Genealogical Research Using FBI Files

Genealogical Research Using FBI Files

Statistically, Germans were the single largest population group to become part of
the American melting pot, so that by 1900, nearly one-quarter of Americans identified themselves as being at least part German. In 1986, according to statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau, for the first time in more than 300 years, the leading ancestral background of American citizenry was German, not British. Around 44 million Americans or 18% of the population, claim sole or partial German Heritage. Of this 44 million, only 4% were born in Germany.

The term German American encompasses a large number of groups since Germany before 1871 was a collection of small states, duchies, kingdoms, and principalities. Each had its own customs, and governmental structure. These lands encompassed much of north-central Europe, from the North Sea to the Nieman River near Kaunas, Lithuania. In Modern terms, this would include parts of Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the eastern part of Russia. Many immigrants were listed as being German when in fact, they did not come from or ever live in Germany.

Beginning in 1683, German Speaking Peoples were the first substantial group of non-English speaking immigrants to settle in America. By 1776, their numbers had reached 225,000. By the late 1830's, a second great wave began, surpassed only by the Irish. As the 1850's dawned, the German migration began to exceed the Irish rate for the first time. In 1882 alone, a quarter of a million Germans arrived in the United States. The Germans who arrived during this later period (1816-1890) came from the north and east (Prussia, Bavaria & Saxony). Those who arrived in the 18th century or earlier came from the Palatine or Wurttemberg, states along the Rhine River in the southern & western regions of German lands. All German immigrants who came before 1871, the year of unification, tended to be loyal to their particular state or locality, rather than to Germany as a whole.

The Germans were lured by the vision of unlimited economic opportunity and greater freedom than Central Europe offered in the post Napoleonic era. While the Irish bought a new spirit to American politics, the Germans brought culture in various forms ranging from singing groups to vineyards to poetry societies. The town of Hermann, Missouri is still known even today for its wine vineyards. When Hermann was laid out in 1837, the streets were given names such as Schiller, Gutenberg, Goethe & Mozart. Germans were more pioneering than the Irish. Germans helped develop America's heartland, from Ohio to Texas. By 1900, one out of every three Texans, was German in origin.

The 20th century created yet another sort of German immigrant, the wartime refugee, especially just before and during World War II. Though their numbers were small in comparison with earlier waves, they made an impact on the business, science and art communities. Many were Jews, who were joined by Catholics, Protestants, and other fleeing Hitler.

Many German immigrants upon their arrival in the United States took steps to "Americanize" their names. In some cases they shortened their names, or adopted the American style of spelling. When searching for the original meanings of German surnames your best tool can often be found German in a German-English dictionary (e.g., Schmidt means Smith, Muller means Miller). Sometimes spelling modifications, pronunciation shifts, or dialectal origins hide the original meaning. In such cases, a general or specific German surname dictionary can be useful. Three standard works specific to German research are: Deutsch Namenkunde by Max Gottschald; Deutsches Namenlexikon by Hans Below; Dictionary of German Names (English Edition) by Hans Below. Das grosse Buch der Familiennamen by Horst Naumann.

German Genealogical Research Sources

The LDS Family History Library System has the largest collection of records covering Germany
(Country) and those who immigrated to the United States & other countries throughout the World. The National Archives has the largest collection of surviving immigration records. These records are still available in some county courthouses (since the naturalization process was originally handled on the local courthouse level) but most of the records of use to the genealogist will be obtained from the LDS system or the National Archives.

Eventually your search will take you back to Germany itself. The most accessible records are the German Civil Records & German Church Registers. German Civil Records exist from the Napoleonic era in regions west of the Rhine River, from 1874 in the region of Prussia, and from 1876 in most other area of Germany. Some German Church Records exist from as early as the 15th century, but most surviving records start only after the end of the 30 Year's War in 1648. Many of the older civil records & church registers are available through the LDS Family Histroy Center Libraries. Your other option is to write to the German Standesamt (Civil Records Office) , Church Parish, or appropriate Archives. If the church itself is no longer in existence, the records maybe in the possession of a nearby church or regional Archive of the same denomination.
Other important sources include Ortssippenbucher, which list all families in a town, typically
using church records as their source; the IGI (International Genealogical Index), which is an index of extracted records; passenger lists; the ASTAKA, a collection of compiled German
Genealogies; German State Censuses; and Geschlechterbucher, which is a series of published German genealogies.

Further documents are also available in the various regional German Archives. Examples of available documents include tax rolls, emigration papers, land registers, wills, & court cases. Most of these records have NOT been filmed by the LDS and can only be accesses by visiting or writing to the appropriate archives. Catalogs of the holdings of some archives are available in printed or on-line format at some of the larger US research libraries, especially in areas with a large concentration of German heritage.

When preparing to write to a German Standesamt, Parish, or Archive, the following procedures should help make your experience more successful. 1) Check the holdings at your local public library for genealogical self-help books that are specific to German research. The Fort Myers-Lee County Library Genealogy collection has several sources which will give you tips on how to German proceed as well as addresses and websites. 2) The local German-American Social Club has been an excellent local source for people getting started in their research and as an informational and referral source. 3) There are several websites on the Internet which also will provide a complete list and methods of contacting the various Archives. See the section on Internet sites included in this handout.

When trying to pinpoint the exact location of the village or town where your ancestor came from, the following sequence of sources should be investigated: 1) Always start with your members of your own family, especially the older relatives. Pick their brains for all the information you can. 2) Check old picture albums, diaries, or family Bibles that are in possession of family members. 3) If you know of family members who have done prior research, ask for permission to look at the material they were able to collect. 4) If you find out about any family documents or mementoes from the old country, check them for clues. 5) Naturalization Records on file at the National Archives, County Courthouses, & LDS Sources. 6) Passenger ship records & indexes. 7) Obituaries, especially in German-language newspapers. 8) County histories/compiled genealogies. 9) Church records (America & Germany). 10) Cemetery records & tombstone inscriptions. 11) Social Security records & social security death index. 12) Census data. 13) International genealogical index. 14) Probate records. 15) Military and pension records. 16) Ahnenstammkartei (ASTAKA) listing of collected German genealogies. 17) Individuals in Germany with the same name, but only if the name is VERY unusual or if you are sure where your ancestor came from and they are in the same locality. Search these sources not only for the German immigrant, but also his or her spouses, descendants, and other relatives.

German Census Information: The German central government conducted censuses in 1871, 1880, 1885, 1890, 1895, 1900, 1905, 1910, 1919, 1925, 1933, and 1939. West Germany had censuses for 1946, 1950, 1961, and 1970. Since the data compiled was mostly statistical in nature, their value to the genealogist is limited. The individual state censuses conducted at various times are of far greater use to the genealogist. Many are available at through the LDS Family History Center Library system. The central German census authority can tell you if certain censuses exist and where they can be found: Statistisches Bundesamt, Gustav Stresemann Ring 11, Postfach 5528, D-65189 Wiesbaden, Germany.

German Military Records: Most personnel rosters and card indexes (Stammrollen und Karteimittel) of the Prussian Army, the transition army (Ubergangsheeres), regular Army (Reichwehr), and Imperial Navy (Kaiserlichen Marine) were destroyed during the allied bombardment of Potsdam and Berlin during the months of February-May 1945. Some surviving records may be found at: Bundesarchiv - Militarisches Zwishenarchiv, Zeppelinstrasse 127/128, D-14471, Potsdam.Medical records for soldiers being treated in military hospitals (Lazarett) have been partially preserved. These records, most with personnel roster extracts (Stammrollenauszugen), are for those born from 1870 onward. They can be accessed at: Krankenbuchlager Berlin, Wattstrasse 11-13, D-13355 Berlin.

Lists of Prussian and other German officers are generally available in book series with titles like Rangliste der Koniglich preussischen Armee. These books have been in publication since the 1790's. Some have been reprinted. An overview of the Prussian Army and its military church records can be found in the following sources:Die Altpreussische Armee 1714-1806 und ihre Militarkirchenbucher and Die preussische Armee 1807-1867 und ihre sippenkundlichen Quellen (both) by Lyncker. Another source is Verzeichnis der Militarkirchenbucher in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

Many German state military records are available at their respective state archives. These records generally carry you up through 1920. If you are searching for military records covering personnel from World War II, be advised that many were destroyed in the final months of the war, particularly from organizations which were later deemed "criminal" by the War Crimes Tribunal, or by the allied bombing raids on Potsdam and Berlin. Those that survived are on file at one of the following locations: Bundesarchiv - Zentralnachweisstelle or Deutsche Dienststelle (WASt)
Abteigarten 6 Eichborndamn 167
D-52076 Aachen D-13403 Berlin

WASt holdings center on those reported to be prisoners of war (POW), missing in action (MIA), or killed in action (KIA), and also on members of the navy, though other records are also held. The Bundesarchiv has no records for navy personnel. Requests for information may be sent to either office. They will be forwarded as needed to the appropriate authorities.

German Civilian Records: For civilian records, one must write to the appropriate agency or ministry archives ( e.g., justice, finance, railroad, post office). Those who had relatives in NSDAP positions should contact the Bundesarchiv.

German Genealogical Societies

American Historical Society of Germans From Russia, 631 D Street, Lincoln, NB 68502.
American-Schleswig-Holstein Heritage Society, P.O. Box 21, LeClaire, IA.
Bayerische-Staatsbibliotek, Munchen, Germany.
C.A. Starke-Verlag, P.O. Box 310 (Postfach 310), D 57614 Burglahr, Germany.
DeHerold Archivstrasse 12-14, D 14195 Berlin, Germany.
German-American Heritage Center, P.O. Box 243, Davenport, IA 52805-0243.
German Genealogical Society, David Jacoby, 544 E. Wilmington Ave., Salt Lake City, UT 84106.
German Genealogical Society of America, P.O. Box 291818, Los Angeles, CA 90029
German Genealogy Group, 24 Jonquill Ln., Kings Park, NY11754-3927, e-mail: hschrade@suffolk.lib.ny.us