Genealogy Research in Germany - It Can be Tricky

Okay, so you have traced your entire family back to the first immigrant that came to America and you have discovered the individual came from Germany; now what do you do? You have no idea where or how to start researching German records. I'm here to help you. Researching German records can be tricky because Germany has changed boundaries through out the years so you have to kind of have an idea of where to start.

I will first describe the changes that have occurred over the years as far as the geographical area of "Germany."

The landmass of what we call Germany today once had a collection of personal estates, kingdoms, free cities and duchies; these were all before 1871. During 1871 these territories were consolidated but in 1919 several parts of Germany was given to France, Demark and Belgium. Then after WWII, Germany was split again with sections given to Czechoslovakia, USSR and Poland. Then again it was divided into West Germany and East Germany until 1990.

So there were all-together six countries the Germany's land mass was divided up and given too. This is what can make it hard to do German research if your ancestor was some where with in this large area before 1871 and up until Germany was split into West and East. If you would like to read future on the divisions of this area, which would probably be wise for your research, click here for a time line on the monarchs starting in 1843 to 1806. This information will be a big help.

The next step will depend on the time frame your ancestor arrived in America. If the individual came between 1850 and 1897 then you should refer to the Germans to America books. You can also search the German passenger departure list if you happen to already know what port they left from. There are also the naturalization records and the immigrant's death record should have the name of the town where your ancestor was born; this can give you a good starting point for your German research.

The next step would be to find a map for that time period when your ancestor lived in Germany. Since Germany's boundaries changed so much you will need to see if that town still exists; if it does then check the dates for the town, compare the dates to your ancestors date; this will help you locate which German state it is in.

If your ancestor's town no longer exists then you will need to find German maps for that time period with the towns name on it. Compare it to today's German map to find out which German state it was in.

Once you have found the town and state then you will start with that area of search. Now, Germany doesn't have one central location for archived records like other countries do. Each of the states had their own civil registration for birth, death, and marriage records before 1871. You will have to check with the local government archives, local civil registrar's office but the one place you should check first is the Family History Library to see if they have microfilmed anything that pertains to that town.

The next research would be in the census records. Depending on the time period you are searching you might find census records or you won't. Germany has been taking census reports since 1871 and these are national census. Each district at one time had a copy of them all but a lot of the censuses were destroyed during WWII. Also East Germany destroyed the entire census starting in 1945 to 1990. I would suggest that you start with the Family History Library to see what census they have microfilmed. German censuses are basically like other countries as in the early census just the head of household were listed, as you come up in time more information is given.

Next is researching parish records. Just like other countries parish records can be very helpful. Germany is no exception as to how far back parishes have kept records. Some of them go as far back as 15th century. In parish records you can find births, burials, confirmation, marriages, baptisms, and other church information. You can check with the local parish office to see what they have but if you can't locate a parish within the location you are searching then it probably doesn't exist any longer. The records were probably moved to maybe a parish that is close to the old one.

Don't forget that other information can give you clues as to where to search. Items like ships passenger list, military records, emigration records, and also family history. Talk to as many family members that you can, you never know when someone will remember that one important clue that will help you discover your long lost ancestor.