Thuringia (Thüringen), Germany Genealogy

Historical Background
Today the Free State of Thuringia is a country of the Federal Republic of Germany. During the time of the German Empire, it did not exist as a coherent territory. It was just a "landscape" or a geographical "area". The name was taken up in 1920, when eight Free States were united into the state of Thuringia.

Research Before 1945
Germany was first unified as a nation in 1871. For German research prior to 1945, the Research Wiki, FamilySearch Catalog, and FamilySearch Historical Records are organized by the place names in use from 1871 to 1945. For research in that time period, use the Wiki links in the chart below:
 * To find the 1871 duchy or province for your town, use Meyer's 1871 Gazetteer Online.