Germany, Anhalt, Dessau, City Directories - FamilySearch Historical Records

Germany Anhalt

Collection Content
This collection contains city directories for Dessau, Anhalt, Germany. These city directories are generally arranged alphabetically by surname and by given name and provide the individual's occupation and address. Often included are classified directories of government offices and other institutions and services of public interest. Original directories are located in the Stadtarchiv Dessau, Saxony Anhalt, Germany.

Sample Images
Click on images for a larger view.

These records generally contain the following information:
 * Full name of ancestor
 * Names of family members
 * Name of spouse
 * Address or residence
 * Birth date and place
 * Religion
 * Nationality

How Do I Search This Collection?
To see by image:

⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "Year" which takes you to the images

What do I do next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I found who I was looking for, What now?

 * Use the information to find your ancestors in Censuses. These can help you find additional family members.
 * Use the age in the record to find an approximate birth year, which will help you find a birth or death record. Sometimes a person is buried in a city or town in which they did not die so it is not always accurate to assume that a burial place is the same as a death place.
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900.
 * Repeat this process with additional family members found to find more generations of the family.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc.
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search.
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.
 * Search the indexes and records of local genealogical societies.

{{Tip|Don't overlook items in the FamilySearch Library Catalog.{{FHL|Germany, Anhalt, Dessau, City Directories|keywords|disp}}

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image. Collection Citation: Image Citation