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 Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. These are indicated by an * following the title of the guide. If you cannot visit the Family History Library, check your local library or your local FamilySearch Family History 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.


 * 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]]
 * 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]]
 * Archives Online: Archion - [[Media:1-Archion-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Archion-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Archion-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Family Books in Württemberg - [[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]]
 * 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]]
 * 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]]
 * 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]]
 * 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]]
 * Inserting Special Characters - [[Media:1-Diacritics-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]]
 * Kartenmeister Gazetteer - [[Media:1-Kartenmeister-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Kartenmeister-Activity.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Kartenmeister-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Mecklenburg Censuses - [[Media:Mecklenburg_Censuses_-_instruction.pdf|Instruction]]
 * Meyer's Abbreviations - [[Media:1-Meyers_Abbreviations-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Meyers_Abbreviations-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Meyers_Abbreviations-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Meyer's Gazetteer* - [[Media:1-Meyers-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Meyers-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Meyers-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Meyer's 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 Online on Ancestry - [[Media:1-Meyers_Online-Instruction.pdf|Instruction]], [[Media:2-Meyers_Online-Assignment.pdf|Activity]], [[Media:3-Meyers_Online-Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]]
 * Online Genealogies - [[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]]
 * Posen 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]]
 * 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]]
 * Schleswig-Holstein Censuses - [[Media:Schleswig-Holstein_Censuses,_July_2019_-_instruction.pdf|Instruction]]
 * Using Archion - [[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]]

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

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