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A German Mini Tutorial on researching

By: Barry Wetherington

Sent in by Barry Wetherington

Hello Researchers of German genealogy/ ancestors, particularly PA researchers;

 Here is a new (to me and perhaps to others) excellent, if not Fantastic, method to locate hundreds, or more, of your German based surname ancestors; (and see others below). For example, in response to this free request for German WINTERs:
'Anyone with Winter ancestors from Amorbach Germany?'
the FOKO database reveals the below page set out below [not included] AND 41 MORE such free pages of Winters (some of which I'll send to Winter-L), AND the opportunity to take your inquiry even further for what appears to be a reasonable fee for a German researcher (if anyone has experience w/the FOKO database):
http://cefha.org/  - 'Databanken'
http://foko.genealogy.net/search.php
or the sponsoring organization:
(Genealogy.net - http://www.genealogienetz.de/ , please advise.

Also, keep in mind the other excellent German research/ search SWISH resource:
- SWISH:
 FYI, From a great continental Europe genealogy (Swish) search website:
http://cefha.org/lfs/werth.html
Use this Search engine:
http://celfha.org/cgi-bin/swish.cgi
(The 'Swish' Search  Engine)
From: http://swish-e.org/
(Utilizing the Pomeranian  database)

Discovered via another Great German resource:

The Deutsches Geschlechterbuch, published by C. A. Starke Verlag, is a German families lineage book series collection of 209 volumes (and growing) created over nearly six decades starting in 1889. This series of books includes numerous subseries for different regions of the former German Empire and they cover virtually every major area of the old German Empire that existed prior to World War I, including two volumes on Darmstadt genealogy (Volumes 69 and 96).
- http://www.gf-franken.de/index_e.html   (GFF data base)  GFF data base;
- Deutsches Geschlechterbuch (see discussion extract below)
- http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Gesellschaft+fuer+Familienforschung+in+Franken&btnG=Google+Search

Finding Aid H-1 to
Die Kartei Quassowski (KQ)
The Original Die Kartei Quassowski was authored by Hans-Wolfgang Quassowski of Hamburg Germany. It was published and copyrighted 1977 by Verein fur Familienforschung in Ost und Westpreuen
This Finding Aid database is copyright 2000-2003 by John Movius, Webmaster
http://cefha.org/de/gi/kq/kq-h1.html

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Gesellschaft+fuer+Familienforschung+in+Franken&btnG=Google+Search

Map of distribution of any surname all over Germany  by:  Wesley Johnston
 Barry, I found the URL in the note that you sent to me. So that others can know where to find it, here is the URL:
Ric Dice:

http://germannames.com/

The site is by Ken McCrea. The maps are from recent German telephone directories. While individuals have moved around, the concentrations of the present-day surnames are probably similar to those of the past.
Click on the "Sample maps" link to see surname maps for uncommon and common names and variants of common names.
Click on the "Mail in Order Form" link to print out an order form. The price is $1 per surname.

Barry,  Actually my immigrant ancestor, Johann Matthias Theiss came to PA in 1731 where he built a cabin that still stands.

We PA Dutched the name to Dice and Tice. But back in the old country it was Theiss and Theis and still is. There are still Theiss cousins living in the small villages of Ruthweiler and Reichweiler and a few others. Most of my work has been tracing the Old German lines. I have made contact with several cousins and we are now working on it together. It's kind of strange because I speak no German but do read the Old Fraktur which is something most of them have trouble with. My Theiss were confined to a small area around Kusel in the SW Pfalz. They were all Lutheran Ref.  When did your Theiss come over? 
Ric Dice

Barry

More for context:
Deutsches Geschlechterbuch
[ CEFHA Front Page ] [ WebSite Index ]
Finding Aid for Deutsches Geschlechterbuch
(DGB Band 137, Pommern)
This Finding Aid copyright 2000-2003 by John Movius, all rights reserved
Latest Update: 24 May 2003

Background: The Deutsches Geschlechterbuch, published by C. A. Starke Verlag, is a German families lineage book series collection of 209 volumes (and growing) created over nearly six decades starting in 1889. This series of books includes numerous subseries for different regions of the former German Empire and they cover virtually every major area of the old German Empire that existed prior to World War I, including two volumes on Darmstadt genealogy (Volumes 69 and 96).
For more on the Deutsches Geschlechterbuch - click on this hot link for additional information.
Acknowledgement and Thanks: The Surname Finding Aid to Volume 137 (Pommern) as presented below was inintially prepared with the help of Joan Searles of California ( [email protected]  ) who helped by digitizing the typeset German gothic language index of Volume 137 into the surname finding aid presented below.

Surnames Listed in DGB Band 137 (Pommern)

U. S. Mini-Tutorial:

  You can always access our List Archives.  SEARCH & BROWSE I have placed the Archives Link in the Taglines that accompany each List message, SO, if you see something interesting in a msg you have just received, simply click on the Archives Link and very quickly you'll be looking at the extensive database of Gen, perhaps the best place online to begin your research, where you can also Browse recent msgs or Search for names, places, dates &/or events by year, & where we can almost guarantee you will find clues or actual links to your early family.

MINI - Tutorial

A few EXCELLENT places good for quick satisfaction , in the approx order I would suggest your use includes:

http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/ (enter a SURNAME & Given name, and your next click will have you looking at MANY cousins)

- Your surname Message Board:
 http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/script/main/rw

 The Morman site:
 http://www.familysearch.org/
 http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/frameset_search.asp
  Note many different avenues there - look in the box, top left, espec for Soc Sec records for more recent info - GPs birth/ death, SocSec#, etc.

Google Search for your surname(s):
 http://www.google.com/

http://searches.rootsweb.com/

And when you want a bit more structure, the RootsWeb ~tutorials:
 http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/

Barry Wetherington

Hi  Liz, [mini-tutorial below]

Actually, I had hoped that my email was a mini-tutorial - that was its purpose. Keep looking for your SURNAMES in place & time, and for related surnames, that suggest they are related to your ancestors. Some of the best places and tools to look are what is needed. I've posted many msgs directing researchers to promising sites - this was another of those posts, but see below!

  My advice is to start as follows, using RootsWeb Home to start because it is Great & Free:
         - see RootsWeb home page - https://sites.rootsweb.com/ and use the upper 'Ribbon' sites, some of which duplicated down lower onsite.
1 - Go to the RootsWeb surnames of your family:
ex-   https://mailinglists.rootsweb.com/listindexes/legacy/surname/b/barlett.html
        https://mailinglists.rootsweb.com/listindexes/legacy/surname/w/werth.html
          substitute your own surname & surname initial:  /w/wetherington  and Search/ Browse
2 - Go to WorldConnect:  http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/
             If you are here (likely you are), hard to do better!!!
3 - Go to FamilySearch.org
             (Info on most surnames here - more than you may initially think)
4 - Go To http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/script/main/rw
           and Search for your surname Boards - then Browse or search the specific site.
5 - Google your surnames in date & place of your interest: Google.com
6 - While doing above, you will find websites w/serious help.
7 - County boards can be very useful, as witness PA-Berks-L, see RootsWeb home page
8 - Ancestry.com is excellent, especially when you have a good base from which to start. After a yr or so, opt for the 2 week free option when you have the time and plan for your campaign
9 - It is very helpful to have a Gen program. There are excellent free ones -
     Legacy:  http://www.LegacyFamilyTree.com & FamilySearch.org's PAF program, &
     RootsMagic (free?), and many others for ~ $30.

RootsWeb has some good advice for novices - Where to Begin?, see below:
 https://sites.rootsweb.com/
http://rwguide.rootsweb.com/

 GENERAL SUBJECTS
? Where to Begin?
? What is the Question?
? Why You Can't Find Them
? What's in a Name?

SOURCES, RECORD TYPES  WITH LINKS TO MORE
? Adoption Records
?  Birth Records
?  Census Records: (plus U.S.A. Soundexes, Indexes and Finding Aids)
? Church Records
? City Directories
? Court Records
? Death, Tombstones and Cemeteries
? Evidence, Sources and Citation
? Fraternal Organizations
? GEDCOMs
? Heraldry/Coats of Arms
? Immigrants Records
? Land Records (U.S.A.)
? Marriage Records
? Military Records (U.S.A.)
? Military Records (worldwide)
? Naturalization Records
? Newspapers
? Orphans
?  SSDI (Social Security Death Index) & Railroad Retirement Board Records
(U.S.A.)
? Ship Passenger Records
? Software for Genealogists
? Taxing Tales
? Using Technology

Barry

Barry Wetherington

TERM PDF as used by John Merz is not an Adobe electronic file, it is Personal Data File for an individual soldier.

PLEASE READ

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