The German Genealogy Group (GGG) is a valuable resource for individuals researching their German ancestry. Provides support to members in their German family history search and offers over 23 million free-to-access records on its database. Services offered include access census data, church records, and civil records, translation and transcription services for old German scripts, educational workshops and seminars, networking opportunities, research assistance and consultation, publications and newsletters, and access to physical archives for firsthand experience with genealogical materials.
The German Genealogy Group (GGG) is a vital resource for progressing your German ancestry search. It was established in 1996 by a group of professional genealogists to support members in their German family history search endeavors.
Today, GGG boasts over 1,000 members, comprising beginners and professional genealogists, and offers over 23 million free-to-access records on its database. The Family Tree Magazine names GGG as one of the best state genealogy websites, thanks to its rich resources and a myriad of genealogical services highlighted in this guide.
Services Offered by German Genealogy Group (GGG)
Access to Records
Records are a crucial part of genealogy research as they provide key details about relatives and ancestors and help authenticate findings on your family tree. However, finding records is one of the challenging tasks in genealogy, especially if they’re yet to be digitized.
Luckily for German researchers, GGG offers a wide range of records, including census data, church records, and civil records. As a member, you can easily trace the crucial immigration records with lists of passengers on ancient German ships en route to the US and beyond.
Some online databases that detail German immigrants and their journeys include the Hamburg Passenger Lists, documenting departures from the port from the 1850s to the early 20th century. GGG also provides a list of German passengers recorded at different US ports from the mid to late 19th century.
GGG membership also grants you access to vital church records revered for their extensive coverage of ancestors’ lives and the advantage of going back in time before civil registration. Available documents include the Catholic Church records from the Archdiocese of Cologne and the Lutheran Parish records for the Mecklenburg-Schwerin parish.
GGG also has vast German census records crucial in genealogy. These records provide household information, including relationships, ages, names, and occupations. The 1867 Prussian census and the 1819 Mecklenburg –Schwerin census records are some of the resources GGG members can access freely for their German research.
Translation and Transcription
The German Genealogy Group also offers translation and transcription services for German records, most of which are written in old dialects like the Upper, Low, and Central dialects. These records also appear in old scripts like the Sutterlin, Fraktur, and Kurrent, whose letters are challenging for the untrained eye to decipher.
Gothic typefaces and cursive scripts have similar letters, making it likely for amateur researchers to get stuck or misinterpret crucial information. For example, Kurrent’s “s” resembles “f,” making it likely to mistake terms like “wasser” (water) for waffer and leave you stunned.
Similarly, the Sutterlin script has the letter “e” appearing like the letter “n,” making it hard to translate words with these consonants. For example, the word “ein” (one) seems like “eie” while the word “Mein” (My) will resemble “Meie.” These are just a few examples to show how dealing with these old German scripts can be challenging.
Luckily, GGG’s transcription services help convert handwritten text into typed text and translate the dialects and scripts to help members relate.
Educational Workshops and Seminars
GGG helps members with crucial workarounds for their German research processes, helping them develop essential research skills and conduct their ancestry searches effectively and efficiently. Workshops help members navigate online databases like FamilySearch and Ancestry for German archives and records.
Members also get to identify and utilize critical databases with specific records, such as the Archion.de website, revered for its exclusive coverage of digitized German church records dating back to the 16th century.
GGG also educates members on German historical contexts through topics like the Thirty Years War and its impact on German emigration, the World Wars and their effects on German civil records, and the German boundaries from 1871 to 1918.
GGG also holds regular seminars to educate members on utilizing genealogical software like the Family Tree Makers and RootsMagic to organize their family history data.
Networking Opportunities
GGG has members’ forums and social media groups for connecting, collaborating, and sharing information. As a member, you gain access to the GGG Members Forum, where you can read commentaries and tips from the over 1,000-strong community and share your insights or queries. What’s more? GGG’s Facebook, LinkedIn, and X Groups offer additional networking opportunities for members and a reliable source of unfiltered information and discussion.
Research Assistance and Consultation
If you’re looking for customized assistance and mentoring in your German genealogy research, GGG can help through its one-on-one consultation services. The website has a “Contact Us” section, which provides the email address for members to pose their queries and seek individual assistance. Experienced genealogists then offer personalized guidance and strategies customized to your research needs.
GGG experts are also ready to take up your research and conduct genealogical research on your behalf, providing a comprehensive and documented family history.
Publications and Newsletters
GGG has a monthly newsletter for all its members that includes tips on family history research, members’ insights and histories, and updates on new events and resources. The website also has special publications on specific topics like historical translations, guides on regional search, and complete family trees submitted by members.
These publications and newsletters keep the members informed about developments in German genealogy, helping them sharpen their research strategies and open new avenues for exploration.
Access to Physical Archives
GGG conducts group trips to genealogy repositories and places of genealogical interest to help members gain firsthand experience with genealogical materials such as microfilms and maps that may not be available online. Its family history fairs and dinners also provide some archival assistance to members to ensure they make the most of readily available resources online and physically.
Utilize German Genealogy Groups
German Genealogy groups like GGG are the go-to place when you want a team and guidance in your German family history research that is marred by hurdles and inconsistencies. As a GGG member, you get to meet like-minded researchers with whom you can collaborate and expedite your research. Similarly, you can learn a lot from the publications and one–on–one assistance from the professional genealogists who makes up the membership.