We sat down with German genealogy research expert, Katie Schober, founder of Germanology Unlocked–courses, German-English translation services, and books for those who need some professional help with their German ancestry research. In this article you'll learn about: • The foundations of Germanology Unlocked • Understanding German Genealogy Research Language • How to navigate German dialects • Whether or not you need to know German in order to do your family history research • … [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 Surnames Before different religious factions broke off from the Roman Catholic Church, our ancestors who were not nobility or … [Read more...]
Find Centuries of Ancestors in Germany’s Village Genealogy Books!
If you have German ancestry, village genealogy books are an essential resource for extending your family history. German genealogy can be intimidating—after determining the ancestral village of origin, the next step involves deciphering documents written in an archaic handwritten cursive script that can challenge even the best of us. So, genealogists seeking their German ancestors can perhaps be forgiven for wishing for any kind of a shortcut that could make their lives easier. Fortunately, for … [Read more...]
German Evangelical Church Records Online: Archion.de
If you have German ancestry, this resource is for you! Archion.de is an online resource for German evangelical church records. Church records, which can include baptisms, marriages, burials, confirmations, and in some areas family books, are some of the most commonly used resources for German genealogical research. For those with German ancestors of the Protestant Evangelical faith, accessing church records from many areas of Germany has gotten easier over the last several years. In … [Read more...]
German Immigrants in American Church Records
If your family tree has German immigrants, include American church records in your genealogy research efforts. Do you have German ancestors who lived in the Midwest? Were they Protestants? If you answered yes to those questions, then you need to know about the German Immigrants in American Church Records (GIACR) series. Compiled by Dr. Roger P. Minert of Brigham Young University, the first volume of the series was published in 2005 and has since expanded to include 18 volumes, the most … [Read more...]