Ancestry Magazine

According to the 1990 federal census, approximately 52 million Americans-nearly one in four-have direct ancestral ties with Germany.

According to the 1990 federal census, approximately 52 million Americans-nearly one in four-have direct ancestral ties with Germany. Conditions in Germany were spurring German citizens to find a better life; war’s devastation, heavy taxation, the need for land, hunger, religious quarrels, and persecution all contributed to the massive migration to America. Encouragement came from William Penn, proprietor of Pennsylvania, who visited Germany’s Rhineland in 1671 and again in 1677, expressly inviting German citizens to come to Pennsylvania. Among the first arrivals was a group of Mennonites who reached Philadelphia in 1683. The first mass migration brought German immigrants from the Palatinate to New York.

Researchers are likely to find frequent reference to the area of the Rhinelan d called the Palatinate or the Palatine, and to “Germans from the Palatine.” Historically, the southern border of the Palatinate has always been France; the eastern border is the Rhine River; the western and northern borders of the Palatinate have changed frequently.

New York and Pennsylvania were the principal locations of immigrant settlement until 1833, when Belleville, Illinois, became a popular settlement area. German immigrants continued to arrive-15,000 to 43,000 per year. Between 1820 and 1990, 5,119,000 German immigrants were permitted to enter the United States.

Available data includes military records from the War of 1812, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and relevant pension application files. County histories are often good sources of information, as are marriage records, birth and mortality records, old newspaper files, and land records. In addition to federal census data, many states have state census data as well.

If your roots are in Pennsylvania, the Index to Pennsylvania’s Colonial Records Series is helpful, providing the first every-name index to the 16 volumes of The Colonial Records of Pennsylvania. Included in the colonial records are names of persons who may not appear in other records.

The National Archives has valuable resources for immigrant research. You can write to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., or visit one of its regional facilities. Census records are of paramount importance to immigrant researchers, as the naturalization files, passenger lists, and passport records.

Knowing the exact or an approximate date of your ancestor’s immigration is helpful in searching for an immigrant’s origin. Depending on the time period, census data can prove helpful in determining this date. Beginning in 1850, the census shows country of birth but has no further geographical refinement or date of immigration. Beginning in 1900, the census also shows the year of immigration and whether or not the person was naturalized, but does not include the date of naturalization. The 1920 census is one indicator of whether the subject was naturalized, and includes the year. Naturalization data often provides additional aid to your research. The extent of the data varies with the time when naturalization occurred.

If you have identified the date of immigration, the National Archives’ passenger arrival index microfilm for the time period and port of entry often provides a fast method of identifying an exact passenger list microfilm. The microfilm would in turn identify the port of embarkation, the individual’s last residence, and other useful data.

The immigrant may have secured a passport to return to visit the native country. The passport application would provide valuable search information. Many of the National Archives records have been microfilmed and are available on loan from the Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

See whether your family origins have been published in a book at your library (look in section 943.0) or are in microfilm or microfiche records. There may be a myriad of variations in the spelling of your family name. For example, I have encountered four spellings of my family name: Dihm and Diehm, which , given a German pronunciation, sound the same. Some records show a probable misspelling-Deihm. Since about 1865, Deem, a simplified spelling (pronounced like Dihm and Diehm), has been used.

Gather every shred of information about any arriving passenger. Two important objectives are to learn an immigrant ancestor’s date of birth and year of arrival. Search ship passenger lists, church records, tombstones, census data, records of the orphan’s court, wills, deeds, family Bibles, old newspapers, and naturalization records. If the ancestor was married, it is important to learn the spouse’s given name and the names of any children born in Europe. You can also look for documents brought by the immigrant ancestor to America. Some immigrants, for example, bro ught work cars and permission-to-travel documents.

If, from your search of data sources in the United States, you believe you have identified your immigrant ancestor, you are ready to send inquiries to Germany. The most important piece of information needed to bridge the gap between the United States and Germany is the immigrant ancestor’s place of birth or place of last residence.

Some further research may be needed to direct your inquiry correctly. Consult a current version of Die Postleitzahlenbuch-the German zip code book. The unification of Germany in 1990 resulted in a new five-digit code system, which took effect on 1 July 1993.

It is helpful if you know the religious affiliation of the ancestor. Address the inquiry to:

If Evangelical or Catholic

Das Evangelische Pfarrer Das Katholisches Pfarrer
[city and postal code]. (Kreis) [city and postal code]. (Kreis)
Bundersrepublik Deutschland Bundersrepublik Deutschland

If you don’t know the religious affiliation, or if the city is likely to have several churches of that same denomination, it may be appropriate to address the Mayor-Der Burgermeister. Further, there may be several towns by the same name. The Postleitzahlenbuch will indicate the state (land) and district (kreis) and whether the village you seek has another town nearby to be included in the address. For example, Kembach b Wertheim, Wurtt. Is the address for the Town of Kembach, bei (near) Wertheim, in Kreis Wurttemberg.

Another good source is the Landesarchiv (state archive) in the capital of the state you are addressing. A list is available in most genealogical libraries and in LDS family history centers.

For immigrants to the United States prior to 1875, church registers provide the primary source of information. Most church registers were begun between 1530 and 1750.

If you cannot write in German, follow this example:

Das Evangelische Pfarrer
Kembac h, b Wertheim
Baden-Wurttemberg
Bundesrepublik, Deutschland

July 1, 1995

Sehr geehrtr - Pfarrer! (pastor)
(choose one) Herr! (one man)
Herren! (more than one man)
Frau (for a married woman)
Fraulein (for an unmarried woman)

Ich kann Deutsch lesen aber ich schreibe sehr schlect. Mit Ihren einverstandnis, schreibe ich also Englisch. I am writing to seek your assistance in locating records concerning… (rest of inquiry). Danke sehr, Mit freundlichen grussen/signature/

Enclose two International Reply Coupons-available from a U.S. post office-and a self-addressed envelope. The reply may come in German, in which case you may need a translator. If you don’t get the necessary information, you may want a recommendation for a professional researcher in Germany. You can obtain a referral from the European Reference Department Genealogical Society (LDS) 50 East North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150. Send a SASE for a reply.

The DZT-the German National Tourist Office-offers addresses for German organizations engaged in family research:

German National Tourist Office

122 E. 42nd St.
New York, NY 10168-0072
(212) 661-7200; fax (212) 661- 7174
11766 Wilshire Boulevard #750
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 575-9799; fax (310) 575-1565 Warren K. Deem, a native of Illinois, lives in Southern California where he works on his family history. Currently a freelance writer, his prior careers include radio broadcaster and positions in the aerospace industry.