Germany "How to" Guides

Germany  "How to" Guides

How to use the guides
Select a guide from the list below based on your interests. Please note that some guides need to be completed in sequence to ensure a successful experience. Build your research knowledge and confidence with each activity you complete.

Each guide comes with three parts - Instruction, which includes a guided activity, Assignment, to test what you've learned, and an Answer key, to check how you did on the assignment. The guides are also rated as either Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced. The majority are designed for beginners.

The guides are available in PDF form designed to be downloaded and printed. To view a guide, click on its title. Once the guide has opened, use the PDF tools found in your browser to print and save the document.

PLEASE NOTE: Some guides are designed to be completed using resources found in the FamilySearch Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. These are indicated by an * following the title of the guide. If you cannot visit the FamilySearch Library, check your local library or your local FamilySearch Center for availability of the resources described in the guide.

Available Guides
This is a work in progress. Please check back often for new and/or updated guides.

Gazetteers and Maps
 * 1905 Prussia Gemeindelexikon - [[Media:1-1905_Prussia_Gemeindelexikon-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-1905_Prussia_Gemeindelexikon-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-1905_Prussia_Gemeindelexikon-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Germany Map Guide* - [[Media:1-Map_Guide,_Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Map_Guide,_Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Map_Guide,_Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Kartenmeister Gazetteer - [[Media:1-Kartenmeister-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Kartenmeister-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Kartenmeister-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Meyer's Gazetteer Online: Meyersgaz.org - [[Media:1-Meyers_Gazetteer_Online-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Meyers_Gazetteer_Online-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Meyers_Gazetteer_Online-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Meyer's Gazetteer Abbreviations - [[Media:1-Meyers_Abbreviations-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Meyers_Abbreviations-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Meyers_Abbreviations-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]

General Germany
 * Feast Days - [[Media:1-Feast_Days-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Feast_Days-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Feast_Days-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * German Address Books - [[Media:Germany-Address_Books-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:Germany-_Address_Books-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:Germany-_Address_Books-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Hamburg Passenger Lists - [[Media:1-Hamburg_Passenger_Lists-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Hamburg_Passenger_Lists-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Hamburg_Passenger_Lists-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Online Genealogies: Ortsfamilienbücher on Genealogy.net - [[Media:1-Online_Ortsfamilienb%C3%BCcher-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Online_Ortsfamilienb%C3%BCcher-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Online_Ortsfamilienb%C3%BCcher-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Using Archion for German Research - [[Media:1_-_Using_Archion_for_German_Research_-_Instruction_B_Johnson_Oct_2018_JMR.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2_-_Using_Archion_for_German_Research_-_Activity_B_Johnson_Oct_2018.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3_-_Using_Archion_for_German_Research_-_Answer_key_B_Johnson_Oct_2018_JMR.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Archives Online: Matricula Online - [[Media:1-Instruction_Matricula_Online.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Activity_Matricula_Online.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Answer_Key_Matricula_Online.pdf|Answer Key]]

Reading records
 * Fraktur Script - [[Media:1-Fraktur-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Fraktur-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Fraktur-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * German Script Tutorial Online - [[Media:1-German_Script-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]]
 * Reading German Church Records - Instruction
 * Reading German civil birth records - [[Media:1-_Germany_-_Civil_Registration_Births-Instruction_D_Jones_Dec_2018_JMR.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-_Germany_-_Civil_Registration_Births-Activity_D_Jones_Dec_2018_JMR.pdf|Activity,]] [[Media:3-_Germany_-_Civil_Registration_Births-Answer_Key_D_Jones_Dec_2018_JMR.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading German civil marriage records - [[Media:1-Germany_-_Civil_Registration_Marriages-Instruction_D_Jones_Dec_2018_JMR.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Germany_-_Civil_Registration_Marriages-Activity_D_Jones_Dec_2018_JMR.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Germany_-_Civil_Registration_Marriages-Answer_Key_D_Jones_Dec_2018_JMR.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading German civil death records - [[Media:1-_Germany_-_Civil_Registration_Deaths-Instruction_D_Jones_Dec_2018_JMR.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-_Germany_-_Civil_Registration_Deaths-Activity_D_Jones_Dec_2018_JMR.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-_Germany_-_Civil_Registration_Deaths-Answer_Key_D_Jones_Dec_2018_JMR.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Reading German Civil Birth, Marriage, and Death Records - Instruction

Region Specific
 * Alsace-Lorraine - [[Media:Alsace-Lorraine_-_activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:Alsace-Lorraine_-_answer_key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Alsace-Lorraine: Converting French Republican Calendar Dates - [[Media:Alsace-Lorraine,_Converting_French_Republican_Calendar_Dates_-_instruction.pdf|Instruction]]
 * Alsace-Lorraine: Department Archive Records Online - [[Media:Alsace-Lorraine,_Department_Archive_Records_Online_-_instructions.pdf|Instruction]]
 * Alsace-Lorraine: Translating German and French Names and Place Names - [[Media:Alsace-Lorraine,_Translating_German_and_French_Names_-_instruction.pdf|Instruction]]
 * Mecklenburg Censuses - [[Media:Mecklenburg_Censuses_-_instruction.pdf|Instruction]]
 * Metryki.GenBaza.pl - [[Media:1-Metryki.GenBaza.pl_-_Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Metryki.GenBaza.pl-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Metryki.GenBaza.pl-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Poznan Marriage Project [[Media:1-Poznan_Marriage_Project,_Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Poznan_Marriage_Project,_Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Poznan_Marriage_Project,_Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Schleswig-Holstein Censuses - [[Media:Schleswig-Holstein_Censuses,_July_2019_-_instruction.pdf|Instruction]]
 * Westpreussen.de - [[Media:1-Westpreussen.de-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Westpreussen.de-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Westpreussen.de-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Württemberg Family Books - [[Media:Family_Books_in_Württemberg_-_instruction_handout.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:Family_Books_in_Württemberg_-_activity_handout.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:Family Books in Württemberg - answer key.pdf|Answer Key]]

Other
 * FamilySearch Left-Side/Right-Side Images - [[Media:1-FS_Left-Side_Right-Side_Images-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-FS_Left-Side_Right-Side_Images-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-FS_Lef-Side_Right-Side_Images-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Inserting Special Characters - [[Media:1-Diacritics-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]]

Other "How to" Guides
Looking for help in other countries? Check out the full list of "How to" guides.

Feedback
We would love your feedback on these guides. Please take a minute to share your comments and/or suggestions. Click here to access the Feedback form.The form will open in a new tab in your browser.