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  • Newspaper records in Germany
    • Main contributor: Craig Kanalley
    Schwäbische Zeitung in 1948
    A 1948 edition of the Schwäbische Zeitung, a daily newspaper published in Baden-Wüttemberg.

    Newspaper records in Germany are valuable sources of information for genealogy research. They date back to the early 1600s; in fact, the newspaper (Zeitung) originated in Germany, perhaps unsurprising since a German, Johannes Gutenberg, invented the printing press. The first daily newspaper, Einkommende Zeitungen, started publishing in 1650 in Leipzig.[1] Today, Germany has the fifth-largest newspaper market in the world, trailing only China, India, Japan, and the United States, with 320 daily newspapers and 16 weekly newspapers.[2]

    Newspapers are helpful resources for historical references, cultural ideas, news, and traditions. The obituaries published in German newspapers are particularly informative for those researching their family history. They can vary in depth, but modern-day obituaries often include the deceased individual's date of birth, date of death, place of residence, surviving family members, and even a portrait photograph.

    More than 12 million pages of German newspapers across 894 titles are indexed at MyHeritage in this collection:

    How to find newspaper records in GermanyHow to find newspaper records in Germany

    An advertisement in a German newspaper in 1876
    An advertisement in a German newspaper (1876)

    More and more historical newspapers have been appearing online in recent years, greatly increasing opportunities to do genealogy research with German newspapers. These include:

    Based on German newspaper listings, the German Genealogy Group has a German Emigration Database that is worth a look, especially if you have family from the Bavaria and Rheinland-Pfalz regions. It includes towns of origin, dates of immigration, and additional notes, such as the newspaper that referenced them and the page number.

    Due to the historical links with Germany, including population of Austrian descent, Austria's historical newspapers collection may also be interesting.

    What you may find in newspapers in GermanyWhat you may find in newspapers in Germany

    German obituary in 1943
    A German obituary in 1943

    The contents of German newspapers encompass various aspects of the lives of German citizens, all of which can be helpful for those researching family history:

    • Birth or wedding announcements, especially for major cities
    • Obituaries or death notices for recently deceased persons
    • School reports, honor rolls, or lists of pupils enrolled
    • Emigration notices, as local papers commonly published intentions to emigrate
    • Trade news, especially in trade journals and occupational papers
    • Lists of visitors in town or social gatherings
    • Estate and property notices, transfers of property
    • Advertisements for local businesses
    • Local news, features, political reporting, and cultural coverage

    Tips to finding your family in German newspapersTips to finding your family in German newspapers

    ö german letter
    The German "Ö" written in script

    In addition to locating where they lived and finding the relevant historical newspapers for that place, there are some other tips you'll want to keep in mind when searching. These tips are especially important when you search online databases, especially if you don't find what you're looking for at first:

    1. Umlauts (ä, ö, ü): While family names and places often include umlauts, they are sometimes transcribed as "ae," "oe," and "ue", respectively. Try both combinations. For example, Müller and Mueller. Keep in mind that Muller may not surface Müller results.
    2. Common abbreviations: If you don't find someone with their first name, try some of these common abbreviations or German given names (in alphabetical order): Andr. for Andreas, Aug. for August., Christ. for Christian, Ern. for Ernst, Frdr. or Fried. for Friedrich, Frz. for Franz, Geo. for Georg, Gottl. for Gottlieb, Heinr. for Heinrich, Jak. for Jacob, Joh. for Johann, Jos. for Joseph, Kar. for Karl, Mart. for Martin, Math. for Matthias, Mich. for Michael, Pet. for Peter, Phil. for Philipp, Seb. for Sebastian, Th. for Thomas, Wilh. for Wilhelm.
    3. Spelling variations: Consider trying Katharina and Catharina, or Konrad and Conrad, etc.
    4. Use wildcards: If possible, use wildcards when you search. For example, M*ller, which could potentially find matches for Müller, Mueller, and Muller.

    Keep in mind that Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is not perfect and it makes mistakes. So a family name could be transcribed as something else entirely. In addition to searching for names, try searching for addresses, places, or other combinations of keywords.

    See alsoSee also

    Explore more about Newspaper records in GermanyExplore more about Newspaper records in Germany

    References

    1. ↑ Erste Tageszeitung kam aus Leipzig (The first daily newspaper came from Leipzig). Stadt Leipzig
    2. ↑ Facts about Germany. Newspapers and magazines


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