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German Genealogical Research in Eastern Europe (view source)
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, 12 September 2018Adding info about other countries
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Because of the territory shifts in 1919 and 1945, present-day Poland has parish registers (whether Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, or Protestant) of former territories of Germany, Russia, Austria, and pre-1921 Poland. The languages of these registers are Latin, Polish, Russian, and German. The ability to read old German script is generally required. | Because of the territory shifts in 1919 and 1945, present-day Poland has parish registers (whether Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Byzantine Catholic, or Protestant) of former territories of Germany, Russia, Austria, and pre-1921 Poland. The languages of these registers are Latin, Polish, Russian, and German. The ability to read old German script is generally required. | ||
Many parish registers from all parts of Poland have been digitized | Many parish registers from all parts of Poland have been digitized and are available on the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/search FamilySearch Catalog]. However, there are still gaps. Some information is obtainable by writing to local parishes and various archives. | ||
=== Czech Republic === | |||
The kingdom of Bohemia was part of the Holy Roman Empire and, although it was primarily a Slavic (Czech) speaking kingdom, German language was frequent in official documents. Czech was the official and predominant language of the administration until 1620, when the Hapsburgs took over the country and installed a German-speaking nobility. They remained in power until 1918. | |||
The entire western and northern portions of Bohemia, Moravia, and Czech Silesia was German speaking. Before World War II, 30% of Bohemia's population was ethnic German. In 1945, these Germans were summarily expelled to West and East Germany and Austria. | |||
In the 1950s, all parish registers were collected in the Czech and Moravian regional archives, of which there are seven. The language of the registers are Old Czech, Czech, Latin, and German. The pre-1850 registers are in the old script, whether German or Czech. | |||
Many other sources of genealogical information are available: land records, ''urbaria'', serfs' lists, estate records, etc. The archive administration does genealogical research for a fee. | |||
=== Slovakia === | |||
As early as 1150, Germans settled in the Zips (Spi county) in northeastern Slovakia. According to legend, they were part of the group of Saxons who went on to found the German-speaking colonies in Transylvania. By the 1300s, many towns and villages were predominantly German. Also at this time another settlement area, called ''Hauerland'' was founded in central Slovakia. | |||
The Bratislava area already had many German speakers because it is just across the Danube from Austria Bratislava itself (which was essentially as German town before World War II). According to the 1930 census, there were about 38,000 Germans in the Zips, about 41,200 in Hauerland, and 50,000 in the Bratislava area. AFter the evacuation of 1945-1946, there were 24,000 ethnic Germans in Slovakia. | |||
Parish registers, covering the period up to 1895 or so (when Hungarian civil records began), area in seven Slovak regional archives. Religious denomiations are: Roman Catholic, Reform, Lutheran, Byzantine Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Jewish. Languages are Latin, Hungarian, German, SLovak, and Russian (from 1850 to 1855 in Byzantine Catholic registers). | |||
Some Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, and Reformed Church parish registers are available on the FamilySearch Catalog (see [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1554443 Slovakia church and synagogue books, 1592-1935] and [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/1428689 Slovakia, church records : localities not verified, 1687-1897]). The Slovak archive administration conducts genealgoical research in their parish registers for a fee. | |||
=== Germany === | |||
The Family History Library has microfilmed and digitized many parish registers from Germany (see the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/search FamilySearch Catalog]). | |||
=== Russia === | |||
Germans settled in a number of areas in the former Russian Empire. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia had sizable German minorities. Colonies of Germans were established in the 19th century along the Volga River and the Black Sea. Beginning in the 1700s, a number of Germans settled in and around towns in Sub-Carpathia Rus' (now part of Ukraine). The Family History Library has microfilmed and digitized many parish registers in these locations (see the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/search FamilySearch Catalog]). A number of genealogical agencies now offer research services as well in these areas. | |||
<ref>Gardiner, Duncan B. "German Settlements in Eastern Europe". ''Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies'' 1995. http://feefhs.org/fij/dg-gsee.html. Last updated 19 August 1996. Accessed 12 September 2018.</ref> | <ref>Gardiner, Duncan B. "German Settlements in Eastern Europe". ''Foundation for Eastern European Family History Studies'' 1995. http://feefhs.org/fij/dg-gsee.html. Last updated 19 August 1996. Accessed 12 September 2018.</ref> | ||
== References == | == References == | ||