Helpful websites include, Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, MyHeritage.com, Archion.de, Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, Matricula Online, and Genealogy.net (CompGen)
Websites like Ancestry, Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, and Archion.de are some of the most essential for German family history research. The best for you depends on the nature of your search and the desired outcome.
Most websites offering tools, communities, and records for German ancestry search could also cover other European countries and beyond. Contrastingly, we also have sites specialized in specific records or geographic areas in Germany.
For example, the Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg is a regional archive website focusing solely on the Baden-Württemberg area. Other websites like MyHeritage will cover different parts of the world but have records dedicated to German heritage.
Below is an exploration of all these websites to help you leverage communities, records, and tools that enhance your German ancestry search’s understanding, accuracy, depth, and efficiency.
Ancestry.com
Since its launch in 1996, Ancestry.com has been at the forefront of family history search locally and globally. Its user-friendly interface lets you search your leads by name, record type, or location across the billions of records in its database.
The website also offers DNA testing to help accurately determine your ethnicity and find matches. The additional information makes it easy to break brick walls and effortlessly expand your family tree.
Most importantly, Ancestry has dedicated collections for German research. Simply select “German” under the “All Collections” tab to access everything German from communities, records, and additional tips.
FamilySearch.Org
Like Ancestry, FamilySearch offers civil and church records to aid genealogical research. Its filtered search helps you navigate the vast database and find the exact time period, records, or communities relevant to your research. This feature will help you navigate the German collections and find birth, marriage, death certificates, and other documents to authenticate or propagate your research.
FamilySearch is also a robust community resource where you can collaborate with experts and like-minded researchers to break that brick wall or pursue a common ancestor. Through the community, you can share insights about your genealogy research, read commentaries from other contributors, or attend webinars to explore your research questions further.
MyHeritage.com
MyHeritage offers DNA testing and a vast database of records from European archives. The website collaborates with European archives to digitize and index collections for accessibility. For a German family history researcher, this site comes in handy with its index on popular and regional archives not comprehensively covered on other websites.
The most unique feature is the translator test, which provides alternate forms and spellings of names in historical records.
Archion.de
Arhion.de focuses solely on German church records, mainly Protestant records from over 25 different archives. It lets you download most of them and collaborate with the community through its lively forum.
These church records cover vital events, family connections, and social contests unavailable in vital records. Besides, the church records go back as far as the 1600s, providing historical information before civil registration was implemented in Germany.
You can search your church records by year, parish, or name from the over 150,000 records available.
Genealogy.net (CompGen)
CompGen offers access to all the German family history research records it can find online. By becoming a member, you gain access to its genealogical database and receive alerts of new data related to your query.
Some German genealogy records available on Genealogy.net include the Schleswig Holstein Census records (the 1800s), the WW1 casualty list, Gravestones, and online local family books.
CompGen also has the Passenger lists from the Port of Bremen and Hamburg (1850-1891) and a list of emigrants from the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg (1830-1849).
Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (German Digital Library)
The German digital library gives you access to local culture and heritage. It has a vast database of civil records, parish records, court files, digitized books, and images. Most of these resources are sourced from Germany’s scientific and cultural institutions. They are a crucial starting point for your heritage search.
The library’s search tools make it easy to race a crucial document or image that uncovers more information about your ancestors.
Matricula Online
Like Archion.de, Matricula Online offers access to church records, but it goes a step further to cover all central European countries. You will find records dating back to the 1500s, indexed from about 200 scientific and academic institutions across over 30 European countries, the US, and Canada.
Other crucial resources on this website include maps, fonds, magazines, and lectures to help expedite your German family history research. You can also search by region or Parish in German to focus on German church records.
Regional Archives and Databases
Regional archives and databases in Germany have also digitized most of their records to help you focus your ancestry search on a specific municipality, parish, or region. The 16 states in Germany have regional archives with civil records, court documents, and local histories that can aid ancestry searches.
Regional archives include the Thuringian State Archive, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Bavarian State Archives, and State Archive of Hamburg.
Blogs, Forums, and Social Media Groups
German genealogy blogs and social media platforms can also be resourceful when gathering key information and expanding your ancestry-search. For example, the German Genealogy Blog provides tips and updates on German genealogy while connecting you with a vast community of people with German ancestry.
Similarly, the German Genealogy Facebook group brings together over 30,000 members while sharing records, updates, and connections for people seeking to uncover their German heritage. These forums prove essential when you want context on German family search and some tips to start from scratch or break that brick wall.
Online German Family History Research
Visit the websites highlighted here to find what information they provide and whether it can be of any value in your German family history research. From church to civil records, these websites have crucial information needed to accurately complete your family tree and understand the content through which your German ancestors lived.
Note that you may need professional help retracting or interpreting some of the available information, particularly the one provided in foreign languages. However, most information is readily available from the comfort of your couch.