If you’re just starting out, German genealogy can seem incredibly overwhelming. Records in a foreign language, which are written in old-fashioned handwriting, are enough to make finding German ancestors seem near impossible to researchers looking to cross the pond. Luckily, there’s help! In this session, learn the top seven tips to get you started – and confidently embark on – your German genealogy journey.
In the engaging Legacy Family Tree webinar “Seven Essential Tips for Starting German Genealogy,” professional genealogist, translator, and author Katherine Schober provided an in-depth roadmap for those eager to explore their German roots. Speaking with clarity and enthusiasm, Schober shared her expertise in deciphering German records, languages, and naming conventions—demystifying the process for beginners and seasoned researchers alike. From locating an ancestor’s hometown to mastering old handwriting, her presentation delivered the practical foundation necessary to confidently cross the ocean into German records.
Key Takeaways:
Start at Home Before Crossing the Pond: Schober emphasized that success in German genealogy begins with finding a specific hometown—the cornerstone for locating records in Europe. She recommended beginning with local church records, particularly Protestant registers, as documented in Dr. Roger Minert’s German Immigrants in American Church Records series. She also encouraged exploring obituaries, naturalization papers, family Bibles, photographs, and passenger lists for valuable geographic clues.
Confirm Places and Names with Precision: To ensure accuracy, Schober demonstrated how to verify towns using Meyers Gazetteer, a vital online tool for identifying German localities and parishes. She also discussed challenges posed by spelling variations, umlauts, and interchangeable consonants (like “B/P” or “D/T”), reminding researchers that historical spelling was fluid. Websites such as Geogen and nvk.genealogy.net help confirm name frequency and regional origins.
Master the Handwriting and Access the Records: Once across the pond, the first records to seek are church registers, many of which date to the 1500s. Schober introduced key resources for accessing them—Archion.de for Protestant records and Matricula-online.eu for Catholic ones—and advised reaching out directly to parishes for unscanned books. She also encouraged researchers to learn old German script (Kurrent or Sütterlin) using tools like FamilySearch word lists, transcription guides, and reference works such as Deciphering Handwriting in German Documents by Roger Minert and German to English Genealogical Dictionary by Ernest Thode.
Schober’s approachable teaching style made complex topics feel manageable, blending linguistic tips, cultural insights, and technology demonstrations into a cohesive research plan. She also introduced specialized resources such as Ortssippenbücher (family history books), city directories, and military or court records, underscoring how they enrich family narratives when paired with traditional sources.
For those eager to build confidence in researching German ancestors, watching the full webinar offers valuable demonstrations, pronunciation guidance, and translation examples in real time. To extend your learning, be sure to explore the accompanying syllabus, which includes direct links to the websites, tools, and dictionaries featured in the presentation—an essential companion for anyone ready to begin uncovering their family’s German heritage.
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Syllabus
Outstanding introduction to Germany research. Step-by-step methods using online resources outlined in the handout.
Easy to understand. Good site information
Her knowledge of her subject is just phenomenal!!!
Very interesting presentation and lots of directions to find ancestors through informative records in Germany with websites. Included understanding the German alphabetic letters with book references.
Well organized, well paced, positive, warm voice, easy to listen to, a lot of information, thank you for sharing your expertise!! Many thanks from someone who was also raised in St. Louis!
It was with fear and trepidation that made me not want to attack finding my ancestors in Germany. Katherine has relieved me of that and showed me step-by-step how I can utilize a wide array of sources already in the U.S. to begin. I’ll sleep better tonight!
Very clear understandable instruction. It was really well organized and presented. Thank you Katherine. I’m going to be busy searching for awhile.
This was very informative and makes German research less daunting. I am looking forward to going more into my German lines and finding out more with the tools I learned today. Melody Knight