German Genealogy?

I was born and raised in Berlin, Germany, and want to establish a family tree for when my daughter is older. I am having a difficult time getting started, as most of my German relatives are deceased. I know that obtaining accurate records pre WWII can become challenging, but any valuable advice someone who has had a similar experience would be very appreciated.
Lt. Dan – I can’t contact you via e-mail without an e-mail address.

If civil records are a challenge, then consider tracking your family through religious routes. If your ancestors were either Catholic or Lutheran, the odds are that you can find baptismal, marriage and burial records without much problem. Also check for various census and land records (of course, those you’ll have to go there in person to find). Over time, as you get death information, you will be able to pull probate records and get a fuller understanding of the family.

I’ve done a lot of research in some of the most war-torn parts of Europe. People are under the impression that everything was destroyed. But the reality is that Germany held recordkeeping as a very high priority. Many events were not only documented, but redocumented and copied for archiving. If you have the time and patience, you can find what you need. It only takes one German relative with half a clue on where people used to live and worship to get you started in the alternative routes. It also helps if someone over there is willing to visit the cemeteries for you and get headstone info to help you keep people organized.

Birth of German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) Dutchess gives birth

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