How to Research German Ancestors

How to Research German Ancestors Germany, as we know it today, is a much different country than it was during the time of our distant ancestors. Germanys life as a unified nation didnt even begin until 1871, making it a much younger country than most of its European neighbors. This can make locating German ancestors a bit more challenging than many think. What Is Germany? Prior to its unification in 1871, Germany consisted of a loose association of kingdoms (Bavaria, Prussia, Saxony, Wurttemberg...), duchies (Baden...), free cities (Hamburg, Bremen, Lubeck...), and even personal estates - each with its own laws and record keeping systems. After a brief period as a unified nation (1871-1945), Germany was again divided following World War II, with parts of it given to Czechoslovakia, Poland,  and the USSR. What was left was then divided into East Germany and West Germany, a division that lasted until 1990. Even during the unified period, some sections of Germany were given to Belgium, Denmark,  and France in 1919. What this means for people researching German roots, is that the records of their ancestors may or may not be found in Germany. Some may be found among the records of the six countries which have received portions of former Germany territory (Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Poland, and the USSR). Once you take your research prior to 1871, you may also be dealing with records from some of the original German states. What and Where Was Prussia? Many people assume that Prussian ancestors were German, but this isnt necessarily the case. Prussia was actually the name of a geographical region, which originated in the area between Lithuania and Poland, and later grew to encompass the southern Baltic coast and northern Germany. Prussia existed as an independent state from the 17th century until 1871, when it became the largest territory of the new German empire. Prussia as a state was officially abolished in 1947, and now the term only exists in reference to the former province. While an extremely brief overview of Germanys path through history, hopefully, this helps you understand some of the obstacles that German genealogists face. Now that you understand these difficulties, its time to go back to the basics. Begin With Yourself No matter where your family ended up, you cant research your German roots until you have learned more about your more recent ancestors. As with all genealogy projects, you need to begin with yourself, talk to your family members, and follow the other basic steps of starting a family tree. Locate the Birthplace of Your Immigrant Ancestor Once youve used a variety of genealogy records to trace your family back to the original German ancestor, the next step is to find the name of the specific town, village or city in Germany where your immigrant ancestor lived. Since most German records are not centralized, it is nearly impossible to trace your ancestors in Germany without this step. If your German ancestor immigrated to America after 1892, you can probably find this information on the passenger arrival record for the ship on which they sailed to America. The Germans to America series should be consulted if your German ancestor arrived between 1850 and 1897. Alternatively, if you know from which port in Germany they departed, you may be able to locate their hometown on the German passenger departure lists. Other common sources for locating an immigrants hometown include vital records of birth, marriage,  and death; census records; naturalization records and church records. Learn more tips for finding the birthplace o f your immigrant ancestor. Locate the German Town After youve determined the immigrants hometown in Germany, you should next locate it on a map to determine whether it still exists, and in which German state. Online German gazetteers can help locate the state in Germany in which a town, village or city can now be found. If the place appears to no longer exist, turn to historic German maps and finding aids to learn where the place used to be, and in which country, region or state the records may now exist. Birth, Marriage Death Records in Germany Even though Germany didnt exist as a unified nation until 1871, many German states developed their own systems of civil registration prior to that time, some as early as 1792. Since Germany has no central repository for civil records of birth, marriage,  and death, these records may be found in various locations including the local civil registrars office, government archives, and on microfilm through the Family History Library.   Census Records in Germany Regular  censuses  have been conducted in Germany on a countrywide basis since 1871. These national censuses were actually conducted by each state or province, and the original returns can be obtained from the municipal archives (Stadtarchiv) or the Civil Register Office (Standesamt) in each district. The biggest exception to this is East Germany (1945-1990), which destroyed all of its original census returns. Some census returns were also destroyed by bombing during World War II. Some counties and cities of Germany have also conducted separate censuses at irregular intervals over the years. Many of these have not survived, but some are available in the relevant municipal archives or on microfilm through the Family History Library. The information available from German census records varies greatly by time period and area. Earlier census returns may be basic head  counts  or include only the name of the head of household. Later census records provide more detail. German Parish Registers While most German civil records only go back to around the 1870s, parish registers go back as far as the 15th century. Parish registers are books maintained by church or parish offices to record baptisms, confirmations, marriages, burials and other church events and activities, and are a major source of family history information in Germany. Some even include family registers (Seelenregister or Familienregister) where information about an individual family group is recorded together  on  a single place. Parish registers are generally kept by the local parish office. In some  cases, however, the older parish registers may have been forwarded to a central parish register office or ecclesiastical archives, a state or municipal archive, or a local vital registration office. If the parish is no longer in existence, the parish registers may be found in the office of the parish which took over for that area. In addition to the original parish registers, parishes in most areas of Germany required a verbatim copy of the register to be made and forwarded annually to the district court - until the time when vital registration took effect (from about 1780-1876). These second writings are sometimes available when the original records are not, or are a good source for double-checking hard-to-decipher handwriting in the original register. It is important to keep in mind, however, that these second writings are copies of the original and, as such, are one step removed from the original source, introducing a greater chance of errors. Many Germany parish registers have been microfilmed by the LDS church and are available through the Family History Library or your local  family history center. Other sources of Germany family history information include school records, military records, emigration records, ship passenger lists and city directories. Cemetery records may also be helpful but, as in much of Europe, cemetery lots are leased for a specific number of years. If the lease isnt renewed, the burial plot becomes open for someone else to be buried there. Where Are They Now? The town,  kindom, principality or  duchie  where your ancestor lived in Germany may be hard to find on a map of modern Germany. To help you find your way around German records, this list outlines the states (  bundeslnder) of modern Germany, along with the historical territories that they now contain. Germanys three city-states - Berlin, Hamburg,  and  Bremen - predate these states created in 1945. Baden-Wà ¼rttembergBaden, Hohenzollern, Wà ¼rttemberg BavariaBavaria (excluding Rheinpfalz), Sachsen-Coburg BrandenburgThe western portion of the Prussian Province of Brandenburg. HesseFree  City of Frankfurt am Main, Grand Duchy of Hessen-Darmstadt (less the province of Rheinhessen), part of Landgraviate Hessen-Homburg, Electorate of Hessen-Kassel, Duchy of Nassau, District of Wetzlar (part of the former Prussian Rheinprovinz), Principality of Waldeck. Lower SaxonyDuchy of Braunschweig, Kingdom/Prussian, Province of Hannover, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe. Mecklenburg-VorpommernGrand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (less the principality of Ratzeburg),  western  portion of the Prussian province of Pomerania. North Rhine-WestphaliaPrussian province of Westfalen, northern portion of Prussian Rheinprovinz, Principality of Lippe-Detmold. Rheinland-PfalzPart of the Principality of Birkenfeld, Province of Rheinhessen, part of the Landgraviate of Hessen-Homburg, most of the Bavarian Rheinpfalz, part of the Prussian Rheinprovinz. SaarlandPart of the Bavarian Rheinpfalz, part of the Prussian Rheinprovinz, part of the principality of Birkenfeld. Sachsen-AnhaltFormer Duchy of Anhalt, Prussian province of Sachsen. SaxonyKingdom  of Sachsen, part of the Prussian province of Silesia. Schleswig-HolsteinFormer Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein,  Free  City of Là ¼beck, Principality of Ratzeburg. ThuringiaDuchies and Principalities of Thà ¼ringen, part of  Prussian  province of Sachsen. Some areas are no longer part of modern Germany. Most of East Prussia (Ostpreussen) and Silesia (Schlesien) and part of Pomerania (Pommern) are now in Poland.  Similarly,​  Alsace (Elsass) and Lorraine (Lothringen) are in France, and in each  case,  you must take your research to those countries.

Biography of Charles Darwin, 19th Century Naturalist

Biography of Charles Darwin, 19th Century Naturalist Charles Darwin (February 12, 1809–April 19, 1882) was a naturalist who originated the theory of evolution through the process of natural selection. Darwin holds a unique place in history as the foremost proponent of this theory. While he lived a relatively quiet and studious life, his writings were controversial in their day and still routinely spark controversy. As an educated young man, he embarked on an astounding voyage of discovery aboard a Royal Navy ship. Strange animals and plants he saw in remote places inspired his deep thinking about how life might have developed. And when he published his masterpiece, On the Origin of Species, he profoundly shook up the scientific world. Darwins influence on modern science is impossible to overstate. Fast Facts: Charles Darwin Known For: Originating the theory of evolution through natural selectionBorn: February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, EnglandParents: Robert Waring Darwin and Susannah WedgwoodDied: April 19, 1882 in Downe, Kent, EnglandEducation: Edinburgh University, Scotland, Cambridge University, EnglandPublished Works: On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural SelectionAwards and Honors:  Royal Medal, Wallaston Medal, Copley Medal (all for outstanding achievements in the sciences)Spouse: Emma WedgwoodChildren: William Erasmus Darwin, Anne Elizabeth Darwin, Mary Eleanor Darwin, Henrietta Emma Darwin, George Howard Darwin, Elizabeth Darwin, Francis Darwin, Leonard Darwin, Horace Darwin, Charles Waring Darwin Notable Quote: â€Å"In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment.† Early Life Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. His father was a medical doctor, and his mother was the daughter of the famous potter Josiah Wedgwood. Darwin’s mother died when he was 8, and he was essentially raised by his older sisters. He was not a brilliant student as a child, but he went on to study at the University of Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland, at first intending to become a doctor. Darwin took a strong dislike to medical education and eventually studied at Cambridge. He planned to become an Anglican minister before becoming intensely interested in botany. He received a degree in 1831. Voyage of the Beagle On the recommendation of a college professor, Darwin was accepted to travel on the second voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle. The ship was embarking on a scientific expedition to South America and islands of the South Pacific, leaving in late December 1831. The Beagle returned to England nearly five years later, in October 1836. Darwins position on the ship was peculiar. A former captain of the vessel had become despondent during a long scientific voyage because, it was assumed, he had no intelligent person to converse with while at sea. The British Admiralty thought sending an intelligent young gentleman along on a voyage would serve a combined purpose: he could study and make records of discoveries while also providing intelligent companionship for the captain. Darwin was chosen to go aboard. Darwin spent more than 500 days at sea and about 1,200 days on land during the trip. He studied plants, animals, fossils, and geological formations and wrote his observations in a series of notebooks. During long periods at sea, he organized his notes. In the Galapagos The Beagle spent about five weeks in the Galapagos Islands. During that time, Darwin made a series of observations that had a significant impact on his new theories about natural selection. He was particularly intrigued by his discovery of major differences between species on different islands. He wrote: The distribution of tenants of this archipelago would not be nearly so wonderful if, for instance, one island has a mocking-thrush and a second island some other quite distinct species... But it is the circumstance that several of the islands possess their own species of tortoise, mocking-thrush, finches, and numerous plants, these species having the same general habits, occupying analogous situations, and obviously filling the same place in the natural economy of this archipelago, that strikes me with wonder. Darwin visited four of the Galapagos Islands, including Chatham Island (now San Cristobal), Charles (now Floreana), Albemarle, and James (now Santiago). He spent much of his time sketching, collecting specimens, and observing animals and their behavior. His discoveries would change the scientific world and rock the foundations of Western religion. Early Writings Three years after returning to England, Darwin published the Journal of Researches, an account of his observations during the expedition aboard the Beagle. The book was an entertaining account of Darwins scientific travels and was popular enough to be published in successive editions. Darwin also edited five volumes titled Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle, which contained contributions by other scientists. Darwin himself wrote sections dealing with the distribution of animal species and geological notes on fossils he had seen. Development of Darwins Thinking The voyage on the Beagle was, of course, a highly significant event in Darwin’s life, but his observations on the expedition were hardly the only influence on the development of his theory of natural selection. He was also greatly influenced by what he was reading. In 1838 Darwin read an Essay on the Principle of Population, which the British philosopher Thomas Malthus had written 40 years earlier. The ideas of Malthus helped Darwin refine his own notion of â€Å"survival of the fittest.† Darwins Ideas of Natural Selection Malthus had been writing about overpopulation and discussed how some members of society were able to survive difficult living conditions. After reading Malthus, Darwin kept collecting scientific samples and data, eventually spending 20 years refining his own thoughts on natural selection. Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839. Illness prompted him to move from London to the country in 1842. His scientific studies continued, and he spent years studying various lifeforms to better understand their evolutionary processes. Publication of His Masterpiece Darwin’s reputation as a naturalist and geologist had grown throughout the 1840s and 1850s, yet he had not revealed his ideas about natural selection widely. Friends urged him to publish them in the late 1850s; it was the publication of an essay by Alfred Russell Wallace expressing similar thoughts that encouraged Darwin to write a book setting out his own ideas. In July 1858, Darwin and Wallace appeared together at the Linnean Society of London. And in November 1859, Darwin published the book that secured his place in history: On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection. Death On the Origin of Species was published in several editions, with Darwin periodically editing and updating material in the book. And while society debated Darwins work, he lived a quiet life in the English countryside, content to conduct botanical experiments. He was highly respected, regarded as a grand old man of science. He died on April 19, 1882, and was honored by being buried at Westminster Abbey in London. Legacy Charles Darwin was not the first person to propose that plants and animals adapt to circumstances and evolve over eons of time. But Darwins book put forth his hypothesis in an accessible format and led to controversy. Darwins theories had an almost immediate impact on religion, science, and society at large. Sources â€Å"Charles Darwin: Gentleman Naturalist.† Darwin Online.Desmond, Adrian J. â€Å"Charles Darwin.† Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Feb. 2019.Liu, Joseph, and Joseph Liu. â€Å"Darwin and His Theory of Evolution.† Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project, 19 Mar. 2014.