3 Essential Websites for German Family History Research

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3 Essential Websites for German Family History Research

#1 – www.MeyersGaz.org

For years, novice genealogists who found themselves embarking on the road of German genealogy were discouraged when needing to decipher an entry for their town in Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-lexikon des deutschen Reichs (commonly known simply as Meyers or Meyer’s Gazetteer of the German Empire) due to the old German font in which the book was printed and the plethora of abbreviations that were used. To address this obstacle, the website www.MeyersGaz.org was created.

This online database not only explains the text and various abbreviations in the town entry that are found in the original printed version of Meyers, but also pin-points the location of the town on both historic and modern maps, indicates the Catholic and Protestant parishes to which residents of the town would have belonged, and notes the distance from the town to all parishes within a 20-miles radius.

The database also allows users to search for a town using wildcards. This is especially useful when the exact spelling of a town is not known. For example, if the record on which you found the new town name indicated that the person came from Gross Gard…. where the second part of the word was smudged or illegible, you could simply put “Gross Gard*” into the database. In this case, the only two options would be Gross Garde in Pommern and Gross Gardienen in East Prussia. If you have a common town name such as Mülheim, you can filter the search results by province.

 Excerpt for Gross Gardienen entry on MeyersGaz.org.

#2 – www.Kartenmeister.com

Kartenmeister is a database for towns which are found east of the Oder and Neisse rivers in the former German Empire provinces of East Prussia, West Prussia, Brandenburg, Posen, Pomerania, and Silesia. This area is now part of modern Poland. The database allows users to search for towns using either their German or Polish name.

Again, using Gross Gardienen as our example town, we learn that the Polish name for the town is now Gardyny and is located in the Warminsko-Mazurskie province. Like MeyersGaz.org, collaboration between users is encouraged. Individuals can enter their email address into a mailing list according to the town they are interested in and specify surnames they are researching in that town.

Entry for Gross Gardienen on Kartenmeister.com

#3 – www.LostShoeBox.com

This website is an index to seventeen websites focused on research in Poland. The list of websites corresponds with a map of Poland divided into its various modern provinces. Each number (representing a website) is listed on the map in each province for which it has records. Some websites are listed for nearly every province, while others show up for only one or two. The seventeen websites featured on lostshoebox.com include either direct access to digital images, indexes to vital records, or lists of microfilms or other archival holdings. 

Map of Poland from www.lostshoebox.com.

If we were searching for records for Gross Gardienen or other nearby towns, we know from Kartenmeister that we would need to look in the Warminsko-Mazurskie province. The map shows the number 3, 10, and 14. On the website, a list below the map shows that those numbers bring us to the following websites: http://szukajwarchiwach.pl/, https://www.genealogiawarchiwach.pl/, http://olsztyn.ap.gov.pl/baza/szukaj.php.

The third website on the list for the province brings us to the website for the Polish State Archive in Olsztyn. There are a plethora of digital images for both Evangelical church records and civil registration records available on this website.

Camille Andrus is a Project Manager for Legacy Tree Genealogists, a worldwide genealogy research firm with extensive expertise in breaking through genealogy brick walls. To learn more about Legacy Tree services and its research team, visit Legacy Tree. Exclusive Offer for Olive Tree Genealogy readers: Receive $100 off a 20-hour research project using code SAVE100, valid through Oct. 31st, 2017.


   

Guest Post: Avoiding 5 Common Mistakes of Beginning Genealogists

If you’re looking for ways to improve your research skills, it’s always best to take a personal inventory of your research practices and habits. Following are five common errors that many beginners and hobbyists make which, if eliminated, could save time and increase accuracy immensely.

1.    Collecting Ancestors – This is one of the most common mistakes. Simply copying down someone else’s tree or taking their information at face value without sources or explanation is a quick way to perpetuate untrue lineages and family stories. A good rule of thumb is to be able to give a solid reason for every bit of information you add to your database/tree/chart. How do you know that John is the son of Robert? And how do you know that that Robert is the right one when there is another man by the same name a county over? Traditions handed down can be helpful and even true, but a good genealogist always double checks! (And P.S. – use special caution when attempting to tie into “royal lines”; many are known to have been fabricated long ago.)

2.    Fishing for the Famous – We encounter this fairly frequently, and it involves trying to prove a relationship to a notable person simply because you share the same last name. “I am from the South and my last name is Lee. We are probably related to the famous Confederate General Robert E. Lee.” Such an assumption is not a sound approach and is very seldom true. The best course of action is to start with your recent family and move backward. Avoid beginning with a celebrity or historical figure and trying to force him into your tree!

3.    Tunnel Vision – It is usually difficult to find direct-line ancestors if the rest of the family is ignored. In your research, build complete families, not just single lines of descent. Don’t just know who your ancestor was and who he married, but research who his siblings and their spouses were. Even studying his unrelated close friends and associates can often be the key to solving a brick-wall problem. If your ancestor didn’t leave much of a paper trail, there’s a good chance that one of his siblings did, taking you back to the next generation you couldn’t have found only researching one man or woman.

4.    Incomplete Research – Lone records can often contain inaccuracies, or at the very least, a fragmented part of the story. Be sure to make the effort to confirm information that you find with multiple records whenever possible. Find a headstone? Great! If possible, also locate a death certificate, parish record, obituary, and/or will.

5.    Being Disorganized – Do you have notes scribbled on three different notepads and tucked away on Post-Its, backs of envelopes, and other random slips of paper? This one is for you! Your research experience will improve if you make a concerted effort to keep everything in one place. The same can go for Word documents scattered around your hard drive. Make folders, keep notes in your pedigree software, and always back-up your files externally! No one wants to lose ten years’ worth of research because their computer crashes!

Don’t be discouraged if you find yourself making these mistakes from time to time! Genealogy is a fun field, but it can also be exacting, with a steep learning curve. Even as professionals, we are constantly growing and figuring out better ways of doing things, and everyone benefits from raised standards!

Legacy Tree Genealogists provides full-service genealogical research for clients worldwide, helping them discover their roots and personal history through records, narratives, and DNA. Based near the world's largest family history library in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah, Legacy Tree has developed a network of professional researchers and archives around the globe. For additional information on services visit us on Legacy Tree.

Exclusive Offer for Olive Tree Genealogy readers: Receive $100 off a 20-hour research project using code SAVE100, valid through April 21st, 2017. Just use the link  Legacy Tree