Austria Beginners Corner Resources

German Language
One does not need to speak fluent German in order to experience success with research in Austria. Below are listed some resources that will assist you as you begin this exciting journey.

Language and Archaic Terms
You will need access to a good modern German dictionary and at least one dictionary containing the archaic terms.

This FamilySearch Wiki has a German Genealogical wordlist. You may need to access other similar resources. For example, older Catholic Church parish records were kept in Latin; you may find some records in Czech, Hungarian, Polish. During the period of French occupation, records may have been kept in French.

See also:


 * German Language and Languages

Handwriting
Once you have determined the place of origin and have found searchable records, you will need to familiarize yourself with the various types of German script. In addition to the resources already listed, additional help is available at:


 * German Script Tutorials
 * Minert, Roger. Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents, analyzing German, Latin, and French in Vital Records Written in Germany; Woodscross, U.S.A., GRT Publications, c 2001. FS Library Intl Ref Area 417.7 M662d
 * Wikipedia Fraktur Script
 * Suetterlin Script
 * Research Coursesat FamilySearch. Free online research classes including German, French, Polish, Dutch, Scandinavian and Russian Handwriting Courses.
 * FamilySearch Wiki- search by keywords German Script for various training articles.