Germany Finding Town of Origin: Difference between revisions

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====Cultural Regions====

Germany has many "cultural regions" and "geographical landscapes", smaller, informal areas that were not political entities. You might be familiar with the Black Forest, the Ruhr, the Saar, or Frisia (Friesland). Your ancestors might have left records or family traditions that they were from one of these areas.  This list of (German) [http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/Kategorie:Landschaft '''"landscapes" by GenWiki'''] can help you identify these regions. Once you know that the information is a cultural region not a town, you will know that you need to search further to narrow down your ancestors' town.

====Time Frame====

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There may be many types of indexed records that cover parts, even large parts of Germany. 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.

===Cemetery Records===

===Obituaries===

*{{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. ($)

*{{RecordSearch|1861144|United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942}} Images with partial index.

===Social Security===

**{{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] ($)  

*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'''.]

===Passenger Arrival Lists===

*More information about naturalization records, along with helpful links, is found at  [[Beginning Research in United States Naturalization Records]] and [[United States Naturalization Online Genealogy Records]].

===Passport Applications===

==Records Originating in Germany That Can Help==

See [[Germany Emigration and Immigration|'''Germany Emigration and Immigration''']] for a listing of additional records.

====Hamburg Passenger Lists====

Hamburg, one of three  major ports of departure for Germans, has lists which give, name, age, birth place or residence. and the last foreign residence of people leaving from Hamburg.  

*There are two lists:

**[http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=8679 Baltimore, Passenger Lists, 1820-1964] ($)  

**{{RecordSearch|2018318|Maryland, Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1820-1948}}  

====German Emigration Indexes====

*[https://www.auswanderer-bw.de/auswanderer/index.php?sprache=de&suche=1 '''Auswanderung aus Südwestdeutschland, (Emigrants of Southwestern Germany, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg'''], 1751-1920. Index.

*[http://www.germangenealogygroup.com/records-search/bavarian_emigrants.php '''Bavaria and Pfalz Emigration Database''']

*[https://arcinsys.hessen.de/arcinsys/einfachsuchen.action?pageName=einfachesuche&methodName=einfach&rechercheBean.defaultfield=&rechercheBean.defaultfield_widget=https%3A%2F%2Farcinsys.hessen.de%2Farcinsys%2Feinfachsuchen.action%3FpageName%3Deinfachesuche%26metho&rechercheBean.von=&rechercheBean.bis=&rechercheBean.einfacheSucheRadioName=alle '''Auswanderer-Nachweise Hessen State Archives''']

*[http://www.lippe-auswanderer.de/index-eng.htm '''Emigration from Lippe to the USA''']

*[http://mvdok.lbmv.de/mjbrenderer?id=mvdok_document_00003666 '''The emigration from Mecklenburg-Schwerin to overseas countries, especially after the United States of North America''']

*[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=2452 '''Pomerania, Germany, Passenger Lists, 1869-1901''']

*[http://www.berghapedia.nl/index.php/Wandergesellen_uit_het_Rijnland_en_Westfalen#Vrouwen_uit_Rijnland_en_Westfalen '''Female immigrants from Rheinland and Westfalen, Prussia''']

*[http://www.histag-schaumburg.de/page/page_ID/105?PHPSESSID=978489b6ec0b5240ae85bbad2e60005e '''Schaumburg-Lippe Emigrants, 1820-1914''']  

*[http://www.thueringen.de/mam/th1/staatsarchive/repertorien/auswanderer.pdf '''Index of all emigrants from Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sonderhausen'''], 1834-1914, index.

*[http://www.thueringen.de/mam/th1/staatsarchive/auswanderungen_aus_dem_herzogtum_sachsen-meiningen.pdf '''Index of all emigrants from Sachsen-Meiningen'''],  for the 1800's, index.

====Germans to America====

*In addition, these online will only work if used on a computer at a  [[FamilySearch Centers|'''FamilySearch Center''']].

====German Emigration Card Indexes====

===Microfilmed Records at the FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City===

====Passport and Emigration Applications====

Each state or city had its own laws regarding passports. In many cases, the applications for passports and the supporting documentation have been preserved. These records often give Germans had to apply for permission to emigrate from most areas. The FamilySearch Library has these application records for several states and cities, including ‘’’Baden, Rheinland, the Pfalz, and Zwickau.’’’  

*For Bayern there is a periodical entitled Blätter des Bayrischen Landesvereines für Familienkunde. The call number is 943.3 B2b. The volumes which deal with emigration are V. 1, page 19 and 48, V. 2, page 103, V. 3, pages 9, 39, 73, 87, 102 V. 6-7, V. 9 pages 157, 417.

===Other Sources===

*[http://www.google.com  '''Google'''] the ancestor.  An unknown relative may have begun researching the family and posted their findings in one of the many surname forums or chat rooms.

*There are many [http://files.lib.byu.edu/family-history-library/research-outlines/Europe/GermansToAmerica.pdf '''books written about Germans settling in various states'''].  

*[http://geogen.stoepel.net/ '''Surname distribution tools'''] for Germany, are based on recent data presented on a 3-D map. This can be helpful only if you had an extremely unusual surname.

[[Category:Germany Research Strategies]]