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| link1=[[ | |Country=Czechia | ||
|Name=Czechia | |||
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|Topic Type=Getting Started | |||
|Getting Started=Finding Town of Origin | |||
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| link1=[[Czechia Genealogy|Czechia]] | |||
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*Today's Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia from 1918-1939 and from 1945-1998. Before 1918, it belonged to Hungary, and from 1939-1945, it was the Slovak Republic. Source:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia Wikipedia] | *Today's Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia from 1918-1939 and from 1945-1998. Before 1918, it belonged to Hungary, and from 1939-1945, it was the Slovak Republic. Source:[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovakia Wikipedia] | ||
*'''When searching indexes, try Moravia, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, and Silesia.''' | *'''When searching indexes, try Moravia, Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, and Silesia.''' | ||
*Use gazetteers to determine whether the town is currently in [[Slovakia Genealogy|'''Slovakia''']] or the [[ | *Use gazetteers to determine whether the town is currently in [[Slovakia Genealogy|'''Slovakia''']] or the [[Czechia Genealogy|'''Czech Republic.''']] | ||
==Finding the Town of Birth== | ==Finding the Town of Birth== | ||
In | In Czechia, most records used in family history research are kept on a town or parish level. Therefore the exact town of origin must be known before research in Czech records can begin. Most of the time, the Czech place of origin is found in sources created in the country of immigration. These records should be searched for the ancestor, possible relatives, and other associated persons. If you do not know the place of origin in Czechia see [[Czechia Determining a Place of Origin|Determining a Place of Origin in the Czechia]] for sources that may give you that information. | ||
Czech place names are often misspelled in American sources. Difficult names were shortened and diacritic marks omitted. A gazetteer, which is defined as a geographical dictionary, is an essential tool for identifying places. Look up your place name in the gazetteer to be sure that it is spelled correctly. Please note that many locality names are comprised of two or more words. If you cannot find a place name in the gazetteer under the first word try searching under the second word. For example, if you are unable to find in the gazetteer ''Česká Lípa'' under ''Česká'' you should also check under ''Lípa''. | |||
To learn about several important gazetteers for Czechia, including instructions and examples, see [[Czechia Gazetteers|Gazetteers]]. | |||
As mentioned earlier, Czech place names are often misspelled in American sources. If you still cannot determine correct spelling of your locality even after you searched the gazetteers and the Internet, please post your query on [https://community.familysearch.org/en/group/34-czechia-czech-republic-research FamilySearch Czechia (Czech Republic) Research Community]. You will have to login and click on, "Join" on the page to post your question. | |||
After you have determined the correct name of the town from which your ancestor emigrated, you must still determine its location. Many Czech localities have similar names that may be easily confused. An example would be the place names Kámen, Kamenec, Kamenice, Kamenička, Kameničky, Kamenka, Kamenná, Kamenné. Czech grammatical endings can change an actual place name. The expression in Kamenka is v Kamence, from Kamenka is z Kamenky. | |||
== Important Tips == | == Important Tips == | ||
Before you can begin to search in the records of | Before you can begin to search in the records of Czechia you must find that one record that gives the name of his or her hometown. You must also know enough about the ancestor to positively identify him in the records. Dates (even if they are approximate), places, and familial connections are key to helping you decide if a person you find, who has the same name as your ancestor, really is your ancestor. | ||
*Do you know the name of his parents? | *Do you know the name of his parents? | ||
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*Do you know the name of his wife? Did they marry before or after coming to the United States?<br> | *Do you know the name of his wife? Did they marry before or after coming to the United States?<br> | ||
*Do you know the names of any of his siblings? | *Do you know the names of any of his siblings? | ||
*Do you know the names of any children born in | *Do you know the names of any children born in Czechia? | ||
===Other Helpful Background Information=== | ===Other Helpful Background Information=== | ||
*When did the immigrant arrive in America? | *When did the immigrant arrive in America? | ||
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== Documents in the Home == | == Documents in the Home == | ||
Often the document you need to pinpoint the place of origin of your ancestor from | Often the document you need to pinpoint the place of origin of your ancestor from Czechia is already found at home. These might include the following: | ||
*Birth certificates | *Birth certificates | ||
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# What do you know about our first ancestor to come from | # What do you know about our first ancestor to come from Czechia? (open-ended) | ||
# Have you ever heard mention of towns in | # Have you ever heard mention of towns in Czechia where the family lived? | ||
# Do you have contact with any relatives in | # Do you have contact with any relatives in Czechia? | ||
#. Do you have contact with other branches of the family in the U.S.? | #. Do you have contact with other branches of the family in the U.S.? | ||
#. When _____________ came from | #. When _____________ came from Czechia, did he travel with other family members? | ||
#. Do you know when _________________ arrived and which port city? | #. Do you know when _________________ arrived and which port city? | ||
# Did _______________ever become a citizen? | # Did _______________ever become a citizen? | ||
# Did_________________fight in World War I or II? | # Did_________________fight in World War I or II? | ||
# When they first came, were there already family members here who they joined? | # When they first came, were there already family members here who they joined? | ||
# Did_______________ever mention their parents in | # Did_______________ever mention their parents in Czechia? | ||
# Were they Catholic? | # Were they Catholic or some other religion? | ||
# Do you have any old letters or postcards from your | # Do you have any old letters or postcards from your Czechia family? | ||
# Do you have any pictures of family members in | # Do you have any pictures of family members in Czechia? | ||
==Search Genealogies Compiled by Others== | ==Search Genealogies Compiled by Others== | ||
*[[Collecting Previous Research by Others Part Two: Online Family Tree Collections]] | *[[Collecting Previous Research by Others Part Two: Online Family Tree Collections]] | ||
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*Rotterdam, The Netherlands | *Rotterdam, The Netherlands | ||
*Other Ports - primarily located along the Eastern sea board and included Stettin, Gdank, Libau, Memel,and Riga. No passenger lists are known to have survived. | *Other Ports - primarily located along the Eastern sea board and included Stettin, Gdank, Libau, Memel,and Riga. No passenger lists are known to have survived. | ||
==Indexed Records Created in Czechia== | |||
===Make Sure You Found the Correct Entry for Your Ancestor=== | |||
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There may be many types of indexed records that cover parts, even large parts of Czechia. Searching those indexes by name only can turn up several entries of the same name. '''Never jump to an immediate conclusion that you have found an entry that matches your ancestor'''. Study the information for other clues that verify the match. | |||
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*Make sure the person you found in Czechian records '''left Czechia'''. Look for them in marriage and death records of the same vicinity. See whether they have children a generation later in the vicinity. These things prove they remained in Czechia and would rule them out as your ancestor. | |||
*Match '''any other relationships'''. If you already know the parents' names, spouse's name, and/or siblings' names, make sure they match the parents' names, spouse's name, and/or siblings' names of the person you are considering in the Czechian records. The parents and grandparents will usually be listed in birth records found in [[Czechia Church Records|'''church records''']] or [[Czechia Civil Registration|'''civil records''']]. Search for siblings' birth records and any marriage before leaving Czechia in the same index. | |||
*Study '''all available entries for that name born at the same approximate time''', not just the first possible match you see. | |||
*Consider the '''coverage of the database''' you are using. Does it cover all of Czechia? Or could there be many other records not covered that could hold your ancestor's record. For example, if the database is for just one province, there are 110 other provinces which could have your ancestor's record. | |||
*Make sure the details you have learned about the person after they immigrate have '''no discrepancies''' with the person you found in Czechian records. | |||
===Czechia Records Databases to Try=== | |||
*[https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/GuidedResearch:Czechia '''Czechia Guided Research'''] | |||
*[[Czechia Civil Registration|'''Czechia Civil Registration''']], government birth, marriage, and death records are available online for many provinces from the early 1800s to the early or mid-1900s. These records can name grandparents in addition to parents, and towns for residence and/or birth for both. | |||
*There may be some [[Czechia Church Records|'''Czechia Church Records''']] online. | |||
*See [[Czechia Emigration and Immigration|'''Czechia Emigration and Immigration''']] for records of Czechians immigrating, including some online digitized records and indexes. | |||
*See [[Czechia Online Genealogy Records|'''Czechia Online Genealogy Records''']] for other databases that might hold clues. | |||
==Records of the Country of Destination== | |||
* '''Church Records:''' If your ancestor immigrated to a European or a South American/Hispanic country, church records can be detailed enough to identify a former residence or birthplace in the home country. These countries, unlike the United States, had state churches. In many countries, these state churches were used by the country to keep birth, marriage, and death records. Even though your ancestor was born in his former country, he may have married, and certainly died in his new country. Marriage and death records can state birthplace. | |||
*'''Civil Registration:''' Eventually, most governments began keeping birth, marriage, and death records. These tend to be quite detailed. Again, if your ancestor was possibly married and certainly died in their new country, those records can state birthplace. | |||
*'''Citizenship Records:''' If your ancestor became a full citizen, those records probably name birthplace and former residence. | |||
*'''Online Genealogy Records:''' See [[Online Genealogy Records by Location|'''Online Genealogy Records by Location''']] and find the online genealogy record page for your country to see other indexed collections that can be consulted. | |||
==Records to Search Created in the United States== | ==Records to Search Created in the United States== | ||
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===Cemetery Records=== | ===Cemetery Records=== | ||
Websites such as [https://www.findagrave.com/ '''FindAGrave'''] and [https://billiongraves.com/ ''' | Websites such as [https://www.findagrave.com/ '''FindAGrave'''] and [https://billiongraves.com/ '''BillionGraves'''] are making it easier to get information from headstones, which frequently give birth dates, and occasionally give birth places. Each state has additional collections of cemetery records. See [[Online Genealogy Records by Location#U.S. Online Genealogy Records by State|'''U.S. Online Genealogy Records by State''']] for links to other online cemetery records. Every state also has a Cemetery topic page you can search, for example, [[California Cemeteries]], [[Washington Cemeteries]]. etc. | ||
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**{{RecordSearch|1202535|United States Social Security Death Index}} | **{{RecordSearch|1202535|United States Social Security Death Index}} | ||
**[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3693 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014] ($) | **[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3693 U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014] ($) | ||
**[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60901 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007], Incomplete | **[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=60901 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007], Incomplete ($). | ||
*The Social Security Applications and Claims Index does not cover every application--it has sort of an eclectic mix of what got included. If you find your ancestor in the ''Social Security Death Index'' but '''not''' in the ''Social Security Applications and Claims Index'', you can [https://secure.ssa.gov/apps9/eFOIA-FEWeb/internet/main.jsp '''send away for a copy of the application'''.] | *The Social Security Applications and Claims Index does not cover every application--it has sort of an eclectic mix of what got included. If you find your ancestor in the ''Social Security Death Index'' but '''not''' in the ''Social Security Applications and Claims Index'', you can [https://secure.ssa.gov/apps9/eFOIA-FEWeb/internet/main.jsp '''send away for a copy of the application'''.] | ||
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===Military Records=== | ===Military Records=== | ||
Draft records for World War I and II ask for birth place, which can be listed as just | Draft records for World War I and II ask for birth place, which can be listed as just Czechia or in greater detail. | ||
*{{RecordSearch|1968530|U.S. WW I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918}} Index and images. | *{{RecordSearch|1968530|U.S. WW I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918}} Index and images. | ||
*[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6482 U.S. WW I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918] Indexes and images. ($) | *[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=6482 U.S. WW I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918] Indexes and images. ($) | ||
*[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1002 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942] | *[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1002 U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942] - index & images ($) | ||
*{{RecordSearch|1861144|United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942}} Images with partial index. | *{{RecordSearch|1861144|United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942}} Images with partial index. | ||
*[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2498 U.S., Alien Draft Registrations, Selected States, 1940-1946],($), index | *[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2498 U.S., Alien Draft Registrations, Selected States, 1940-1946],($), index & images. | ||
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is a comprehensive list of passenger arrival databases that you can search right now from your computer. There are many, many databases. The following search strategy will make your search more efficient. | is a comprehensive list of passenger arrival databases that you can search right now from your computer. There are many, many databases. The following search strategy will make your search more efficient. | ||
====Suggested Search Strategy==== | ====Suggested Search Strategy==== | ||
# Check the [[United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records#Partner Sites Indexing Multiple Databases|'''partner website indexes,''']] as these cover many, many databases at once. The FamilySearch Historical Records databases is free to search with a free registered account. The other websites are subscription-based but can be searched for free at a [[ | # Check the [[United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records#Partner Sites Indexing Multiple Databases|'''partner website indexes,''']] as these cover many, many databases at once. The FamilySearch Historical Records databases is free to search with a free registered account. The other websites are subscription-based but can be searched for free at a [[FamilySearch Center|''' FamilySearch Center''']] near you. Try to search each partner site because their search engines can often bring up slightly different results. | ||
# If it is difficult for you to get access to the subscription databases, next try [[United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records#Additional Collections Not Included in Above Partner Site Indexes|'''Additional Nationwide Collections Not Included in Partner Sites'''.]] These websites have a lot of overlap with the subscription websites. | # If it is difficult for you to get access to the subscription databases, next try [[United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records#Additional Collections Not Included in Above Partner Site Indexes|'''Additional Nationwide Collections Not Included in Partner Sites'''.]] These websites have a lot of overlap with the subscription websites. | ||
# Search a [[United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records#Immigration Records by Ethnic, Nationality, Political, Religious, or Socioeconomic Groups|'''nationality, religious, or political group collection''']] that applies to your ancestor. | # Search a [[United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records#Immigration Records by Ethnic, Nationality, Political, Religious, or Socioeconomic Groups|'''nationality, religious, or political group collection''']] that applies to your ancestor. | ||
#Search the [[United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records#'''Immigration by State'''|'''state collection for the first state where your ancestor lived.''']] | #Search the [[United States Immigration Online Genealogy Records#'''Immigration by State'''|'''state collection for the first state where your ancestor lived.''']] | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
'''Example: This first page of passenger list gives several clues that can lead to records in | '''Example: This first page of passenger list gives several clues that can lead to records in Czechia. Notice that the family is from Bohemia, which became Czechia.''' | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
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'''Example: The second page of a passenger list gives the birthplace in | '''Example: The second page of a passenger list gives the birthplace in Czechia. It can also state information on other relatives.''' | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
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===Passport Applications=== | ===Passport Applications=== | ||
*[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1174 U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925] | *[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1174 U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925] - index & images ($) | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Czechia]] | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
'''Example: This passport application gives the birthdate and birthplace of the applicant in | '''Example: This passport application gives the birthdate and birthplace of the applicant in Czechia and his father's name and birthplace,''' | ||
<br> | <br> | ||
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