R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Germany
Research Outline
   

Table of Contents
Introduction
German Search Strategies
Records At The Family History Library
Familysearch™
The Family History Library Catalog
Archives And Libraries
Biography
Cemeteries
Census
Church Directories
Church History
Church Records
     General Historical Background
     Information Recorded In Church Records
     Locating Church Records
     Search Strategies
Civil Registration
     General Historical Background
     Regional Differences
     Information Recorded In Civil Registers
     Locating Civil Registration Records
Court Records
Directories
Dwellings
Emigration And Immigration
     Finding The Emigrant's Town Of Origin
     Emigration From Germany
     Records Of German Emigrants In Their Destination Countries
Gazetteers
Genealogy
Handwriting
Heraldry
Historical Geography
History
Jewish Records
Land And Property
Language And Languages
Maps
Military Records
     Types Of Military Records
     Foreign Military Service
     Locating Military Records
     Military History
Names, Personal
Naturalization And Citizenship
Newspapers
Nobility
Obituaries
Occupations
Periodicals
Population
Probate Records
Schools
Societies
Other Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

SCHOOLSLook this term up in the glossary.

If your ancestors were educated in German universities, they may have been recorded in the matriculation records of their schools. The library has a limited number of these records for the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. They are not available for all states.

School records sometimes contain valuable information, such as your ancestor's name, age, hometown, and enrollment and graduation dates. Sometimes they contain biographical information, including names of parents, wife, and children.

The few school records that the Family History Library has are listed in the Locality Search of the Family History Library Catalog under:

GERMANY - SCHOOLSGERMANY, [STATE] - SCHOOLSGERMANY, [STATE], [UNIVERSITY TOWN] - SCHOOLS

The university may have kept original school records (and any published versions). In some areas, local or state archives may have these records. You can find citations for German university matriculation sources on pages 181 to 197 of Ribbe's Taschenbuch für Familiengeschichtsforschung (see the “For Further Reading” section of this outline).

Though you may not be successful in getting the information you want, you can try writing for school records. Address your letter to the town and school in which you are interested. The Family History Library does not have the addresses of German schools.


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SOCIETIESLook this term up in the glossary.

Many societies and organizations may have information of value to your genealogical research. There are many genealogical and historical societies in Germany and in the country your ancestors immigrated to, especially the United States. You may find it helpful to join one of these societies and support its efforts.


Genealogical SocietiesLook this term up in the glossary.

Many genealogical societies emphasize German research. They publish helpful periodicals and compiled genealogies. They may also have special indexes, collections, and projects. Some publish queries about German ancestors or maintain a list of members' research interests. Some specialize in immigrants to a specific area.

Many societies cannot give research assistance, but they will inform you of addresses of researchers and other sources that may assist you in your research. They can usually help you find and hire a researcher to investigate local records that an archivist does not have time to search. When contacting a society for help, remember the following:

  • Research is impossible without exact information about places (town) and detailed information about dates (day, month, and year). Asking for help on an ancestor born in “Preußen in the nineteenth century” will not be successful.
  • Determine which German state your ancestoris from before contacting the society of that state.
  • If you cannot specify enough detail to begin research in Germany try a well-written, paid genealogical query offering a generous reward. Two periodicals that publish such queries are:
  • Familienkundliche Nachrichten (see "Periodicals" section of this outline).
  • Praktische Forschungshilfe (see "Periodicals" section of this outline).
  • When writing to any society in a foreign nation, include three international reply coupons to guarantee a response. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope if writing to a society in your own nation.

German Societies. Most German states have genealogical societies. Contact the society in the state where your ancestor lived. See “Guides to Societies and Associations” of this outline for a more complete list. The following societies may be of interest:

  • Specializing in Württemberg and Baden is:

Verein für Familien- und Wappenkunde in Württemberg u. Baden
Postfach 10 54 41
70047 Stuttgart
GERMANY
  • Specializing in Hessen is:

Hessische Familiengeschichtliche Vereinigung Staatsarchiv Schloß
64283 Darmstadt
GERMANY
  • Specializing in the Pfalz and Rheinland is:

Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pfälzisch-Rheinische Familienkunde
Rottstr. 17 (Stadtarchiv)
67061 Ludwigshafen/Rhein
GERMANY
  • Specializing in Rheinland is:

Westdeutsche Gesellschaft für Familienkunde
Postfach 10 08 22
51608 Gummersbach
GERMANY
  • Specializing in middle Germany is:

Arbeitsgemeinschaft für mitteldeutsche Familienforschung
Goldbergstr. 23
35043 Marburg
GERMANY
  • Specializing in east Germany is:

Arbeitsgemeinschaft ostdeutscher Familienforscher
Fuhrweg 29
53229 Bonn
GERMANY
Societies Outside Germany. If your ancestors are from Elsaß-Lothringen contact:

Cercle Généalogique d'Alsace
5, rue Fischart
67000 Strasbourg
FRANCE
There are often Germanic genealogical societies in the nations to which Germans immigrated. For example:

P.O. Box 291818
Los Angeles, CA 90029-1818
USA
  • German Genealogical Society

P.O. Box 16312
St. Paul, MN 55116-0312
USA
  • German Research Association, Inc.

P.O. Box 711600
San Diego, CA 92171-1600
USA
  • Immigrant Genealogical Society

P.O. Box 7369
Burbank, CA 91510-7369
USA

Capital University Box 101
Columbus, OH 43209-2394
USA
  • Sacramento German Genealogical Society

P.O. Box 660061
Sacramento, CA 95866
USA

Historical SocietiesLook this term up in the glossary.

Historical societies can provide valuable sources of information on Germany. Some historical societies collect information about German emigrants, and some exist in the countries where German immigrants settled.

Historical societies sometimes have information about specific German individuals. Many societies have special collections of books and manuscript material for Germany that may be hard to find in libraries and archives. You may be interested in the services, activities, and collections of the following societies:

  • Institut für pfälzische Geschichte und Volkskunde

Benzinoring 6
67657 Kaiserslautern
GERMANY

631 D Street
Lincoln, NE 68502-1199
USA

1008 E. Central Ave.
Bismarck, ND 58501
USA
  • Pennsylvania German Society

Box 397
Birdsboro, PA 19508
USA
The following source includes the addresses of over 100 ethnic heritage historical societies in North America:

Wheeler, Mary Bray, ed. Directory of Historical Organizations in the United States and Canada. 14th ed. Nashville: American Association for State and Local History, 1990. (FHL book Ref 970 H24d 1990; computer number 531083.)


Family Associations

Family organizationsLook this term up in the glossary. in the United States or Germany may be gathering information about your German relatives. Family histories, newsletters, family group records, Glenzdorf's directory, and Ancestral File can help you find active family associations (see the “Genealogy” section of this outline).


Guides to Societies and Associations

The source below is the best German genealogical society directory:

Zwinger, Dieter. Mitgliederverzeichnis 1994 DAGV (1994 membership directory of the German study group of genealogical societies). Neustadt/Aisch: Degener, 1992. (FHL book 943 B4a no. 14; computer number 756409.) This directory lists the address, telephone, services, publications, and territory covered by each of the 65 member societies. You will need to update the postal codes from the directory using the postal code book cited in this outline.

The following sources contain additional information on societies and other sources of information about Germany:

Meyer, Mary Keysor. Meyer's Directory of Genealogical Societies in the U.S.A. and Canada. 9th ed. Mt. Airy, Md.: Meyer, 1992. (FHL book 970 C44m 1992; computer number 648346.) See pages 98 to 101 of this book.

Wasserman, Paul and Alice E. Kennington, eds. Ethnic Information Sources of the United States. 2nd ed. Detroit: Gale Research, 1983. (FHL book Ref 973 F24w 1983; computer number 121796.)


Records at the Family History Library

Society records are usually described in the Author/Title Search of the Family History Library Catalog under the name of the society. The Locality Search also lists societies under one of the following headings:

GERMANY - SOCIETIESGERMANY, [STATE] - SOCIETIESGERMANY - GENEALOGYGERMANY, [STATE] - GENEALOGY

Lists and guides that describe the collections of societies are listed in the Locality Search of the catalog under:

GERMANY - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGSGERMANY, [STATE] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGSGERMANY, [STATE], [TOWN] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

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