Tag: american

Episode #7: “It’s Alive!” | The German-American Genealogist Podcast

Download file Published 17 November 2014 Put away that Ouija Board. You may not need to summon the dead to get your genealogical quandaries solved. You might find the answers you seek by locating and connecting with your living relatives. There are many reasons for wanting to find living relatives–whether it’s to locate an heir […]

German Genealogy Tip #29: Use the German Phone Book to Find Surname Concentrations

Do you have a German immigrant ancestor whom you have absolutely no idea where in Germany they came from? Most of us do. One great method for finding clues on where they might have come from is to use the modern-day German phone book, which is available online at: http://www.dastelefonbuch.de/ Here’s how it works. If the […]

Episode #4: “What’s in a Word?” | The German-American Genealogist Podcast

Episode 4: What’s in a Word? Download file Published 27 October 2014 What’s in a word? When doing German genealogy, it pays to recognize that the way German words are used can have profound meaning for locating and understanding your German ancestors. In this episode, find out how and why German towns changed their names […]

German Genealogy Tip #21: Departure Passenger Lists Often Give Birth Town

If you’re having trouble finding your German ancestor’s birthplace, it can pay to find their passenger list from when they departed Germany. Especially if they departed from Hamburg or Bremen, there is a good chance that their birth place or town of origin is listed on the passenger list. When an emigrant left Germany, they would […]

German Genealogy Tip #7: Anglicized German Names

Something you will inevitably find when you research German ancestors who immigrated to America are names that changed to something more “English sounding”. Can you blame somebody named “Balthasar” for desiring a name that fits in a little better in America? Some Germans would change their names only slightly: Wilhelms would become Bills, and Adelheids […]

Episode #1: “German-American Day” | The German-American Genealogist Podcast

Download file Published 6 October 2014 The very first episode of The German-American Genealogist Podcast! In this episode, we discuss the history of German-American Day, October 6th, and the struggle of German-Americans to find their place in the national fabric. We also discuss tips for researching German ancestors: things you need to know about your […]