Where and how you investigate

With ancestor research register offices, church books, address books or the residents’ registration office can help. Register offices administer data since the year 1875, in some places since 1800.

For all register office documents from 10/01/1874 to 08/05/1945 of the so called “former German east areas” it is recommendable to ask the register office Berlin I under www.berlin.de/standesamt1/urkunden.

In church books data since about 1490 are registered. Of course the appropriate confession must be considered.

In the residents’ register office data since the 19th centuty are administered.

Since about 1800 you can find address books and resident listings in the communities. Little tip: Marriage documents are archived under the man’s name.

Other good private sources are old private photo albums.

With photo albums it is helpful to ask still living relatives to show and explain the pictures. Subtitles of pictures are also helpful. The best would be to note the names, data, degree of relationship etc. on the back site of the pictures. You can also find something on cemeteries.

On old grave stones often not only the birth and death data are shown, but also the person’s occupation. It could be helpful to ask old people on the cemetery to tell you something about the dead persons.