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Identifying Place Names in German documents: Difference between revisions
Identifying Place Names in German documents (view source)
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Answering these questions will help you determine the spelling of a given name so you can locate the place name on modern maps and in modern gazetteers. Luckily, modern resources, like "reverse-sort indexes" and gazetteers available on the Internet, can help simplify the search. | Answering these questions will help you determine the spelling of a given name so you can locate the place name on modern maps and in modern gazetteers. Luckily, modern resources, like "reverse-sort indexes" and gazetteers available on the Internet, can help simplify the search. | ||
German research is first of all "locality" research, then surname research. To begin genealogical research in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and other German-speaking areas, it is necessary to know the exact place of origin. Researchers all too often discover, especially in early American pedigrees, that a search in an incorrect locality for someone with the same name | German research is first of all "locality" research, then surname research. To begin genealogical research in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and other German-speaking areas, it is necessary to know the exact place of origin. Researchers all too often discover, especially in early American pedigrees, that a search in an incorrect locality for someone with the same name has produced a pedigree of incorrect lineage! Verify the location in gazetteers and on maps, search for complete family units, analyze the names of associates and witnesses of your ancestor, search specific time periods, and search all available records pertinent to your research question to build a correct pedigree. | ||
==== Phonetic Spellings ==== | ==== Phonetic Spellings ==== | ||
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1) The ancestor may have come from the city of Baden in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland.<br> 2) His place of origin might be the city of Baden in Niederösterreich (Lower Austria), Austria. | 1) The ancestor may have come from the city of Baden in the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland.<br> 2) His place of origin might be the city of Baden in Niederösterreich (Lower Austria), Austria. | ||
In such cases every possible effort should be made by the researcher to find some facts in addition to family tradition as to the place of origin of the ancestor | In such cases every possible effort should be made by the researcher to find some facts in addition to family tradition as to the place of origin of the ancestor. Search existing records in the United States to extract clues as to the ancestor's origin. | ||
==== Gazetteers and Place Name Dictionaries ==== | ==== Gazetteers and Place Name Dictionaries ==== | ||
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==== Research Examples Using Gazetteers ==== | ==== Research Examples Using Gazetteers ==== | ||
<br> Since gazetteers are incomplete it is important to check more than one gazetteer to find certain places. The importance of checking several gazetteers is illustrated in | <br> Since gazetteers are incomplete it is important to check more than one gazetteer to find certain places. The importance of checking several gazetteers is illustrated in two examples provided by Gerhard Jeske in "Place Names in German-Speaking Countries". | ||
Example 1:<br> A place from which an ancestor came was given as Gellen, Brandenburg, Prussia. Meyers gazetteer did not list a place by this spelling in the former Prussian province of Brandenburg, but there were three places listed by this spelling in other parts of Germany, two of which were in Prussia. These places were: | Example 1:<br> A place from which an ancestor came was given as Gellen, Brandenburg, Prussia. Meyers gazetteer did not list a place by this spelling in the former Prussian province of Brandenburg, but there were three places listed by this spelling in other parts of Germany, two of which were in Prussia. These places were: | ||
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Example No. 2<br> A patron wanted to find out where the town of Kleinich, now in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, was formerly located. Meyers gazetteer was checked but a place by the name of Kleinich was not listed. Then Müllers gazetteer was checked and here Kleinich was found. However, this gazetteer does not indicate the former state or province in which the places were located before World War II. Next the German General Atlas (Deutscher General Atlas), [FHL Ref Q 943 E3m] was checked and on page 71 Kleinich was found. In addition a place by the name of Oberkleinich, south of Kleinich, and a place by the name of Thalkleinich, north of Kleinich, were found in the atlas.<br> All three of these places are listed in Müllers gazetteer, but only one of them, Thalkleinich, is listed in Meyers gazetteer. When the gazetteer of Prussia was checked it was found that Kleinich was formerly spelled with a "C," Cleinich. This was the reason why it was not found in Meyers under "K," Kleinich. Oberkleinich was also spelled with a 'C," Obercleinich, but Thalkleinich was spelled with "k." The spellings of the places as listed in the Prussian gazetteer (on microfilm 475,861) were also found in Meyers gazetteer and the former province in which these three places were located was Rhineland, Prussia. | Example No. 2<br> A patron wanted to find out where the town of Kleinich, now in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, was formerly located. Meyers gazetteer was checked but a place by the name of Kleinich was not listed. Then Müllers gazetteer was checked and here Kleinich was found. However, this gazetteer does not indicate the former state or province in which the places were located before World War II. Next the German General Atlas (Deutscher General Atlas), [FHL Ref Q 943 E3m] was checked and on page 71 Kleinich was found. In addition a place by the name of Oberkleinich, south of Kleinich, and a place by the name of Thalkleinich, north of Kleinich, were found in the atlas.<br> All three of these places are listed in Müllers gazetteer, but only one of them, Thalkleinich, is listed in Meyers gazetteer. When the gazetteer of Prussia was checked it was found that Kleinich was formerly spelled with a "C," Cleinich. This was the reason why it was not found in Meyers under "K," Kleinich. Oberkleinich was also spelled with a 'C," Obercleinich, but Thalkleinich was spelled with "k." The spellings of the places as listed in the Prussian gazetteer (on microfilm 475,861) were also found in Meyers gazetteer and the former province in which these three places were located was Rhineland, Prussia. | ||
Listed below are some of the most common reasons why place names cannot be found when the given spelling is wrong:<br> 1. Misinterpretation of handwriting.<br> 2. Incorrect spellings given by those recording the information, including official scribes, ministers, and civil registrars.<br> 3. Localities have been absorbed by larger towns.<br> 4. Places are no longer in existence because of destruction by nature or through wars.<br> 5. Place name changes have occurred over the years.<br> | Listed below are some of the most common reasons why place names cannot be found when the given spelling is wrong:<br> 1. Misinterpretation of handwriting.<br> 2. Incorrect spellings given by those recording the information, including official scribes, ministers, and civil registrars.<br> 3. Localities have been absorbed by larger towns.<br> 4. Places are no longer in existence because of destruction by nature or through wars.<br> 5. Place name changes have occurred over the years.<br> | ||
An excellent overview of German gazetteers and how to use them can be found in [https://familysearch.org/search/search/index/catalog-search#searchType=catalog&filtered=true&fed=false&collectionId=&catSearchType=title&searchCriteria=A+GENEALOGICAL+HANDBOOK+OF+GERMAN+RESEARCH&placeName=&author_givenName=&author_surname= ''A Genealogical Handbook of German Research'']by Larry O. Jensen. | An excellent overview of German gazetteers and how to use them can be found in [https://familysearch.org/search/search/index/catalog-search#searchType=catalog&filtered=true&fed=false&collectionId=&catSearchType=title&searchCriteria=A+GENEALOGICAL+HANDBOOK+OF+GERMAN+RESEARCH&placeName=&author_givenName=&author_surname= ''A Genealogical Handbook of German Research'']by Larry O. Jensen. | ||
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==== Checking Detailed Maps ==== | |||
Some places can only be found by checking detailed maps for various time periods. Maps of the German Empire of 1871 (FHL film 068,814) is anexcellent source for locating older place names. These and other maps are now available on Ancestry.com. | |||
Some places can only be found by checking detailed maps for various time periods. Maps of the German Empire of 1871 (FHL film 068,814) is anexcellent source for locating older place names. These and other maps are now available on Ancestry.com. | |||
==== Places names in foreign languages ==== | ==== Places names in foreign languages ==== | ||
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<br> | <br> | ||
'''Letters p and ss '''( | '''Letters p and ss '''(Transcriber deciphered ß as p) | ||
Pru'''p'''ia [Pru'''ß'''ia]= Pru'''ss'''ia | Pru'''p'''ia [Pru'''ß'''ia]= Pru'''ss'''ia | ||
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'''Letters Qu and Kw or Kv<br>''' | '''Letters Qu and Kw or Kv<br>''' | ||
'''Qu'''ars [German] is the same as '''Kv'''aers [Danish]<br> | '''Qu'''ars [German] is the same as '''Kv'''aers [Danish]<br> | ||
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__________ | __________ | ||
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'''Bibliography'''<br>1. Ferguson, Laraine K. "Census Records in Northern Germany, Pt. 1 Schleswig-Holstein" in ''German Genealogical Digest ''Vol. 6 No. 4 (Winter 1990).<br>2. Gardner, Duncan B. ''German Towns in Slovakia and Upper Hungary. A Genealogical Gazetteer''. Lakewood, Ohio, 1988.<br>3. Gölzer, Bernd. "Fehler in der Familienforschung" in ''Saarländische Familienkunde'', Vol. 9, pp. 96-107.<br>4. Heintz, A. "Verschollene Ortsnamen" in ''Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins der Pfalz'' 5 (1875), pp. 49-122.<br>5. Jensen, Larry O. ''A Genealogical Handbook of German Research''. Revised Edition. Pleasant Grove, Utah: 1978. <br>6. Jensen, C. Russell Ph.D. ''Parish Register Latin: An Introduction''. Vita Nova Books, 1988. <br>7. Jeschke, Gerhard. ''Place Names in German-Speaking Countries''. Unpublished manuscript.<br>8. Kowallis, Gay P. and Elly Poulsen. ''The Danish Genealogical Helper''. Everton Publishers.<br>9. Minert, Roger. ''Spelling Variations in German Names: Solving Family History Problems Through Applications of German and English Phonetics''. Woods Cross, Utah, 2000.<br>10. Ortell, Gerald. ''A. Polish Parish Records of the Roman Catholic Church, Their Use and Understanding in Genealogical Research''. Genun Publishers, 1989.<br>11. Schlyter, Daniel M. ''A Handbook of Czechoslovak Genealogical Research'', Genun Publishers, 1990.<br>12. Shea, Jonathan D. Russian Language Documents from Russian Poland. A Translation Manual for Genealogists. Genun Publishers, 1989. | '''Bibliography'''<br>1. Ferguson, Laraine K. "Census Records in Northern Germany, Pt. 1 Schleswig-Holstein" in ''German Genealogical Digest ''Vol. 6 No. 4 (Winter 1990).<br>2. Gardner, Duncan B. ''German Towns in Slovakia and Upper Hungary. A Genealogical Gazetteer''. Lakewood, Ohio, 1988.<br>3. Gölzer, Bernd. "Fehler in der Familienforschung" in ''Saarländische Familienkunde'', Vol. 9, pp. 96-107.<br>4. Heintz, A. "Verschollene Ortsnamen" in ''Mitteilungen des Historischen Vereins der Pfalz'' 5 (1875), pp. 49-122.<br>5. Jensen, Larry O. ''A Genealogical Handbook of German Research''. Revised Edition. Pleasant Grove, Utah: 1978. <br>6. Jensen, C. Russell Ph.D. ''Parish Register Latin: An Introduction''. Vita Nova Books, 1988. <br>7. Jeschke, Gerhard. ''Place Names in German-Speaking Countries''. Unpublished manuscript.<br>8. Kowallis, Gay P. and Elly Poulsen. ''The Danish Genealogical Helper''. Everton Publishers.<br>9. Minert, Roger. ''Spelling Variations in German Names: Solving Family History Problems Through Applications of German and English Phonetics''. Woods Cross, Utah, 2000.<br>10. Ortell, Gerald. ''A. Polish Parish Records of the Roman Catholic Church, Their Use and Understanding in Genealogical Research''. Genun Publishers, 1989.<br>11. Schlyter, Daniel M. ''A Handbook of Czechoslovak Genealogical Research'', Genun Publishers, 1990.<br>12. Shea, Jonathan D. Russian Language Documents from Russian Poland. A Translation Manual for Genealogists. Genun Publishers, 1989. | ||