German Genealogy FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about German Genealogy.
This FAQ about German Genealogy was compiled and written by Jim Eggert EggertJ@crosswinds.net with numerous contributions by others.
01 How can I start researching my German or German-American family?- Beginners should do two things first: interview elderly or ...
- 02 What introductory or general books should I read? (genealogy - German)
- Here is a list of some useful books. Most of these works ...
- 03 Can you help me with surname ABCDEF? (genealogy - German)
- Simple surname queries without any supporting information ...
- 04 Where can I register/find my surnames? (genealogy - German)
- Surnames are best registered on the Internet in several fora:...
- 05 What are the rules for given names? (genealogy - German)
- Different areas/times/families had different naming conventions....
- 06 Where is the town/village Xyz? (genealogy - German)
- The best places to look are:...
- 07 How do I find an address or phone number? (genealogy - German)
- For German phone numbers, the best resources are CD-...
- 08 How can I find out what village my ancestor came from?
- This is sometimes easy, sometimes quite difficult, and ...
- 09 What about the German census?
- The German central government conducted censuses in 1871, every ...
- 10 How about German cemeteries?
- German cemeteries are not as useful for genealogical purpose ...
- 11 What does my German surname mean?
- The meaning of a German surname can often be found in a German-...
- 12 Is my family from a town with a name like their surname? (genealogy - German)
- Assuming that the family name is a place name perhaps with ...
- 13 How can I learn about German noble families?
- The standard series of books on German nobility is the ...
- 14 Where can I find German military records?
- All personnel rosters and card indices (Stammrollen ...
- 15 How do I write to a German Standesamt, parish, or archive?
- For archive addresses, see the question on archive addresses....
- 16 How do I find German postal codes?
- German postal codes (Postleitzahl or PLZ, equivalent to US ...
- 17 I don't know German. What should I do?
- The best overall solution is to learn German. Often such a ...
- 18 I can't read German handwriting. What should I do?
- There is of course no one German handwriting, but often ...
- 20 What are the German umlauts and genealogical symbols?
- Umlauts, etc.:...
- 21 How can I send money to Germany?
- The most convenient and economical way to send money overseas ...
- 22 What is the IGI?
- The International Genealogical Index is maintained by the FHL ...
- 23 Where can I find passenger lists or ship information? (genealogy - German)
- Ship passenger lists appear in two basic types: embarkation ...
- 24 What is "Germans to America"?
- Germans to America is a book series devoted to ...
- 25 What German archives and/or genealogical organizations are there?
- Andreas Hanacek maintains a list of German archives ...
- 26 How do I find a book about abc or xyz? (genealogy - German)
- If you know the title and author, go to your favorite library ...
- 27 Should I buy a surname/crest/family history book sold by mail? (genealogy - German)
- Be careful. Some unscrupulous firms offer books that are ...
- 28 Where do I go on the Internet for German genealogy?
- The first place to go is the German genealogy server ...
- 29 What are soc.genealogy.german, soc.genealogy.surnames.german, and de.sci.genealogie?
- The two Usenet newsgroups of interest to German ...
- 30 Are there other online resources for genealogy?
- Lots. Here are a few excellent starting points:...
- 31 How can I possibly repay you for all your help? (soc.genealogy.german)
- Please repay help freely given by helping other ...
- 32 Acknowledgements (soc.genealogy.german)
- Thanks go to the following people: Nate Blaylock, Henning Boettcher, ...
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