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  • German genealogy
    • Main contributor: Sebastian Gansauer

    German genealogy involves the study of one's ancestors in Germany and the former German territories. There is a rich array of historical records in Germany, such as civil registration records, church records, and others, to help the avid genealogist explore one's German heritage.

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    A brief geopolitical history of Germany

    Aerial view of Berlin
    Berlin, Germany

    Germany is a country in Central Europe with a population of 83 million. It is surrounded by nine bordering countries, making it the country with the largest number of neighbors in Europe.

    Germany has a rich history with many significant events that could have an impact on genealogy. Registry offices were introduced in 1876, and from that point forward, all important events, such as births, marriages, and deaths, have been recorded and kept by the registry offices.

    Germany was divided into many different states and political systems throughout its history. The modern German state did not come into being until 1990, when the two separate states (the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic) were reunited. This makes it especially important to learn the history of the region an ancestor lived in and take into account that it may have been under different jurisdictions at different times.

    The regions of Germany

    Regions of Germany
    Regions of Germany

    The modern state of Germany comprises the following regions:

    1. Baden-Württemberg: The federal state has a population of about 11.1 million people and an area of 35,751 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Protestants. The capital is Stuttgart.
    2. Bavaria: Bavaria has a population of about 13.1 million people and an area of 70,550 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Catholics. The capital is Munich.
    3. Berlin: Berlin has a population of about 3.7 million people and an area of 891 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Protestants. Along with Bremen and Hamburg, Berlin is one of the federal states that are "city states".
    4. Brandenburg: Brandenburg has a population of about 2.5 million people and an area of 29,477 square kilometers. Protestants are also the largest religious group. The capital is Potsdam.
    5. Bremen: Bremen has a population of about 682,000 people and an area of 419 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Protestants. Bremen is also a "city state" and thus its own capital.
    6. Hamburg: Hamburg has a population of about 1.8 million people and an area of 755 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Protestants. The city of Hamburg is also a “city state”.
    7. Hesse: Hesse has a population of about 6.2 million people and an area of 21,115 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Protestants. The capital is Wiesbaden.
    8. Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has a population of about 1.6 million people and an area of 23,180 square kilometers. Protestants are also the largest religious group. The capital is Schwerin.
    9. Lower Saxony: Lower Saxony has a population of about 7.9 million people and an area of 47,618 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Protestants. The capital is Hanover.
    10. North Rhine-Westphalia: North Rhine-Westphalia has a population of about 17.9 million people and an area of 34,084 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Catholics. The capital is Düsseldorf.
    11. Rhineland-Palatinate: Rhineland-Palatinate has a population of about 4.1 million people and an area of 19,854 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Protestants. The capital is Mainz.
    12. Saarland: Saarland has a population of about 990,000 people and an area of 2,570 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Catholics. The capital is Saarbrücken
    13. Saxony: Saxony has a population of about 4.1 million people and an area of 18,416 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Protestants. The capital is Dresden.
    14. Saxony-Anhalt: Saxony-Anhalt has a population of about 2.2 million people and an area of 20,445 square kilometers. The largest religious group is also the Protestants. The capital is Magdeburg.
    15. Schleswig-Holstein: Schleswig-Holstein has a population of about 2.9 million people and an area of 15,763 square kilometers. The largest religious group is also the Protestants. The capital is Kiel.
    16. Thuringia: Thuringia has a population of about 2.1 million people and an area of 16,172 square kilometers. The largest religious group is the Protestants. The capital is Erfurt.

    In general, it can be said that Germany has a federal system, each of the federal states has its own government, which is responsible for education, health, culture and the economy, among other things.

    Researching German surnames

    See also: German surnames

    German surnames
    German surnames

    Surnames only became common among the populace of Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries. Before this point, only noble and wealthy families used surnames to emphasize their hereditary claims or their status.

    There are different systems for how surnames are formed in the German territories. As in many Scandinavian countries, there is the patronymic system, where the surname is derived from the father's first name, while others derive the name from professions, place names, or origin.

    One challenge in researching German ancestors is that until Napoleon introduced the civil registry (in areas on the left bank of the Rhine from about 1810, and in the whole of Germany from 1876), there was no uniform regulation of the surname spelling. For example, a Mr. Meier could have children who spelled their name differently, for example, Mayer, Maier, or Meyer.

    Another challenge family history researchers may encounter is the fact that many surnames are common. Every small village had a miller, a blacksmith, or a steward (Meier). Larger settlements already had several people of the same profession. In addition, the choice of first names in earlier centuries was not as varied as it is today. Thus, within a short period, there were sometimes several children named Wilhelm Müller or Maria Elisabeth Meier. It can be challenging to determine whether a person bearing a particular name is the one you are looking for. Sometimes it is helpful to know the birthplace and the exact date of birth of a person in order to determine his or her identity.

    German records for family research

    The available data can be divided into three different categories:

    German censuses

    Over the centuries there have been various censuses in Germany or the former German territories. From 1834 to 1867, these were conducted every three years by the German Customs Union. In the German Empire, they took place every five years, and thereafter only irregularly during the World Wars and the Great Depression. The GDR (East Germany) and FRG (West Germany) also conducted censuses at irregular intervals until finally, after the 2001 sample, the first all-German census took place in 2011.

    Church books

    See also: Church records

    Since most Germans were part of the Catholic or Protestant church before the 20th century, church books are often one of the best ways to get information about German ancestors.

    However, the books can be challenging to read as many of them were written in old scripts and manuscripts. It is also important to note that many books have been lost or damaged over time, especially during the Second World War.

    German handwriting

    19th century German alphabet written in handwriting style
    19th century German alphabet

    German handwriting can be challenging to read, as there are many different types to distinguish here. On the one hand, we have the Kurrent script, which was widely used in the German-speaking world from the beginning of the modern era until the middle of the 20th century. On the other hand, there is Sütterlin, a handwriting developed by Ludwig Sütterlin on behalf of the Prussian Ministry of Culture and Education to teach cursive writing in school. The 19th-century German handwriting also uses many abbreviations and acronyms, making it difficult to identify certain words and names.

    Furthermore, some letters in the German alphabet are not part of the standard Latin alphabet:

    • ß
    • ä, Ä
    • ö, Ö
    • ü, Ü

    The first character is generally called a "sharp S" or "SZ", and the following ones are commonly called umlauts. If the character for ß is missing in a computer program, for example, it is replaced by a double-S. In general, however, the rule is that the double S follows a short spoken vowel, and the ß follows a long one, as the words “Masse” (mass) and “Maße” (dimensions)

    See also

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