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What’s New in German Research on the Internet?
FamilySearch
Baerbel K. Johnson, AG ®
Johnsonbx@familysearch.org
New material of interest to the genealogist appears on the Internet almost daily. More genealogical
societies, archives, and others post indexes and even images of records online. Link lists dealing with
German genealogy are found at
https://wiki.familysearch.org under “Germany – Digital Resources”
Germans settled in many areas around the world. Among others, the FamilySearch Wiki also includes
links to new online resources for the Czech Republic and the Germans from Russia.
Generally speaking, electronic translators are fairly effective in translating the tabs and basic
information presented on a Web site. Go to “translate.google.com”. Choose the “from” and “to”
languages and enter the Web address in the field provided. The Web site will then appear in its
translated form. Clicking on any part brings up the original foreign-language text.
RECORDS, IMAGES, AND INDEXES ONLINE
In addition to providing digital record finding tools, several archives have started to post selected record
groups on the Internet. Even though the availability of digitized parish registers online is still minimal,
several Websites now offer access to various sets of records, including the following:
• https://www.familysearch.org/ now has 22 record sets online, including:
1. Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1867, 1890, and 1900 Censuses, indexes with attached
images [in various states of completion]
2. An expanding collection of “miscellaneous city records”, which currently includes sets
from Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen (Bavaria), Angermünde and Heegermühle
(Brandenburg), Bautzen, Dresden, and Freiberg (Saxony), and Albstadt
(Württemberg), covering various years
3. A collection of images [not indexed] titled “Darmstadt city records”, which includes
several sets of applications to receive citizenship in Darmstadt, some emigration
records [first volume set is laws and ordinances, the others are applications for
permission to emigrate], “Bevölkerungsverhältnisse” [population registers] includes
several volumes with vastly differing contents, including what looks like a 19 th century
list of move-ins which list the birth place,”Heimatscheine” [registers of “hometown
certifications” issued, may include name, father’s name, birth date, destination]
4. An image collection titled “Ludwigshafen Church Record Extractions and family
registers”; includes various collections and genealogies from the Ludwigshafen
region. Some “indexes” seem to be by first letter of the surname only.
5. Church record images, mostly from Pommern, filmed in the Greifswald State Archive