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== Introduction  ==


==STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION==
[[Image:Hradec nad Moravici Castle.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hradec nad Moravici Castle.jpg]]


Begin with family and home sources. Look for names, dates, and places on certificates, family Bibles, obituaries, diaries, and similar sources. Ask your relatives for any additional information they may have. It's likely that your second cousin, great-aunt, or other relative already has some family information. Organize the information you find, and record it on pedigree charts and family group records.
[[Image:Hradec nad Moravici Castle 2.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Hradec nad Moravici Castle 2.jpg]]


Select a specific relative or ancestor born in the Czech Republic for whom you know at least a name, the village or parish where he or she lived in the Czech Republic, and an approximate date when he or she was born there. It is also very helpful to know the names of other family members born in the Czech Republic.  
Begin with family and home sources. Look for names, dates, and places on certificates, family Bibles, obituaries, diaries, and similar sources. Ask your relatives for any additional information they may have. It's likely that your second cousin, great-aunt, or other relative already has some family information. Organize the information you find, and record it on pedigree charts and family group records.
 
Select a specific relative or ancestor born in the Czechia for whom you know at least a name, the village or parish where he or she lived in the Czechia, and an approximate date when he or she was born there. It is also very helpful to know the names of other family members born in the Czechia.  


As you look over your family group records, or pedigree charts, ask yourself “What do I want to find next?” Common goals might be:  
As you look over your family group records, or pedigree charts, ask yourself “What do I want to find next?” Common goals might be:  
Line 15: Line 24:
*Finding the last children to the parents (during the mothers’ child bearing years)  
*Finding the last children to the parents (during the mothers’ child bearing years)  
*To find the birth date and place for an individual listed on the family group record without one  
*To find the birth date and place for an individual listed on the family group record without one  
*Locating the marriage date and place for the parents on a family group record  
*Locating the marriage date and place for the parents on a family group record
 
For suggestions on finding an immigrant ancestor's birthplace, see the "Emigration and Immigration" section through the Czech Republic: Portal of the FamilySearch Wiki.
 
Next, decide what you want to learn about your ancestor, such as where and when he was married, or the names of his parents. You may want to ask an experienced researcher to help you select a goal that you can achieve.
 
 
In the Czech Republic, 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.
 
==DETERMINE BACKGROUND INFORMATION==
 
• When did the immigrant arrive in America?
• In which specific area did he settle?
• Which records exist for that area?
• In which port did he arrive? Which records exist or are available?
• Was the immigrant prominent? Was the surname unusual or common?
• Did the immigrant come alone or did he come as part of a group or with a religious leader?
• Which historical events were occurring in Europe, and also in America, that could have played
      a role in influencing emigration or immigration?
• Did anyone appear on the passenger list with the ancestor, who settled in the same area as the immigrant?
 
==CHECK HOME AND FAMILY SOURCES==
 
• Family Bible
• Emigration papers: passport, emigration permission, travel tickets, boarding passes etc.
• Occupational papers, lodge or guild records, journeyman letters ("Gesellenbrief, Wanderbücher")
• Church certificates: christening, confirmation, marriage, death or burial record.
• Family letters – which are generally dated and list a place!
• School certificates
• Family pictures: watch for explanations usually written on the back and/or photographer's address or town on the front!
• Funeral cards and obituary notices
• Drivers license, insurance papers, etc.
• Diaries - personal journals
• Ahnenpass, Familienstammbuch
• Published family histories
• Any documents written or printed in a foreign language or handwriting style. The basic rule is: If you can’t read it, have it read by someone who can.
 
==WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG INCLUDES:==
 
• IGI (International Genealogical Index
• Ancestral File
• Social Security Death Index
• 1880 U.S. Census Index with links to images on www.ancestry.com
• Pedigree Resource File
• Family History Library Catalog
• Family History Resource File: Vital Records Index
• links to various websites
 
==U.S. CENSUS RECORDS==
 
U.S. federal census records provide the basic framework of the family. The ancestor should be located
in every census taken while he lived in the United States. All censuses are available online at
            www.ancestry.com with indexes and images. Some years are also available at www.heritagequestonline.com. However, if the ancestor cannot be found using “exact search”, it may be necessary to search other indexes or even the census film for the specific locality ‘by hand’. Since Ancestry.com uses a lot of non-English speakers to index records, users need to be aware of letter combinations that could easily be misinterpreted. Try truncated searches using three or more letters and an asterisk for a “wild card”. 
 
• 1850, 1860, 1870 Federal Census
    Beginning with the 1850 Census, all household members are named, province, country or state of birth is listed.
    1860 and 1870 Census often list "province" rather than the country.
    Book and film/fiche indexes exist for most of these censuses.
• 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 Federal Census
      Soundex indexes exist for these U. S. Censuses. They provide clues as to country, kingdom, duchy, province or state, or even the place of birth. Month and year of birth are listed. The 1880 Soundex Index includes those families with children ten years or younger. The 1900 Census lists the year of immigration to America, also "years married" and “month and year of birth”. The 1900-1930 censuses ask if the immigrant is a U.S. citizen or an alien and for the year of immigration.
• Check State Censuses wherever they are available! They were usually taken midway between Federal Censuses in years ending with “5”.
 
==U.S. RECORDS==
 
• State and county vital records: a. marriage license or record (especially the application), b. death record c. divorce records
• Church records: a. child’s christening record,  b. confirmation record,  c. marriage record,  d.. burial record, e. membership records, f. tombstone inscriptions,  g. cemetery records – associations
• Military records: a. pension/ service files b. WWI draft registration cards[available on www.ancestry.com]
• Public records:  a. civil court records,    b. probate records,  c. land records,  d. tax records
 
 
 
 
==NATURALIZATION RECORDS==
 
Prior to 1906 all U.S. courts dealt with naturalizations. These records may be found at federal, district, county, circuit, or city court levels, so check all courts in the area.
 
The declaration of intention can be filed in one court/locality, and the petition in another. It is important to check for all possible records, since they may contain different clues.
• Declaration of Intention to become a U.S. citizen - usually filed after a minimum of 2 years in the country
• Petition for Naturalization - often a certificate only. Certificate is received after so many years as a resident (usually 3- 5 years).
 
Beginning in 1906, the Immigration and Naturalization Service [INS], now called U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, took care of naturalizations nationwide. Records are kept at regional offices. Details can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm.
Copies of records should be requested using form G-639 [Freedom of Information Act Request], which can be downloaded or printed from http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/index.htm.
Waiting time may be six months or more.
 
==NEWSPAPERS, PERIODICALS, OTHER COMPILATIONS==
 
• Newspapers, especially obituaries
• Foreign-language newspapers (i.e. German-American Newspapers, Danish-American, Polish-American, Swedish-American and so forth, town- and church newspapers, especially Methodist Episcopal)
 
• Published genealogies
• Genealogical Magazines (like the German Genealogical Digest, Der Schlüssel, etc.)
• City Directories
• County atlases, plat books
 
==LOCAL HISTORIES==
 
• Town Histories: may include information if your ancestor was among the first settlers in the area, if he was prominent, or if he made significant contributions of some sort (art, architecture, etc.)
• County Histories: may include information about specific ethnic groups, where they settled, who their leaders were and where they came from, biographical sketches, and churches with biographical information about founding members of the congregation.
• State Histories: usually contain very general information about early settlers and their origins.


==U.S. PASSENGER INFORMATION==
== Before you start  ==


As of July 2006, www.ancestry.com has indexed passenger lists from the following ports, most with linked images:
[[Image:Ludgerovice Church.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Ludgerovice Church.jpg]]
• New York,  1820-1850 [no images], 1851-1891, and some records from the 1930’s
• Baltimore, 1820-1948, also an earlier index without images from 1820-1872
• Boston, 1820-1943
• Philadelphia, 1883-1945
• Atlantic Ports, Gulf Coasts, and Great Lakes Passenger Lists, 1820-1871
• Galveston, 1896-1948
• New Orleans, 1820-1945
However, it isn’t always clear how complete both indexing and images are. For instance, the Galveston indexes are linked to images, but for some reason apparently only the left page of the lists was scanned in. The right page that includes the town of birth is not available, and there is no hint in the description that it exists.


Additional information:
There are four pieces of information you should know about an ancestor:
• New York passenger lists begin in 1820. Filmed indexes are available for 1820 - 1846, 1897 – 1943. Prior to 1882 relatively few lists contain the town of origin. Both last residence and place of birth are required on the form beginning in 1907. Less information is required for U.S. citizens.
Lists from 1892 to 1924 are available on the Internet at  www.ellisislandrecords.org. However, the search capabilities are limited. For expanded search capabilities use www.stevemorse.org.
Another online-index for New York 1830-1913 is www.castlegarden.org. This is NOT linked to images, so must be used in conjunction with other websites. Both indexes and images for 1820-1957 are available on www.anccestry.com.


If a search on www.ancestry.com doesn’t work, it may be helpful to check other record formats and indexes:
*[[Czechia Beginning Research#Tip_1:_Determine_the_actual_name_of_an_ancestor|Actual name]]
• 2. The Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, and New Orleans lists are indexed on microfilm for the greater part of the 19th Century and partly up to 1929. Indexes and lists are available for other ports as well.
*[[Czechia Beginning Research#Tip_2:_Determine_the_date_of_birth.2C_marriage.2C_and_death|Date of birth, marriage, and death]]
• The Germans to America series (FHL 973 W2ger, red books) covers 1850-1897, Series II covers 1840-1849.
*[[Czechia Beginning Research#Tip_3:_Determine_the_place_of_origin|Place of origin]]
• Filby’s Passenger and Immigration Lists Index (973 W32p, tan colored books)
*[[Czechia Beginning Research#Tip_4:_Determine_the_religion_of_an_ancestor|Religious affiliation]]
• Canadian border crossing records (1894 - 1954) are available on film; some Canadian emigration records are now available on line.
• Galveston, Texas- most of the early passenger lists were destroyed, but there are some books of extracted and compiled lists of immigrants of various nationalities. This website may be helpful [you need a password, but it’s free]: http://www.tsm-elissa.org/immigration-main.htm.


==EUROPEAN PASSENGER INFORMATION==
Tips:
*In Czechia, most records used in family history research are kept on a town or parish level. Therefore, the exact place of origin must be known before research in Czech records can begin.
*You can calculate an approximate date from other information you know. A birth date can be calculated from a persons age.
*If you do not know where the event took place, back up to the place where you have some record of him or her and work from there, such as other places where the person lived, last known address, place of residence of family members or relatives, or location of the school attended by that person.


• HAMBURG
== Determine the actual name of an ancestor  ==


Passenger Lists, 1850 - 1934.  
[[Image:Mikulov Chateau.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Mikulov Chateau.jpg]]
A. The direct Passenger Lists
B. The indirect Passenger Lists
C. Combined index 1850 - 1871 ( Klüber- Kartei- two alphabetical indexes on film; also contains some entries from sources other than the Hamburg passenger lists).
D. police registers of city residents and passports issued, various sets of records found in the Catalog under “ Hamburg- Emigration and Immigration “ , “Hamburg- Population” and “Hamburg- Passports”


Images of the Hamburg Passenger lists are now available on www.ancestry.de, but only 1890-1913 is indexed at this time. Currently, the Family History Library subscription to Ancestry does not have access to these records.
A serious problem for some researchers is to determine the actual name of their immigrant ancestor. Some ancestors in their eagerness to be assimilated into American culture, traded their difficult foreign names for American names. This occurred often with given names and to a lesser extent with surnames. If you think that your ancestor Americanized his or her name click [[Czechia Naming Customs#Americanization_of_Names|here]] to read about various changes.  
 
• BREMEN


A. Bremen began keeping passenger lists in 1832, but most lists have been destroyed. Currently, 2953 passenger lists dating from 1920 to 1939 are kept in the Archive of the Bremen City chamber of Commerce. They are fully indexed at http://www.schiffslisten.de/
To learn more about historical background of Czech surnames and given names see [[Czechia Naming Customs|Naming Customs]].  


B. Some reconstructed passenger lists have been published. The information was taken from the U.S. arrival lists. For example:
== Determine the date of birth, marriage, and death ==


Zimmerman, Gary J., and Marion Wolfert, German Immigrants - Lists of Passengers Bound From Bremen to New York ( FHL Int’l Ref 974.71 W3g ), four volumes.
If you cannot find an exact date, you may estimate dates based on other information. You need at least the approximate year of an event. You may use standard genealogical approximation. From a marriage date, you can estimate that a man was married at age 25 and a woman at age 21. You can also estimate that a first child was born one year after the parent's marriage and that subsequent children were born every 2 years after that.  


• ANTWERP, BELGIUM
A typical tombstone inscription might read ''Here lies Uncle Jack, Died May 10 1903, 79 years, 10 months, and 3 days young''. That would be a wonderful find for any genealogist, and gives a name and a death date to be added to the family tree. But what about Jack’s date of birth? That would require some tedious calculations. Fortunately there is a [http://stevemorse.org/birthday/elapsed.html One-Step form] that lets you enter any two of the following three items – a first event, a second event, and the time interval between them. In this case we would enter May 10, 1903 as the second event and 79 years, 10 months and 3 days as the time interval. The form will display the value of the first event – namely ''July 7, 1823''.


For Antwerp the Library is currently filming emigration records and hotel registers that include Germans, especially from the Rhineland and the Southwestern part of Germany, and give towns of origin. These records are cataloged under “Belgium, Antwerpen, Antwerpen- Emigration-Immigration”. The “Vreemdelingendossiers” begin in 1840. There are indexes. The first film number of the set is 2234256.
== Determine the place of origin ==


• LE HAVRE, FRANCE
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 the Czechia see [[Czechia Finding Town of Origin|Czechia Finding Town of Origin]] for sources that may give you that information.  
The only actual ships’ lists known to exist are crew lists, which are of very limited usefulness.


Records of some Le Havre ship departures may be found at the
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''.
Archives Départementales de la Seine-Maritime
Cours Clemençeau
F-76000 Rouen
France


In addition, a card index of about 40,000 passengers who left the port of Le Havre from 1784-1840 is reportedly in the possession of a local genealogical society at
To learn about several important gazetteers for the Czechia, including instructions and examples, see [[Czechia Gazetteers|Gazetteers]].
Groupement Genealogique du Havre et Seine-Maritime
BP 80
F-76050 Le Havre Cedex
France


Some emigration material at the Family History Library is found in the Catalog under
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.


Germany, Elsass-Lothringen- Emigration-Immigration
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.
France, Alsace-Lorraine- Emigration-Immigration
France, Bas- Rhin (or Haut-Rhin or Moselle)- Emigration-Immigration


Of note is a set of films called “Registres des émigrés, 1817 1866, an alphabetical card index which lists individuals who traveled through France on their way to their new residence abroad. (FHL film #s 1125002 through 1125007). Some cards are very hard to read. Some, but not all, of the material in these films is contained in
== Locate the ancestral home ==
Schrader-Muggenthaler, Cornelia The Alsace Emigration Book (Int. Ref. 944.38 W2s), 2 vols.
• EMDEN
      Relatively few emigrants are known to have left through Emden. Wilhelm Weitz, "Beiträge zur Auswanderung  aus Ostfriesland im 19. Jahrhundert," Friesisches Jahrbuch, 32 (1958), 110-135: Antje Brons, Emden to New York, 1855 and 1857; Johannes, Emden to Charleston, 1857.
• HARBURG
Hans-Georg Mercker, Alphabetisches Register der von und über Harburg ausgewanderten Personen von 1841 bis 1884 (typescript 1964), in the library of the Genealogische Gesellschaft, Sitz Hamburg, lists emigrants (including returning emigrants) from and through Harburg, 1841 and 1851-1854.
• STETTIN
Some passenger lists are found in the record groups Pommersches Polizeipräsidium and Schifffahrtsdirektion Stettin in the
Vorpommersches Landesarchiv
Martin-Andersen-Nexö-Platz 1
D-17489 Greifswald
Germany
The lists cover the years 1869-1892, and contain about 500-800 passengers per year. Friedrich Wollmershäuser, a private researcher, has obtained copies of these passenger lists and intends to publish them.


• ROTTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
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''.
Lists kept by the Holland- America Line from 1900 to 1940 are available on microfiche, beginning with FHL INTL Fiche 6109126


• OTHER PORTS
== Determine the religion of an ancestor  ==
Other German ports were primarily located along the Eastern sea board and included Gdansk, Libau, Memel, and Riga. Germans also used Scandinavian ports (especially Copenhagen),
British ports (Queenstown, Glasgow, Liverpool, Hull, Newcastle, and Edinburgh), and other French and Northern Italian ports. No passenger lists are known to have survived.


The Family History Library has books of emigrants from various areas of Germany and other European countries. They are usually cataloged under
Until the 1900s, vital records were kept by church parishes or Jewish congregations. The records of different religions were kept separately. If you are not sure of your ancestor's religion, start by searching Roman-Catholic records. Catholicism was the dominant religion in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Not every village in the Czechia had its own parish. Often, several smaller villages belonged to one parish. Use gazetteer to determine the proper record keeping jurisdiction.


Country, Province or Region Name- Emigration and Immigration
== Determine the record keeping jurisdiction  ==


Not every village in the Czechia had its own parish. Often, several smaller villages belonged to one parish. Use [Czechia Gazetteers|gazetteer]] to determine the proper record keeping jurisdiction.


Lists of websites useful for locating German places of origin is found at
== Find your ancestor in the records  ==
https://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Germany_Emigration_and_Immigration


The best sources of genealogical information in the Czechia are the church records kept by the local parishes. The FamilySearch Library has microfilms of vital records from only a few German-speaking communities and a limited number of published census returns. Use the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] to determine what records are available for the locality.


Most of the Czech vital records were digitized and made available on the Internet. To find out which archive holds the records that you need click [http://www.genteam.at/ here]. You may use this gazetteer for free however you will have to register first. Please be sure to spell the locality name correctly.


REMEMBER: 90% of all places of origins are found by examining American sources very carefully.
== Research by mail ==
                  Use every possible avenue in order to find the place of origin for your Immigrant ancestor.
                  And "never, never give up!”


If the records you want are not available through the FamilySearch Library or online they may be available through the individual Czech regional archives. Please refer to the [[Czechia Letter Writing Guide|Letter Writing Guide]] for detailed information. Remember to enclose photocopies of any old documents or mementos that you may have.


[[Category: Czech Republic]]
[[Category:Czechia Beginners Corner]]

Latest revision as of 12:19, 11 January 2024

Introduction

Hradec nad Moravici Castle.jpg
Hradec nad Moravici Castle 2.jpg

Begin with family and home sources. Look for names, dates, and places on certificates, family Bibles, obituaries, diaries, and similar sources. Ask your relatives for any additional information they may have. It's likely that your second cousin, great-aunt, or other relative already has some family information. Organize the information you find, and record it on pedigree charts and family group records.

Select a specific relative or ancestor born in the Czechia for whom you know at least a name, the village or parish where he or she lived in the Czechia, and an approximate date when he or she was born there. It is also very helpful to know the names of other family members born in the Czechia.

As you look over your family group records, or pedigree charts, ask yourself “What do I want to find next?” Common goals might be:

  • The last person on a specific line of your pedigree chart
  • A missing parent on the family group record
  • A gap between the birth years of the children on a family group record (a wide enough gap that there may be missing children in between siblings)
  • Finding the last children to the parents (during the mothers’ child bearing years)
  • To find the birth date and place for an individual listed on the family group record without one
  • Locating the marriage date and place for the parents on a family group record

Before you start

Ludgerovice Church.jpg

There are four pieces of information you should know about an ancestor:

Tips:

  • In Czechia, most records used in family history research are kept on a town or parish level. Therefore, the exact place of origin must be known before research in Czech records can begin.
  • You can calculate an approximate date from other information you know. A birth date can be calculated from a persons age.
  • If you do not know where the event took place, back up to the place where you have some record of him or her and work from there, such as other places where the person lived, last known address, place of residence of family members or relatives, or location of the school attended by that person.

Determine the actual name of an ancestor

Mikulov Chateau.jpg

A serious problem for some researchers is to determine the actual name of their immigrant ancestor. Some ancestors in their eagerness to be assimilated into American culture, traded their difficult foreign names for American names. This occurred often with given names and to a lesser extent with surnames. If you think that your ancestor Americanized his or her name click here to read about various changes.

To learn more about historical background of Czech surnames and given names see Naming Customs.

Determine the date of birth, marriage, and death

If you cannot find an exact date, you may estimate dates based on other information. You need at least the approximate year of an event. You may use standard genealogical approximation. From a marriage date, you can estimate that a man was married at age 25 and a woman at age 21. You can also estimate that a first child was born one year after the parent's marriage and that subsequent children were born every 2 years after that.

A typical tombstone inscription might read Here lies Uncle Jack, Died May 10 1903, 79 years, 10 months, and 3 days young. That would be a wonderful find for any genealogist, and gives a name and a death date to be added to the family tree. But what about Jack’s date of birth? That would require some tedious calculations. Fortunately there is a One-Step form that lets you enter any two of the following three items – a first event, a second event, and the time interval between them. In this case we would enter May 10, 1903 as the second event and 79 years, 10 months and 3 days as the time interval. The form will display the value of the first event – namely July 7, 1823.

Determine the place of origin

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 the Czechia see Czechia Finding Town of Origin 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 the Czechia, including instructions and examples, see 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 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.

Locate the ancestral home

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.

Determine the religion of an ancestor

Until the 1900s, vital records were kept by church parishes or Jewish congregations. The records of different religions were kept separately. If you are not sure of your ancestor's religion, start by searching Roman-Catholic records. Catholicism was the dominant religion in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Not every village in the Czechia had its own parish. Often, several smaller villages belonged to one parish. Use gazetteer to determine the proper record keeping jurisdiction.

Determine the record keeping jurisdiction

Not every village in the Czechia had its own parish. Often, several smaller villages belonged to one parish. Use [Czechia Gazetteers|gazetteer]] to determine the proper record keeping jurisdiction.

Find your ancestor in the records

The best sources of genealogical information in the Czechia are the church records kept by the local parishes. The FamilySearch Library has microfilms of vital records from only a few German-speaking communities and a limited number of published census returns. Use the FamilySearch Catalog to determine what records are available for the locality.

Most of the Czech vital records were digitized and made available on the Internet. To find out which archive holds the records that you need click here. You may use this gazetteer for free however you will have to register first. Please be sure to spell the locality name correctly.

Research by mail

If the records you want are not available through the FamilySearch Library or online they may be available through the individual Czech regional archives. Please refer to the Letter Writing Guide for detailed information. Remember to enclose photocopies of any old documents or mementos that you may have.

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