Netherlands - Dutch Genealogical Resources on the Internet - International Institute

Researching your Dutch ancestors on the Internet is exciting because there is so much information available. However, it can also be frustrating if you are unfamiliar with the language. Websites and tools are available to assist you with your research. Since many sites are in Dutch, the terminology used on these sites are outlined below.

Tips for Using Dutch Language Websites
Whenever you access a Dutch website, always scan the page to locate either the British Union Jack flag or the “English” link. A lot of times this can be found in the top right-hand side of the web page, but it is not always located there. There will be websites that have the link but have not developed the English pages. When this is the case you will have to navigate the pages in Dutch. You will find some words like database, home, links, site map and email are used on many of the Dutch pages. Some common Dutch words that you will see on the genealogy websites are provided below.

In the Dutch language you will find words that are written the same in English, French and German. Be careful, though! The words do not always mean the same thing in Dutch.

Word List
Below is a list of words with their translation that are commonly used on Dutch websites. These will be useful when navigating Dutch language only web pages.

Dutch Only Database Search Engines
The Dutch only database search engine can also cause some confusion. Various terms are used for “surname”. Also, if your surname as been changed to suit the way North Americans tend to write them, you may not find the search results you are looking for. For example, if your surname is written in North America as “Vandervelde” and you input your surname into the search engine exactly this way, you may not obtain any results. The correct or Dutch way to write this surname is “Van der Velde”, which means “from the field.” This surname would be alphabetically sorted under “V” for “Velde, van der.” The words “van der” are prefixes to the surname and are generally entered into the Dutch search engine separately.

The following chart provides you with the words that are used in the Dutch only search engines:

Searching The Internet
Searching the Internet for information about your Dutch ancestors is made somewhat easier if you use the Dutch language. By doing this, you will find more results than if you entered English words into any search engine. The Dutch spellings for place names will lead you to more websites with information you are looking for than if you use the English spelling.

General Genealogy Websites
Central Bureau for Genealogy - Centraal Bureau voor Genealogie (CBG) The CBG, located in The Hague, was founded in 1945 by the government as a national documentation and information centre for family history and heraldry. The website is available Dutch and English, with many search results returned in Dutch. Since 1983, they have housed the Royal Dutch Society for Genealogy and Heraldry (Koninklijk Nederlandsch Genootschip voor Geslacht en Wapenkunde) collections.

Included in their collections are:


 * regional and local history
 * foreign publications (from other countries) about Dutch emigration &amp; immigration
 * genealogical manuscripts from amateur and professional genealogists
 * newspaper clippings and family announcements of birth, marriage and deaths
 * microfilmed copies of civil registration registers for the Netherlands, East and West Indies, as well as border areas of the Netherlands
 * population registrations (up to circa 1910), person cards and person lists of deceased people only

When searching their catalogue, the results will be returned in Dutch. The following list will help you with a translation of search results.

Algemeen politieblad - Police Force Periodical Bibliotheek-auteurs - Authors in the library catalogue Bibliotheek-familienamen - Family names in the library catalogue Bibliotheek-plaats - Place names in the library catalogue Bibliotheek-titelwoord - bibliographical entries in the library catalogue Bidprentjes - Obituary cards Biografische index - Online index on biographical dictionaries published since 1900. Dossiers - Files with various documentation on family names. Familieadvertenties - Newspaper clippings of births, marriages and deaths Familiedrukwerk - Birth announcement cards, wedding invitations and death announcement cards. Familiewapens - Heraldic collections Fotocollectie - Photograph collection Genealogisch repertorium - Online version of the Genealogical Index – a survey of genealogical literature that was published up until 1999. Homepages - Genealogical homepages that have been submitted to the CBG Lopend onderzoek - List of genealogical research currently being worked on that has been submitted to the CBG Microfiches - Primary genealogical sources on microfiche (catalogued by place names) Overige verzamelingen - Other collections (i.e. genealogical collections and family archives)

Archivenet This website was set up by the Historical Centre Overijssel and is a portal to various archives within the Netherlands, Flanders and the world. The site is available in Dutch and English. StamboomGids Available in the Dutch language only. This is a comprehensive Dutch genealogy portal.

National Library of the Netherlands - Koninklijke Bibliotheek (KB) Website is available in Dutch and English. Special collections include maps, digitized newspapers 1910-1945 and more. This is also where microfilmed copies of the country’s newspapers are held.

National Archives of the Netherlands - Nationaal Archief This is the largest archives in the Netherlands and is available in Dutch, and English. The collections held here come from the central Dutch government, the Province of South Holland and the former County of Holland, private institutions and individuals.

Provincial Archives
Each province in the Netherlands has an archive that holds records that pertain to that province. There are many regional, municipal and city archives as well. The following list provides the provincial archives websites as well as some of the regional archives. There are some major city archives given too. There are many archives with new websites and databases coming available all the time. Be sure to visit the archival website for the area your ancestors came from, new data is being added all the time.

Drenthe
Drents Archief The website for the Drenthe province archives (rijksarchief) is available only in Dutch.

DrenLias DrenLias is the database for the Drents Archief. It is only available in the Dutch language. Records you can search for include:


 * civil registration after 1811
 * church records from 1600 to 1811

Drents ArchiefNet This website is written in Dutch with some English. This website is a guide to the holdings of the various municipalities, water councils and provincial archives for Drenthe.

Flevoland
This is a very young province which was opened for inhabitation in 1970s. Since the province is so young there are few records of genealogical interest.

Flevoland Boven Water Dutch only. This site has thousands of digital documents, archeology and historic cultural objects concerning the province of Flevoland.

Friesland
Fries ArchiefNet This website is available in Dutch, Frisian and some English. It is a guide to the holdings of the various municipalities, water councils and provincial archives for Friesland.

Tresoar-Frisian Historical and Literary Centre (Tresoar-Fries Historisch en Letterkundig Centrum)Available Dutch, Frisian and English. This is the historical and genealogical research facility for the province of Friesland.

The Friedoc Foundation (Stichting Friedoc) Available in Dutch, Frisian and some English. This site is a privately operated, not-for-profit document centre for Frisian history and genealogy.

Historic Centre Leeuwarden (Historisch Centrum Leeuwarden) This site is available in Dutch, Frisian and some English. It is the website for genealogical research in the Frisian capital city of Leeuwarden.

Gelderland
Gelders Archief This is the province’s archive website which is available in Dutch.

Historisch Platform Veluwe This Dutch only site provides links to regional archives and museums in “de Veluwe” area of Gelderland.

Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek Liemers This site is in Dutch. It is the regional archives for Aalten, Berkelland, Bronckhorst, Doetinchem, Oost Gelre, Montferland, Oude IJsselstreek and Winterswijk.

Groningen
Regionaal Historisch Centrum Groninger Archieven This is the archival centre for the city and province of Groningen. Available in Dutch, English, and German.

Groninger ArchiefNet In the Dutch language only. This website is a guide to the holdings of the various municipalities, water councils and provincial archives for Groningen.

Limburg
Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg This website is in Dutch with some English pages and belongs to the province of Limburg’s archives.

North Holland
Noord-Hollands Archief Dutch and English languages. This is a documentary heritage centre for the province of Noord-Holland, the Kennemerland region (municipalities of Aalsmeer, Bennebroek, Beverwijk, Bloemendaal, Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude, Heemskerk, Heemstede, Uitgeest, Uithoorn, Velsen and Zandvoort), and of the provincial capital Haarlem.

Gemeentearchief Amsterdam This site is in Dutch and English. It provides historical and genealogical information regarding the city of Amsterdam.

Regionaal Archief - Regionaal Historisch Centrum Alkmaar This site is in Dutch with some English. It is the archives and regional historical centre for Alkmaar and the surrounding communities of Bergen, Castricum, Den Helder, Graft-De Rijp, Harenkarspel, Heerhugowaard, Heiloo, Hollands Kroon, Langedijk, Schagen, Schermer and Zijpe.

Westfries Archief This website is available in Dutch, English, German, and French. This is the regional archives for the municipalities of Drechterland, Enkhuizen, Hoorn, Koggenland, Medemblik, Opmeer and Stede Broec.

North Brabant
Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum Dutch language only. This is the genealogical and historical centre for the province of North Brabant.

Het Markiezenhof Historisch Centrum Website is available in Dutch and English. This regional historical archive centre holds information regarding the municipalities Bergen op Zoom, Waterschap Scheldekwartier, Steenbergen and Woensdrecht.

Regionaal Archief Tilburg Available in Dutch only; this is the regional archives of Tilburg.

Regionaal Historisch Centrum Eindhoven This is a Dutch only website for the region and city of Eindhoven.

Overijssel
Historisch Centrum Overijssel The Overijssel provincial archive is available in Dutch with some English.

Utrecht
Het Utrechts Archief This website is mainly in Dutch with some English. This archive holds governmental records from the city and province of Utrecht, as well as records from private institutions and the Dutch railways.

Zeeland
Zeeuws Archief This Dutch only website belongs to the archives in the province of Zeeland. The [http://www.zeeuwengezocht.nl/en/. searchable database] of many various records is available in English.

South Holland
For the provincial archives, see the Nationaal Archief.

Gemeentearchief Rotterdam This is the municipal archives for the city of Rotterdam, which is available in Dutch and English.

Regionaal Archief Leiden This is the regional archives for the municipalities of Leiden, Zoeterwoude, Rijnsburg, Teylingen, Hillegom, Noordwijk, de Vennip, Voorschoten and Leiderdorp. The website is in Dutch only. ____________________________________________________________

Information in this Wiki page is excerpted from the online course Research: Dutch Ancestors in the Netherlands offered by The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. To learn more about this course or other courses available from the Institute, see our website. We can be contacted at [mailto:wiki@genealogicalstudies.com wiki@genealogicalstudies.com]

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