[Info-vax] OT: Searching for ancestors from Germany

[Scott Dorsey]

Tad Winters <tad.vms at gmx.com> writes:
>
>Sorry to post off-topic, but I'm sure there are people from Germany who
>frequent this group.  I'm using MyHeritage to work on my family tree,
>but it's not giving me anything about relatives from Germany.
>Immigration to the US was in 1866, and I speak nothing but English.
>Someone here may be able to point me at a group I could contact to make
>some progress.

1866 was a very interesting year because at the beginning of 1866 there was
no Germany, and at the end of 1866 there was a Germany.  However, the Germany
of 1866 had very different borders than the Germany of today.

There are a lot of people who came to this country from Germany, like August
Luchow, to discover that where they came from stopped being Germany at some
point later.

So the first key is to track down the Ellis Island records and figure out
exactly where they came from.  Then you know where to write to in order to
see if they have any local records.

And do be aware that records in many places in Germany are spotty owing
to three and a half major wars since that time.  (Not counting the 1866 one.)
--scott

-- 
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."