The immigration records which came into existence because of the EWZ (Einwandererzentralstelle, the Immigration Control Center) are a treasure trove of information for those searching to find their ancestors. These records consist of information regarding families from former German areas such as Russia, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and other areas who had to gather and maintain documented records showing births, marriages and deaths for all family members. There are over a million registered Germans whose records are included in this collection.
These very helpful documents can be so useful for those who are trying to locate the ancestral villages of those people who had been forced to leave their homes during the WWI period. Many of these records were preserved and are available on film at the Family History Library and its many centers throughout the world, as well as at the National Archives in Washington, DC.
The records available at the Family History Library are very useful and include the collection called the Einwanderer/Gesundheits-Kartei, which includes all immigrants over the age of fifteen and the pedigrees of their families. The cards are arranged in alphabetical order. Many of these films are still stored in the Granite Mountain Records Vault and would need to be ordered before using them at the Library.
Some of the information that can be found on these 742 rolls of films for these pedigrees includes the following:
- Name of the person
- Marital status and date
- Birthdate and place
- Citizenship and religion
- Last residence
- Parents names with birthdates and places
- Spouse and children’s names birthdate and places
See information about the EWZ records in the Family History Library Catalog.
For further information on German immigration, see the Germany Emigration and Immigration article in the FamilySearch Research Wiki.
Source: FEEFHS Quarterly V. VI, Numbers 1-4 Immigration Records of the EWZ by Steven W. Blodgett. A.G.
