RELEASE DATE: JUNE 14, 2020



KINSEARCHING

by

Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
 

     Perhaps one reason the “Genealogy at a Glance” series remains so popular is because the guides are created by authors well-known in their particular field of interest. As a result, many family historians will welcome the newly revised German Genealogy Research Updated Edition by Ernest Thode.

     Although a huge amount of present-day Americans claim German progenitors, the country that we know as Germany today did not exist as a sovereign nation until 1871. Therefore, Germanic origins are quite diverse since German-speaking regions of central Europe include Austria, Switzerland, and parts of Belgium, Denmark, Poland, and what used to be the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Due to language differences and changes in borders and names of places, trying to trace one’s German ancestors can be challenging and complex.

     To help explain why so many Germans emigrated, Thode places their motivations into four main categories: economic (for instance, famine or job loss), social (overpopulation or disruption from wars), political (rebellions or intellectual freedom), and religious (dissenters were persecuted for their non-conformist beliefs). Since putting one’s ancestors within a historical context is also useful, he briefly discusses the major waves of German emigration, ranging from colonial times to the early twentieth century.

     The rest of the guide concerns research tips and record sources. Pre-1871 records, for instance, may list an individual’s place of origin simply as Germany. Even if the German state is given, Prussia was such a large province that family historians still need to narrow the search in order to make it meaningful. To aid in unlocking German family history, he points out that the immigrant’s village of origin is crucial and furnishes a list of maps and gazetteers to locate the place, once it is known. Since surnames can sometimes help to pinpoint the place of origin, Thode supplies some examples showing the most likely area from which particular families came. In addition, he provides some German given names that often originated in specific regions.

     Pertaining to resources, he points out that the most frequently used passenger lists are those from Hamburg, 1850-1934. He also provides the URLs for several other passenger list sites and gives a brief description of the rosters found on them. More detailed information appears about church records and civil registrations. Also discussed are the German Center for Genealogy (the national’s largest genealogical collection), the Berlin Document Center, village heritage books and histories, military archives, and censuses (of which few listed individual names). The last segment is devoted to online resources and their current URLs.

     Like other titles in the series, an overview of the basics needed for tracing German forebears is condensed into four laminated pages for easy handling. The streamlined German Genealogy Research Updated Edition offers valuable insights necessary for Americans wishing to connect to their roots overseas.

     To the guide's price of $9.95, buyers should add the cost for postage and handling charges. For U. S. postal mail, the cost is $5.50 for one item and $2.50 for each additional copy; for FedEx ground service, the cost is $7.00 for one copy and $2.50 for each additional item. The guide (item order 5761) may be purchased by check, money order, MasterCard, or Visa from Genealogical Publishing Company, 3600 Clipper Mill Rd., Suite 260, Baltimore, MD 21211-1953. For phone orders, call toll free 1-800-296-6687; fax 1-410-752-8492; website www.genealogical.com.


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