Germans from Russia Search Strategies: Difference between revisions

== '''Step 4. Obtain and Search the Record''' ==

Suggestions for Obtaining Records. You may be able to obtain the records you need in the following ways:

• Family History Library. You are welcome to visit and use the records at the Family History Library. The library is open to the public. There are no fees for using the records. If you would like more information about its services, contact the library at the following address:

Family History Library

35 North West Temple

Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3400

USA

Telephone: 801-240-3433

Fax: 801-240-1925

• Family History Centers. Copies of most of the records on microform at the Family History Library can be loaned to more than 2,400 Family History Centers. There are small duplication and postage fees for this service.

The library's books cannot be loaned to the centers, but copies of many books not protected by copyright are available on microfilm or microfiche. You can get a list of the Family History Centers near you by writing to the Family History Library at the address above.

• Archives and local churches. Some of the original documents you will need are at state, church, and local archives or in local parish offices in Russia, the Ukraine, Moldavia, etc. While the Family History Library has many records on microfilm, additional records are available only at these archives. You can request searches in their records through correspondence. (See the “Archives and Libraries” section of this outline for more information.) Complete instructions on writing to Germany and on how to prepare a genealogical letter in German are in the German Letter-Writing Guide (34066).

• Libraries and interlibrary loan. Public, academic, and other research libraries may have some published sources for Germans from Russia research. Many libraries also provide interlibrary loan services that allow you to borrow records from other libraries.

• Professional researchers. You can employ a private researcher to search the records for you. A few researchers specialize in Germans from Russia records. You may want to ask researchers on the Family History Library’s International Accredited Genealogists (?????) list who work with records of neighboring countries, such as Germany, Switzerland, or Austria about their services for German-speaking people from Russia.

Be very cautious when hiring professional researchers in the former Russian Empire and “let the buyer beware!” The two most reputable research organizations are:

PROBANN

???Address

Research in archives in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine can also be arranged through the Russian-American Genealogical Archive Service (RAGAS). They are more helpful for Jewish research. You may request bilingual research application forms by contacting:

RAGAS

1929 18th Street N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20009

USA

• Photocopies. The Family History Library and a few other libraries offer limited photoduplication services for a small fee. You must specify the exact pages you need. Books protected by copyright cannot be copied in their entirety. However, a few pages can usually be copied for personal research. Photocopying facilities are rare in Russia.

When requesting services from libraries or professional researchers through correspondence, you are more likely to be successful if your letter is brief and very specific. Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) when writing within your own country. When writing to other countries, enclose international reply coupons (available from large post offices). You will usually need to send a check or money order in advance to pay for photocopy or search services.

Suggestions for Searching the Records. You will be most successful with Germans from Russia research if you can examine the original records (on microfilm). In some cases, handwritten transcripts of the original records are available. These may be easier to read, but may be less accurate than the original records.

Follow these principles as you search the records for your ancestor:

• Search for one generation at a time. Do not attempt to connect your family to others of the same surname who lived more than a generation before your proven ancestor. It is much easier to prove parentage than descent.

• Search for the ancestor's entire family. The records of each person in a family may include clues for identifying other family members. In most families, children were born at regular intervals. If there appears to be a longer period between some children, reexamine the records for a child who may have been overlooked. Consider looking at other records and in other places to find a missing family member.

• Search each source thoroughly. The information you need to find a person or trace the family further may be a minor detail of the record you are searching. Note the occupation of your ancestor and the names of witnesses, godparents, neighbors, relatives, guardians, and others Also, note the places they are from.

• Search a broad time period. Dates obtained from some sources may not be accurate. Look several years before and after the date you think an event, such as a birth, occurred.

• Look for indexes. Many records have indexes. However, many indexes are incomplete. They may only include the name of the specific person the record is about. They may not include parents, witnesses, and other incidental persons. Also, be aware that the original records may have been misinterpreted or names may have been omitted during indexing.

• Search for prior residence. Information about previous residences is crucial to continued successful research.

• Watch for spelling variations. Look for the many ways a name could have been spelled. Spelling was not standardized when most early records were made. You may find a name spelled differently than it is today.

Record Your Searches and Findings. Copy the information you find and keep detailed notes about each record you search. These notes should include the author, title, location, call numbers, description, and results of your search (even if you find nothing). Most researchers use a Research Log (31825) for this purpose.