Records provide useful information

As I was saying last month, it may not be easy, but researching ancestors in Germany is not impossible. Several how-to books are available to help those of us struggling to find our German ancestors. Two such books are Angus Baxter's "In Search of Your German Roots," and "Discovering Your Germanic Ancestors," by S. Chris Anderson and Ernest Thode.

If your ancestor lived within what is now the current German boundaries, you'll be researching in an area that's the size of Oregon. (Do you ever think about what America might be like if each of our states were a separate country?)

My interest in German research came after I discovered my husband's great-grandfather, Frederick Vorpahl, was born there, and I wanted to learn more about him and where he lived.

Even though they're not always easily accessible, Baxter wrote that German military records are a must-try place to search. "Every male was liable for military service in the various state armies. If your ancestors came from the Schleswig-Holstein area, you're luckier than most. If you find your ancestor's address in the military records, you can trace the census return; if you find the census returns, you find the place of birth; if you find the place of birth, you find the church records."

Of course, the Vorpahls are not from Schleswig-Holstein. That would be way too easy.

One tempting resource is the series "Germans to America," passenger lists of thousands of immigrants, their names, sometimes their native village, the place and date of departure, and when and where they landed in America. However, Anderson and Thode caution that before you get too excited, you should know the books are "notorious for errors and omissions, so you always should check the original passenger lists, and use the books primarily as an index to the lists."

And don't forget that your ancestor is not the only one with his/ her name. You'd think Frederick Vorpahl from Bahn would be a one-of- a-kind name. It isn't. There are many. Anyone want perfectly fine 1860 ship papers for a Frederick Vorpahl that aren't my husband's greatgrandfather's?

If your ancestor emigrated between 1750 and 1900, Anderson and Thode recommend you search "The Wuerttemberg Emigration Index," compiled by Trudy Schenk, Ruth Froelke and Inge Bork, accessible on- line through www.ancestry.com Reading how-to-research books in the "old country" provides a brief but necessary education in German history, which is a good thing since research there is far more complex than in America.

For instance: Some of Germany's most compelling attractions are its many castles standing watch on hillsides every few miles. Romantic as they appear, they were anything but quixotic. Lords of the castles were masters of all they surveyed. And all they surveyed was tended by their serfs, who were at the bottom of the food chain. The good news (for genealogists) is that in these minicountries, residents were heavily taxed. And, where there are taxes, there are records.

It's estimated that between 1820 and 1900, the number of German immigrants to this country was between 3 million and 5 million. The first emigrants wrote home and told family members to come on over. Language, of course, is the biggest hurdle. Both reference books cited provide guides to help you recognize letters as they are written now and centuries ago.

What wonderful help. You'll need a translator for the reply, however.

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