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Finding Jewish Ancestors in Lithuania (view source)
Revision as of 16:46, 27 January 2022
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| link5=[[Finding Jewish Ancestors in Lithuania]] | | link5=[[Finding Jewish Ancestors in Lithuania]] | ||
}}A guide to finding your Jewish Ancestors from Lithuania using Miriam Weiner's Routes to Roots Foundation. | }}A guide to finding your Jewish Ancestors from Lithuania using Miriam Weiner's Routes to Roots Foundation. {{Lithuania-sidebar}} | ||
[[File:Miriam with Kaunas archivists.png|left|thumb|550x550px|Miriam Weiner presents copy of her book "Jewish Roots in Poland" to archivists in the Kaunas Regional Archives in Lithuania, 2001. Photo Credit: Miriam Weiner Archives. |alt=]] | |||
== Introduction to Routes to Roots Foundation == | |||
The Routes to Roots Foundation was created by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Weiner_(genealogist) Miriam Weiner], who is a genealogist specializing in the research of Jewish roots in Poland and the former Soviet Union. In her 30+ years of experience in Eastern European archives, she collected vast amounts of information and material. Much of her data was originally published in ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Roots_in_Ukraine_and_Moldova Jewish Roots in Ukraine and Moldova]'' and ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Roots_in_Poland Jewish Roots in Poland],'' but is now available online through the Routes to Roots Foundation website. The site includes many resources to help you research your Jewish roots including a town-by-town index/inventory of surviving Jewish records in archives, maps, surname and Holocaust list databases, informative articles, and much more! | |||
==Find the Town== | |||
In order to research your family in Lithuania, it is essential that you have identified the '''actual town''' name of where they came from. It is not enough to know only ‘Lithuania;' you really need to determine the town name and hopefully, the district/province name. The name of a nearby larger town can also be very helpful. | |||
Some ways to determine your ancestor's pre-immigration origins is to interview elderly relatives. Also search records that might give clues about your ancestor's birthplace which include ''Ship Arrival Records'' (aka Passenger Manifests), especially if your immigrant ancestor arrived after July 1907 (when the manifest was expanded from one page to two pages of information); if your ancestor came before July 1907 AND they departed from the port of Hamburg, then search the ''Hamburg Ship Arrivals'' which often include town of origin. Other sources for ancestral town names are: ''World War I Draft Registrations, World War II Draft Registrations'', and ''Social Security Applications''; among the citizenship documents, search the ''Declaration of Intention'' and the ''Petition for Naturalization'', both of which often include town of origin, arrival data (date of arrival, name of ship, port of departure, names of relatives, and sometimes, a photo). Secondary sources for locating ancestral town names are marriage records, obituaries, and other documents such as cemetery records. In Jewish cemeteries, the burial plots are often named after a town of origin and people tend to be buried in these specific plots. '''Note''', keep in mind that usually a husband and wife are buried in the same burial plot, but often only one of them originally came from that town. | |||
See the [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/admindist.shtml Administrative Districts and Divisions] article on Routes to Roots Administrative to learn more about jurisdictions in the Russian Empire and their modern-day equivalents. | |||
[[File:Panevezys 3 map.png|left|thumb|500x500px|'''Panevezys''' Soviet-era Town Plan Map example from Miriam Weiner's Routes to Roots Foundation. '''Source:''' Miriam Weiner Archives. To see the full version of the Panevezys-3 map click [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/gugk/Panevezys_3/ here.] ]] | |||
===Maps of your Ancestor's Town=== | |||
Miriam Weiner's website offers select '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/tiled.shtml historical maps of Lithuania]''', as well as a variety of '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/imagesearch.php historical images]''' from towns in Lithuania that may prove useful in your family history. | |||
'''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/soviet.shtml Soviet-era Town Plan Maps]''' are also available. This collection consists of street maps of individual towns and cities within the current borders of Belarus. Many of the town maps consist of 1-6 separate maps. The maps are in color and about half of them include a "legend" – primarily an alphabetical listing of street names. The maps are in the Russian language (Cyrillic alphabet). This map collection includes more than 25 localities in present-day Belarus.<br><br>Maps will help you locate places where your ancestors lived and give you context for the records you are using. Maps can identify political boundaries, place names, geographical features, cemeteries, synagogues, etc. Historical maps are especially useful for understanding boundary changes or locating tiny villages that don't often appear on most maps. For help locating these tiny villages, see the '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/maps.shtml Joint Operations Graphic (JOG) maps.]''' | |||
===Miriam Weiner's Surname Databases=== | ===Miriam Weiner's Surname Databases=== | ||
Over her 30+ years of working in Eastern European archives, Miriam Weiner collected vast amounts of material that can be searched using the '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/lnintro.shtml Surname Databases.]''' There are two surname databases - the Standard Surname Database and the OCR Surname Database. You may also be able to use the surname databases to help narrow down a more specific location for where individuals lived who shared your ancestor's surname. | Over her 30+ years of working in Eastern European archives, Miriam Weiner collected vast amounts of material that can be searched using the '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/lnintro.shtml Surname Databases.]''' There are two surname databases - the Standard Surname Database and the OCR Surname Database. You may also be able to use the surname databases to help narrow down a more specific location for where individuals lived who shared your ancestor's surname. | ||
[[File:Screen Shot 2021-09-30 at 3.57.22 PM.png|none|thumb|500x500px|Standard Surname | [[File:Screen Shot 2021-09-30 at 3.57.22 PM.png|none|thumb|500x500px|'''Standard Surname Search,''' [https://rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.] ]] | ||
==== Standard Surname Database ==== | ==== Standard Surname Database ==== | ||
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**To search, enter a surname, given name, and/or town name into the search box. Collection results will then appear. The first column lists the collection type, while the second column contains the Collection Description (CD). The Collection Description includes information such as how the collection was acquired, references to Miriam Weiner's first visit to the town, photos (current and pre-World War I), links to other resources for the town, and/or document examples. The final column lists the number of records associated with the search term(s). Click on the blue hyperlinked number to view records, then click on the blue hyperlinked surname to see more details about the record. | **To search, enter a surname, given name, and/or town name into the search box. Collection results will then appear. The first column lists the collection type, while the second column contains the Collection Description (CD). The Collection Description includes information such as how the collection was acquired, references to Miriam Weiner's first visit to the town, photos (current and pre-World War I), links to other resources for the town, and/or document examples. The final column lists the number of records associated with the search term(s). Click on the blue hyperlinked number to view records, then click on the blue hyperlinked surname to see more details about the record. | ||
<div style="display:flex; flex-wrap:wrap"> | <div style="display:flex; flex-wrap:wrap"> | ||
[[File:Lithuania - Surname Database Example.png|left|thumb| | [[File:Lithuania - Surname Database Example.png|left|thumb|300x300px|'''Standard Surname Search Result''', [http://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.] <center></center> |alt=]] | ||
[[File:Pumpenai, Lithuania - Marriage Record, 1884.png|thumb|695x695px| | [[File:Pumpenai, Lithuania - Marriage Record, 1884.png|thumb|695x695px|'''Pumpenai, Lithuania''' - Marriage Record, 1884. '''Source:''' Miriam Weiner Archives.|alt=]] | ||
[[File:Lithuania 7-up.jpg|alt=|none|thumb|650x650px| | [[File:Lithuania 7-up.jpg|alt=|none|thumb|650x650px|Examples of various Jewish documents from Lithuania. Click on the image to enlarge it. '''Source:''' Miriam Weiner Archives.<center></center> ]] | ||
[[File:Screen Shot 2021-09-30 at 3.59.58 PM.png|thumb|570x570px| | </div>[[File:Screen Shot 2021-09-30 at 3.59.58 PM.png|thumb|570x570px|'''OCR Surname Database search,''' [https://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.]|alt=|left]] | ||
==== OCR Surname Database ==== | ==== OCR Surname Database ==== | ||
*Use the [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/ocrsearch.php OCR Surname Database] (optical character recognition) to search for your ancestor's surname. This database is comprised of information from business directories, address calendars, telephone books, typed name lists, and name lists from books and from archives. | *Use the [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/ocrsearch.php OCR Surname Database] (optical character recognition) to search for your ancestor's surname. This database is comprised of information from business directories, address calendars, telephone books, typed name lists, and name lists from books and from archives. | ||
**To search, type in the surname, and you'll find an automatic translation of the surname into Cyrillic appear in the second search box. Repeat the search twice - once using the Latin Letter search, and again using the Cyrillic Letter search. Searches may yield different results. Once search results appear, you may want to use Google Translate to help you navigate search results. If using the Chrome browser, right-click anywhere on the page and select '''Translate to English'''. Keep in mind if you are looking at a telephone directory, the original directories have been donated to the U.S. Library of Congress. View the original by selecting the '''Get Page Scan''' button. | **To search, type in the surname, and you'll find an automatic translation of the surname into Cyrillic appear in the second search box. Repeat the search twice - once using the Latin Letter search, and again using the Cyrillic Letter search. Searches may yield different results. Once search results appear, you may want to use Google Translate to help you navigate search results. If using the Chrome browser, right-click anywhere on the page and select '''Translate to English'''. Keep in mind if you are looking at a telephone directory, the original directories have been donated to the U.S. Library of Congress. View the original by selecting the '''Get Page Scan''' button. | ||
==Find Records for your Town== | ==Find Records for your Town== | ||
[[File:Lithuania Archive Database search results.png|left|thumb|400x400px| | [[File:Lithuania Archive Database search results.png|left|thumb|400x400px|'''Archive database search''' [https://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.] ]] | ||
===Archive Database=== | ===Archive Database=== | ||
[[File:Lithuania Archive Database example entry.png|thumb|500x500px| | [[File:Lithuania Archive Database example entry.png|thumb|500x500px|'''Archive database entry''', [https://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.] ]] | ||
Use the '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/search.php Archive Database]''' to locate what records exist for your ancestor's town, and where to find them. Search for the name of your ancestor's locality, and the database will provide results for known surviving records from that location, and where the records are held. Remember to adjust the search criteria for Soundex options or spelling variations. Review the General Information about the Archive Daatabase section for some helpful resources. | Use the '''[https://www.rtrfoundation.org/search.php Archive Database]''' to locate what records exist for your ancestor's town, and where to find them. Search for the name of your ancestor's locality, and the database will provide results for known surviving records from that location, and where the records are held. Remember to adjust the search criteria for Soundex options or spelling variations. Review the General Information about the Archive Daatabase section for some helpful resources. | ||
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[[File:Sample search Lithuania Holocaust Database.png|left|thumb|400x400px| | [[File:Sample search Lithuania Holocaust Database.png|left|thumb|400x400px|'''Holocaust Lists Database,''' [https://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.] ]] | ||
[[File:Sample entry Lithuania Holocaust Database.png|thumb|400x400px| | [[File:Sample entry Lithuania Holocaust Database.png|thumb|400x400px|'''Holocaust Lists Database Entry,''' [https://www.rtrfoundation.org rtrfoundation.org.] ]] | ||
=== Holocaust Lists Database === | === Holocaust Lists Database === | ||
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==Historical Photos== | ==Historical Photos== | ||
The [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/imagesearch.php Image Database] on Miriam Weiner's website contains photographs and postcard views of many towns and cities throughout Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Lithuania, Poland, and other select countries dating back to the early 1900s. These include pre-WWI and current town views, photos of synagogues, Jewish cemeteries, and Holocaust memorials. | The [https://www.rtrfoundation.org/newwebsite/imagesearch.php Image Database] on Miriam Weiner's website contains photographs and postcard views of many towns and cities throughout Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Lithuania, Poland, and other select countries dating back to the early 1900s. These include pre-WWI and current town views, photos of synagogues, Jewish cemeteries, and Holocaust memorials. | ||
[[File:Zagare, Lithuania - market square.png|thumb|500x500px|Zagare, Lithuania | [[File:Zagare, Lithuania - market square.png|thumb|500x500px|'''Zagare, Lithuania''' - market place, c. 1935. Source: Miriam Weiner Archive. ]] | ||
[[File:Vilnius Local View.png|left|thumb|500x500px|Vilnius, local view, 2000. | [[File:Vilnius Local View.png|left|thumb|500x500px|'''Vilnius, Lithuania''' - local view, 2000. ]] | ||
[[File:Panevezhys.png|center|thumb|500x500px|Panevezys, Lithuania | [[File:Panevezhys.png|center|thumb|500x500px|'''Panevezys, Lithuania''' - local view, c. 1919. Source: Miriam Weiner Archives. ]] | ||
[[File:Holocaust Memorial Ponary.png|thumb|640x640px|alt=|Ponary Forest, Holocaust Memorial, 2000. | [[File:Holocaust Memorial Ponary.png|thumb|640x640px|alt=|'''Ponary Forest, Lithuania''' - Holocaust Memorial, 2000. ]] | ||
[[File:Wilno Ghetto, Jatkowa St..png|thumb|693x693px|alt=|left|Wilno (now Vilnius), Jatkowa Street, ghetto, c. 1941. Source: Miriam Weiner Archives. | [[File:Wilno Ghetto, Jatkowa St..png|thumb|693x693px|alt=|left|'''Wilno (now Vilnius), Lithuania''' - Jatkowa Street, ghetto, c. 1941. Source: Miriam Weiner Archives. | ||
]] | ]] | ||
[[File:Vilnius Old Synagogue.png|center|thumb|611x611px|alt=|Vilnius, Synagogue painting, c. 1925. Source: Miriam Weiner Archives. ]] | [[File:Vilnius Old Synagogue.png|center|thumb|611x611px|alt=|'''Vilnius, Lithuania''' - Synagogue painting, c. 1925. Source: Miriam Weiner Archives. ]] | ||
'''Image Sources:''' Unless otherwise noted, all photos were taken by Miriam Weiner. | |||
[[Category:Lithuania]] | [[Category:Lithuania]] | ||