Authors Fay Dearden and Douglas Dearden distinctly descibe their book, The German Researcher: How To Get The Most Out Of An LDS Family History Center, Fourth Edition, right up front in the first paragraph of their Introduction:
“This book has been written to provide genealogists with a step-by-step guide to finding German information, especially when using a Family History Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS).”
LDS Family History Centers located in many cities worldwide have access to the microfilms from Salt Lake City, as well as Internet connections and onsite assistance. Most of these centers are located inside local LDS church building and are always open to the public during operating hours.
This book is not a genealogy beginners guide. Rather, this guide is a primer on German research. All the critical German resources are covered, including:
- How to read Gothic script
- Basic translations of key German words and abbreviation found in common documents
- Sample documents
- An introduction to Meyer Orts, a German Gazetteer of great importance to German research
- German Archives
- and other tools available through the Family History Centers
The only downside to this guide is the same one all such guides face, as time goes on addresses and website links change. Fortunately, anyone who purchases The German Researcher from Family Roots Publishing will receive a free copy of Leland K. Meitzler’s new book German Genealogy Research Online – Tips And Links. Leland’s book contains all the updated addresses for the German State Archives, as well as other key Internet resources and researching tips. Together, these two books, for the price of one, offer all the guidance a researcher needs to get started tracing their German ancestry, with all the most up-to-date addresses for resources available.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Getting Started
Steps in German Research (Chart)
Chart Summary
Explanation of steps shown on chart
- International Genealogical Index (IGA)
- Hamburg Passenger Lists
- Hamburg Passenger Lists Microfilm Numbers
- Other Immigration Lists
- Meyer Orts, a German Gazetteer
- Common Meyers Orts abbreviations
- Changes in Names of German States Gemeindelexikons, Town Gazetteers
- Family History Library Catalog
- Writing Letters to Germany for Records
- Writing to German Archives
Helps in translating the records
- Reading Gothic Script
- Samples of Records
Map of the German Empire 1871-1919
Map of Germany, 1946-1990
Map of Reunited Germany, 1990
Suggested Bibiography
Appendix A (More Hlep of Translating German Records)
Appendix B (FamilySearch – A Computerized System of Family History Information)
Index
***Special Note***
The 20 page book, German Genealogy Research Online – Tips And Links, by Leland K. Meitzler (2012) ships automatically as a free supplement with The German Researcher. See a review of Leland’s book, click here.
The German Researcher: How To Get The Most Out Of An LDS Family History Center, Fourth Edition is available at Family Roots Publishing; Price: $14.80. ***REMEMBER*** Leland’s German Genealogy Research Online – Tips And Links ships automatically with any order of The German Researcher—a $6.95 value for free—so do NOT add it to your cart; again, it will come with your order of The German Researcher.