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German Genealogical Research in Eastern Europe (view source)
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, 21 September 2018Adding info about finding German localities in Poland
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<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> | ||
== German Research in Polish and Russian Areas == | |||
=== Finding Former German Localities === | |||
The areas now known as Poland was the homeland to Slavs, Germans, and other people. Various kingdoms and peoples fought over this land over the centuries. For an in depth history of the area known today as Prussia, see Raymond S. Wright III's article "Finding Former German Localities Now in Poland" (''FEEFHS Quarterly'' VI no. 1-4 (1998): 3-7). | |||
Finding records of German ancestors from areas now in Poland requires knowledge of the German and Polish spellings of ancestral home towns and the location of these communities on current and historical maps. Because of the name changes communities underwent in former German ruled areas of modern Poland, many government and private publishers produced bi-lingual gazetteers and geographical dictionaries. Keep in mind that these gazetteers and dictionaries were based upon boundaries at the time of publication. Some of these publications are available at the Family History Library, other smaller libraries, or online. | |||
There are a few important reference works for research in former German areas of central or eastern Europe: | |||
*Quester, Erich. ''Wegweiser für Forschungen nach Vorfahren aus den ostdeutschen und sudetendeutschen Gebieten sowie aus den deutschen Siedlungsräumen in Mittel-, Ost-, und Südosteuropa,'' ed. 4th. (Neustadt a.d. Aisch: Verlag Degener & Co., 1995). The third edition is available in an English translation, ''Genealogical Guide to German ancestors from East Germany and Eastern Europe'' (translated by Joachim O. R. Nuthack and Adalbert Geortz). This guide provides brief histories of German areas presently in other countries. | |||
*Kay, George K. ''Postal Place Names in Poland'' (Edinburgh, Scotland: G. K. Kay, 1992). This gazetteer describes former German areas in Poland. Although not every former German, Austrian, and Russian locality is listed, the author provides names for about 8,000 communities. | |||
<ref>Wright, Raymond S. III. "Finding Former German Localities Now in Poland." ''FEEFHS Quarterly'' VI no. 1-4 (1998): 3-7.</ref> | |||
== Websites == | == Websites == | ||