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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. | 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 | 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: | ||
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There are four pieces of information you should know about an ancestor: | There are four pieces of information you should know about an ancestor: | ||
*[[ | *[[Czechia Beginning Research#Tip_1:_Determine_the_actual_name_of_an_ancestor|Actual name]] | ||
*[[ | *[[Czechia Beginning Research#Tip_2:_Determine_the_date_of_birth.2C_marriage.2C_and_death|Date of birth, marriage, and death]] | ||
*[[ | *[[Czechia Beginning Research#Tip_3:_Determine_the_place_of_origin|Place of origin]] | ||
*[[ | *[[Czechia Beginning Research#Tip_4:_Determine_the_religion_of_an_ancestor|Religious affiliation]] | ||
Tips: | Tips: | ||
*In | *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. | *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. | *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. | ||
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== Determine the place of origin == | == Determine the place of origin == | ||
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 the Czechia see [[Czechia Finding Town of Origin|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''. | 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 | To learn about several important gazetteers for the 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. | 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. | ||
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== Determine the religion of an ancestor == | == 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 | 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 == | == Determine the record keeping jurisdiction == | ||
Not every village in the | 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 == | == Find your ancestor in the records == | ||
The best sources of genealogical information in the | 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 | 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. | ||
== Research by mail == | == 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 [[ | 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:Czechia Beginners Corner]] | [[Category:Czechia Beginners Corner]] | ||
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