Provinces—56:14
RT—Searching For Your Elusive Prussian Ancestors: A Case Study—10:35 - 2022
- Moravia: Learn about doing research in Moravia.
FS—Family Research in Moravia - Opportunities and Challenges—60:23 - Correspondence: Use this guide for corresponding with German organizations about genealogy resources.
FS—German Letter Writing Guide
Search
- - Sites: Explore the Compgen.de website for a variety of databases you can search for records.
- Explore the FEEFHS website (Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies) for German research resources.
- Explore the Forebears.io site for research records.
- Search for ancestor records on the Meta Genealogy site.
- * Good: Using the articles and videos in this Choice, write down key learnings for research resources. Then use the learnings for searches for an ancestor.
- * Proficient: Same as above, for two or more ancestors.
DLearn how to interpret old German handwriting and scripts.
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- Skills: Learn more about German vocabulary and handwriting in this video.
AAC—Basic German Vocabulary and Handwriting—3:33 - Examples: See examples of how to read German records.
AC—Reading German Documents
RT—Five Google Hacks to Decipher Your German Documents—20:20 - 2021
- Learn how to decipher German town names in records.
5 Tips for Deciphering Town Names on German Records - Learn how to read Old German Suetterlin script with samples, downloadable fonts, and tutorials.
- Video Series: Watch the German Paleography Seminar, a series of videos from FamilySearch.
FS—German Paleography Series - 2019 - Tutorial: Explore the BYU German Script Tutorial.
