User:Amberannelarsen/sandbox/284

Guide to German ancestry, family history, and genealogy: birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Finding Your Ancestors' Town of Origin in Germany
Records are kept on the local level. You must first identify the name of the town in Germany where your ancestors lived. If you do not yet know the name of the town of your ancestor's birth, there are well-known strategies for a thorough hunt for it.
 * Use Germany Finding Town of Origin as a guide in exhausting every possible record to find what you need.

The German Empire (1871-1918)
Click on the names of the province, duchy, etc. to find detailed instructions for family history research for that locality.

Modern Germany (1945-Present)
Clicking on one of these states will take you an article explaining family history research after 1945, when these states were created. {|

Territory Changes 1918-1946
'''Because of the treaties at the end of World War I and II, portions of German territory were granted to other countries. This map summarizes the changes.'''

More Germany Research Strategies and Tools

 * Germany Historic and Current States--maps
 * Finding Aids for German Records
 * German Research Troubleshooting Strategies
 * The German Genealogy Wiki (GenWiki) - English Version
 * GenWiki - German Version
 * Germany Genealogy Resources from Federation of East European Family History Societies (FEEFHS)
 * German Research Websites
 * German Genealogy MetaSearch
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * German Resources
 * Calendar Changes in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the Low Countries
 * Old German Script Transcriber (alte deutsche Handschriften): See your family names in the script of the era. Type your name or other word into the font generator tool. Click on the 8 different fonts. Save the image to your computer and use it as you work with old Germanic records.
 * German Research, BYU Independent Study, no cost.


 * These printable handouts can be used for ready reference when reading German Handwriting.
 * Letters:


 * [[Media:Kurrent Letters.pdf|Kurrent Letters handout]]
 * [[Media:Kurrent Font Help Wiki.pdf|Additional Kurrent Letters handout]]


 * Vocabulary found on Specific Records:


 * [[Media:Birth Record Vocabulary-Kurrent-german.pdf|Birth Records Vocabulary handout]]
 * [[Media:Marriage Record Vocabulary-Kurrent-german.pdf|Marriage Records Vocabulary handout]]
 * [[Media:German marriage handout templated jan 2017.pdf|Overview of Marriage Laws and Customs (handout)]]
 * [[Media:Death Record Vocabulary-Kurrent german.pdf|Death Records Vocabulary handout]]


 * Dates, Numbers, Abbreviations:


 * [[Media:Days and Months Vocabulary-Kurrent-German.pdf|Days and Months handout]]
 * [[Media:Numbers Vocabulary.pdf|Numbers Vocabulary handout]]
 * [[Media:Kurrent Script Dates, Numbers, etc.pdf|Script Dates and Numbers handout]]
 * [[Media:Common Abbreviations-Kurrent-german.pdf|Common Abbreviations handout]]
 * [[Media:Common Symbols - Kurrent-german.pdf|Common Symbols handout]]


 * Miscellaneous Vocabulary:


 * [[Media:German Occupations Vocabulary.pdf|German Occupations Vocabulary handout]]
 * [[Media:Illnesses Vocabulary-Kurrent-german.pdf|Illnesses Vocabulary handout]]


 * Fraktur:


 * [[Media:Fraktur Font help - Wiki.pdf|Fraktur Font]] -- Many forms and books are printed in this font.


 * German Given Names:
 * List of Names in Old German Script -- A comprehensive list of German given names,  written in old script, with possible variations.

FamilySearch Resources
Below are FamilySearch resources that can assist you in researching your family.
 * Facebook Communities - Facebook groups discussing genealogy research
 * Germany Classes and Tutorials - Germany Online genealogy courses in the Learning Center
 * Historical Records - Germany Locality Page
 * Family History Center locator map