Germany has quite strict data protection laws which include blocking periods for documents with personal data. I'm no lawyer so bear with me while I try to sum up the sometimes complicated German ... read more
German Sources
Look for your ancestors’ names in a different language
This article is part of the series "Are your German ancestors playing hide-and-seek?" about various reasons why you might not have found your ancestors yet. One of the possible reasons could be that ... read more
Do your ancestors have unusual name variations?
This article is part of the series "Are your German ancestors playing hide-and-seek?" about various reasons why you might not have found your ancestors yet. One of the possible reasons could be ... read more
How and where to locate German church registers
The oldest instructions to keep written records about sacraments stem from the midth of the 14th century. However there was no set form about details yet. The oldest known church registers in German ... read more
How to find German ancestors – even if they’re hiding
Sometimes searching for your German immigrant ancestors can be quite frustrating. You probably know their name, maybe their parents' names too, their birthdate and the approximate area or even exact ... read more
How and where to locate German civil registers
In Germany civil registers in Germany were not known until the French period (1794-1815). During those years most of Northern Europe was under French rule or at least influence. The "code civil des ... read more