318,531
edits
Germany Finding Town of Origin (view source)
Revision as of 13:45, 19 November 2016
, 19 November 2016no edit summary
mNo edit summary |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
''[[Germany]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]'' '''Gathering Information''' | ''[[Germany]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]'' '''Gathering Information''' | ||
==Finding the Town of Birth== | ==Finding the Town of Birth== | ||
Before | === What You Need to Know to Begin Research in Germany === | ||
It is essential that you know: | |||
1. The given and surname of your ancestor Henry M Borgmann<br> | |||
2. The exact place name, for example: Stadt Osnabrück, Kreis Osnabrück, Hannover, Prussia ( now Niedersachsen) | |||
3. The time frame | |||
4. The religion of your ancestor: usually Catholic or Evangelical Lutheran. | |||
====Name==== | |||
Before you can embark in meaningful research, you need to be clear about the name of your ancestor. Many names have been Americanized or have been recorded according to sound. Following the paper trail of your ancestor may give you clues. Search ship lists, naturalization records, church records, civil records or any record where your ancestor had to sign his name. | |||
====Place Name==== | |||
Another very important piece of evidence to find the correct origin of an ancestor is the place name. Again, you may run into problems here because many ancestors gave a place name as a point of reference. Also, a given place name may be spelled according the recorder’s understanding. Sometimes it helps to know what language your ancestor spoke and something about topographical features of the homeland. It is not enough information to just know that your ancestor came from Germany or Prussia. Even to know the German state, such as Hessen, sometimes proves futile, because there are states called Hessen, Hessen-Nassau, Hessen-Darmstadt, Kurfürstentum Hessen etc. | |||
====Time Frame==== | |||
It is also most helpful to know the time frame when you search for a German ancestor. Germany was never a united state until 1871. Before that it consisted of hundreds of little states which had their autonomy, their own sets of laws, their own ways of administration. A general search by looking at census records is not possible in Germany, nor do there exist any centralized data banks from which to extract information. All successful research is based on knowing general and local historical backgrounds of the area in question, and the availability of records for a given time period. | |||
====Religious Affiliation==== | |||
If you know the religious affiliation of your ancestor you may also get faster results in locating your ancestor. Most Germans were Catholics or Protestants, however, in some areas, the records of people of other faiths were kept by the predominant church. For example, Jewish or Mennonite births were occasionally recorded at Catholic parishes, especially in areas where the Church was used as the civil registration office. | |||
=== Search Home Sources === | === Search Home Sources === | ||
Thoroughly go over all home sources available to you, including family history papers, copies of records, pictures, old letters (i.e. with an old address), family bibles, journals/diaries, copies of vital record certificates and church records, memorabilia etc. Interview extended family and close relatives as well as former neighbors--all of which may prove very helpful in gathering as much knowledge about an ancestor as possible.<br> | Thoroughly go over all home sources available to you, including family history papers, copies of records, pictures, old letters (i.e. with an old address), family bibles, journals/diaries, copies of vital record certificates and church records, memorabilia etc. Interview extended family and close relatives as well as former neighbors--all of which may prove very helpful in gathering as much knowledge about an ancestor as possible.<br> | ||