In the lead-up to completing his 2016 book, “German Census Records, 1816-1916,” Dr. Roger Minert discovered a remarkable example of residential recordkeeping in his four-decades-long exploration of Germanic family history. The record, detailing the life of Theresia Baumgartner who moved from Munich to Würzburg in 1889, was abundant with information about her partner and their illegitimate children. This spurred Minert’s interest in the historical practice of documenting strangers and foreigners in Germany – a practice that has been in place for centuries in some parts of the country. The result was the creation of his book, “German Residential Records For Genealogists: Tracing Your Ancestor From Place to Place in Germany.”
You can find German residential records in archives across Germany – many have even been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library.
Minert’s study, reflected in his book, reveals the early 19th-century registration of foreigners in all German states. The analysis traces laws specific to each state after the French occupation forces withdrew in 1815, and the Congress of Vienna was concluded that same year, during which many German state borders were restructured. Notably, as the leading member of the North German League, Prussia played a key role in implementing laws regulating mobility between German states. The Mobility Laws of 1867 granted every citizen of a member state the freedom to move, buy property, and be employed in any other member state, while maintaining any previous registration laws for foreigners.
This comprehensive work examines the history of these records on a state-by-state basis. The book highlights the vast numbers of records created due to the standard German practice of residential registration, a concept unfamiliar to American researchers. Besides detailing the relevant laws for each historical area of the German Empire, the volume includes examples and state-wise guides to accessing these documents.
Now, you can avail 25% off the soft and hardcover editions of this informative guide. Get your softcover version today by following this link. The book is also offered in a hardcover edition.
Here’s what you can expect to find in the book’s Table of Contents:
*Acknowledgements
*A History of Residential Registration in Germany
*Individual chapters for each state
*Appendix A: Writing to Archives in Germany, France, and Poland
*Appendix B: Conducting Residential Research in Archives in Germany, France, and Poland
*Appendix C: The States of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918
*Appendix D: Glossary
*Index
*About the Author
Scalar reviews from genealogy experts praise Minert’s revelations about German residential records. The records offer a wide-reaching, valuable resource for familial historians and genealogists, particularly those interested in German culture and law.
Author Bio:
A Nebraska native, Dr. Roger P. Minert, holds ancestral ties to several regions of Germany. He earned his doctorate from the Ohio State University, specializing in the history of the German language and the theory of second language acquisition. After teaching German language and history for a decade, he transitioned into professional genealogical research. Minert, an Accredited Genealogist for Germany and Austria, possesses over 38,000 hours of research experience. Since August 2003, he’s served as a professor of family history at Brigham Young University. Minert has authored over 150 books and articles, and currently spearheads the “German Immigrants in American Church Records” research project which has published 25 comprehensive volumes. His upcoming work is titled “Austrian Family History Research: Sources and Methods”. Dr. Minert and his wife, Jeanne, are parents to four daughters and have 21 grandchildren.
The book is also available in a hardcover version.