Tracing ancestors can be complex when your family emigrates from another country. Research is especially complicated for Eastern Europe, where many countries experienced border and name changes over the years. Legacy Tree Genealogists' Michelle Chubenko provides tools and tips for identifying and researching ancestral villages in Europe.In the past 150 years, Central and Eastern Europe have seen numerous border changes. While researchers may be familiar with the modern successor states, … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Belarus Archives and Records Collections
Legacy Tree Genealogists’ Dennis Baranov has conducted research in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine for more than 15 years. His wife Mariya is his research helper and translator. In this article, they provide detailed information about Belarus archives and records to research family histories, especially in an area where many documents have been destroyed. Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, surrounded by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia. Minsk is the capital and … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Exploring the Archives of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers around the world to access records for our clients. We recently asked one of our onsite researchers to share valuable information on the resources available for family history research at various archives in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Although the country had many names over the years, in 1995, the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (located on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe) officially changed its name to Bosnia and Herzegovina. One … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Navigating Italy’s Archives for Family Research
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our on-site researchers in Italy to explain how to navigate the complex maze of archives in Italian Research.It is incredible to me that America, as a country, is older than Italy!Between 1859 and 1870, the various territories in the peninsula came together to unify the country, but it would be another 76 years before a constitution was written and Italy declared a … [Read more...]
Legacy Tree Onsite: Using the Bulgarian State Archives in Family History Research
Legacy Tree Genealogists works with researchers from across the globe to access records for our clients. We asked one of our onsite researchers located in Bulgaria to share an overview of the various record collections available at the Bulgarian State Archives for family history research.The Bulgarian State ArchivesBulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria (Република България), occupies the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. The national record keeper is the … [Read more...]
Make Hay While the Sun Shines: Farm Names in Your Family History
Today we’re going to discuss another important surname anomaly that commonly appeared in areas using patronymics and sporadically elsewhere: Farm Names. But first, it’s important to understand how surnames have evolved, and the nuances that can create brick walls in our genealogy research if we aren’t aware of them. Let’s dive in!Lesson in History: The Birth of Modern SurnamesBefore different religious factions broke off from the Roman Catholic Church, our ancestors who were not nobility or … [Read more...]
Windmills, Tulips, and Wooden Shoes: A Guide to Dutch Surnames
Exploring your Dutch ancestry and family history is made easier with an understanding of Dutch surnames and their origins. The Netherlands: a small country with enormous cultural and historical impact. Located in the heart of northern Europe, the Netherlands produced some of the most renowned contributors to science, philosophy, and the arts during the Renaissance, and was known as a haven of relative tolerance during historical periods of persecution. A founding member of the EU, today it is … [Read more...]
Tracing Ancestry Through Medieval Italian Records
Family History: How Far Back Can You Go?As professional genealogists one question we are often asked is, “How far back can you take my pedigree?” While we’d all love to have a pedigree documented back to the beginnings of mankind, this just isn’t possible. And creating an accurate, documented and sourced family tree cannot be completed in the span of an afternoon--answering one of our other most frequently received questions--How Long Does It Take to Build a Family Tree?Genealogical … [Read more...]
Why Is It Not on The Map? How Learning History Aids Your Genealogy
"Why is it not on the map?" We discuss how learning history can help you in your family history research--especially when it involves areas with shifting boundaries and name changes!One of the biggest frustrations for a family historian is finding a new place name written in a family record … but then not being able to find that place on a modern-day map, as was the issue we recently discussed in our blog article, Finding Vital Records for Galicia, Austria-Hungary.Sometimes this quandary … [Read more...]
Mapire: A Free Tool for Historical Maps of Europe
Historical maps of Europe are an often underutilized resource in European genealogy research. We share a free tool that allows you to add European maps to your genealogy toolbox!Since most records were held on the town/parish level in Europe, locating the correct town is an essential first step before researching your ancestors in their country of birth. Over the centuries, borders in Europe sometimes changed drastically, so it is important to know to which country or empire your ancestral … [Read more...]