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Germany Gazetteers: Difference between revisions
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Back to [[Germany|Germany Page]]► | Back to [[Germany|Germany Page]]► | ||
A gazetteer is a dictionary of | A gazetteer is a dictionary of placenames. Gazetteers may describe towns and villages, parishes and counties, states and provinces, rivers and mountains, and other geographical features. They usually include only the names of places that existed at the time the gazetteer was published, but may reference nam changes. The placenames are usually listed in alphabetical order, similar to a dictionary. | ||
Gazetteers may also provide additional information about towns, such as: | Gazetteers may also provide additional information about towns, such as: | ||
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*Major manufacturing works, canals, docks, and railroad stations. | *Major manufacturing works, canals, docks, and railroad stations. | ||
Gazetteers can help you find the places where your family lived and determine the civil and church jurisdictions over those places. For example, Sande, Germany, was a rural community in the state of Oldenburg. It had its own civil registration office | Gazetteers can help you find the places where your family lived and determine the civil and church jurisdictions over those places. For example, Sande, Germany, was a rural community in the state of Oldenburg. It had its own civil registration office and Evangelical parish, though those of the Catholic religion traveled to nearby Jever for worship and record keeping. If your ancestor was a Catholic from Sande, a gazetteer can tell you where to look for your ancestor's civil and church records. | ||
Some places in Germany have the same or similar names. You will need to use a gazetteer to identify the specific town where your ancestor lived, the government district it was in, and the jurisdictions where records about him or her were kept. | Some places in Germany have the same or similar names. You will need to use a gazetteer to identify the specific town where your ancestor lived, the government district it was in, and the jurisdictions where records about him or her were kept. | ||
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=== Finding Place-Names in the FamilySearch Catalog === | === Finding Place-Names in the FamilySearch Catalog === | ||
German | German placenames used in the "Place Search" field of the FamilySearch Catalog are based on the German Empire as it existed in 1871. Use either "place search" or "keyword search" to search for pertinent catalog entries. The state or province is listed as part of the place name heading. If a village did not have its own parish, it may only be listed in the notes of a catalog entry for the civil or parish jurisdiction it belonged. Such entries can be found using "keyword search" rather than "place search". | ||
=== Meyers Gazetteer === | === Meyers Gazetteer === | ||
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The Family History Library uses one gazetteer as the standard guide for listing German places in the catalog. Regardless of the various jurisdictions a place may have been under at different times, all German places are listed by the jurisdictions used in the following reference: | The Family History Library uses one gazetteer as the standard guide for listing German places in the catalog. Regardless of the various jurisdictions a place may have been under at different times, all German places are listed by the jurisdictions used in the following reference: | ||
Uetrecht, E. [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog-search-api%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F325694 <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Meyer</span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">s Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs</span></span>]''(Meyers | Uetrecht, E. [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/show?uri=http%3A%2F%2Fcatalog-search-api%3A8080%2Fwww-catalogapi-webservice%2Fitem%2F325694 <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Meyer</span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-style: italic;">s Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs</span></span>]''(Meyers Place- and Traffic directory of the German Empire).'' Fifth Edition. Leipzig, Germany: Bibliographisches Institute, 1912-3. (FHL book Ref 943 E5mo; films 496,640-1; fiche 6,000,001-29.) | ||
Meyers Gazetteer (often referred to as Meyers Orts) lists the names of places as they existed in Germany from 1871 to 1912. It gives the name of the state or province where each town was located at that time. The gazetteer is written in Gothic print, which can be hard to read. | Meyers Gazetteer (often referred to as Meyers Orts) lists the names of places as they existed in Germany from 1871 to 1912. It gives the name of the state or province where each town was located at that time. The gazetteer is written in Gothic print, which can be hard to read. | ||
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*FamilySearch: A digital copy of Meyers Gazetteer is in two volumes and is found at: part 1 A-K, {{FSbook|74680}}; part 2 L-Z , {{FSbook|74645}}. See "[[Step-by-step guide: Using Meyers Gazetteer Online]]" for detailed user instructions. An abbreviated guide to locating place names and jurisdictions in Meyers Gazetteer is found [https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog here]. | *FamilySearch: A digital copy of Meyers Gazetteer is in two volumes and is found at: part 1 A-K, {{FSbook|74680}}; part 2 L-Z , {{FSbook|74645}}. See "[[Step-by-step guide: Using Meyers Gazetteer Online]]" for detailed user instructions. An abbreviated guide to locating place names and jurisdictions in Meyers Gazetteer is found [https://www.familysearch.org/#form=catalog here]. | ||
*Ancestry.com: [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1074 Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire]. This version is also searchable. (For best results, use the Keyword rather than the Location search box.) | *Ancestry.com: [http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1074 Meyers Gazetteer of the German Empire]. This version is also searchable. (For best results, use the Keyword rather than the Location search box.) | ||
*The HathiTrust: [http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.31158001995785 Volume 1: A-K ]and [http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.31158001995652 Volume 2: L-Z] . This digital version provides bigger, clearer images, and most city maps are in color. It is possible to download each volume as a PDF. | *The HathiTrust: [http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.31158001995785 Volume 1: A-K ]and [http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.31158001995652 Volume 2: L-Z] . This digital version provides bigger, clearer images, and most city maps are in color. It is possible to download each volume as a PDF. | ||
The first volume of this gazetteer contains an explanation of the many abbreviations the gazetteer uses. For example, Meyers indicates where to find the civil registration office [Standesamt]. If a comma or semicolon follows the abbreviation StdA (Standesamt), the town had its own civil registration office. If it does not have a comma or semicolon, the town name that follows the abbreviation and has a comma or semicolon after it is the town where the civil registration office is found. | The first volume of this gazetteer contains an explanation of the many abbreviations the gazetteer uses. For example, Meyers indicates where to find the civil registration office [Standesamt]. If a comma or semicolon follows the abbreviation StdA (Standesamt), the town had its own civil registration office. If it does not have a comma or semicolon, the town name that follows the abbreviation and has a comma or semicolon after it is the town where the civil registration office is found. | ||
The gazetteer also indicates if the town had its own parish by using the abbreviation ev. Pfk. for a Lutheran parish [evangelische Pfarrkirche]; reform. Pfk. for a Reformed parish [reformierte Pfarrkirche]; or kath. Pfk. for a Roman Catholic parish [katholische Pfarrkirche]. A Jewish synagogue [Synagoge] is indicated by the abbreviation Syn. If no parish is indicated, you must check a | The gazetteer also indicates if the town had its own parish by using the abbreviation ev. Pfk. for a Lutheran parish [evangelische Pfarrkirche]; reform. Pfk. for a Reformed parish [reformierte Pfarrkirche]; or kath. Pfk. for a Roman Catholic parish [katholische Pfarrkirche]. A Jewish synagogue [Synagoge] is indicated by the abbreviation Syn. If no parish is indicated, you must check a regional gazetteer or parish register inventory to find the parish. Frequently Meyers only gives a “see” reference, indicated by the abbreviation s (lowercase S) which stands for the command "siehe" or "see". For example, if you look for the village of Filge, county Lübbecke, the gazetteer refers you to the larger village of Levern, Westfalen for more information. | ||
=== Regional Gazetteers === | === Regional Gazetteers === | ||