Making the Leap from  South Russia Back in Time to Germany
To research your ancestors in Germany, you first need to discover where they came from. Church death records or family registers often list a place of birth. Karl Stumpp's and Joseph Height's books include German village-of-origin information for many of the original settlers. Heimatbücher about villages in South Russia often include the German origin of families in that village.

If none of those sources give you a specific location, it's time for some guesswork. Many German states have indexes of inhabitants who emigrated.

Many families traveled together from their old homes in Germany to their new homes in Russia. Try searching German villages where other families (especially those with marriage ties to your family) in your South Russian village came from. You can also try searching in the birth location of the siblings of your direct ancestor.

Church Records
Many church records from Germany are available on microfilm from the Family History Library. Search the FHL catalog for your village. Church records (including those not filmed by the FHL) are usually available in state or central church archives. They are only rarely available in the original village.

German State Archives
German state archives have many records such as civil registration, Turkish tax records, emigration lists, debtor lists, citizenship lists, and military records.

Some tips:

• *  The Ludwigsburg archive has many records on immigrants to Russia
• *  When researching in the Pfalz and Rheinland (aka Alsace or Elsaß), also try the French state archives
• *  Find an archive in Germany

 

OrtsippenbücherOrtsippenbücher are books that usually contain history, photos, and genealogy information about individual villages in Germany. When available, they are a fabulous resource. Many are available at the Family History Library.

Some of these book are available online; this list shows all registered books; and books for the Pfalz, Saarland, and Alsace areas are shown here. If none of these sources work, try contacting the village's town hall, museum, or a local historian.

Genealogy Collections
The Ahnenstammkartei is a collection of genealogy records that spans several centuries and contains about 3 million individuals in over 11,000 pedigree files. See these surname index and master card index for the collection.

Making Contacts in Germany
Although many Germans speak English, you may get a faster response by emailing in German. If you don't speak German yourself, these sample letters or Google translator can help you.

When making contacts in your ancestral village, ask to be referred to a local historian since you can't assume that the pastor or town hall staff have the same interest in genealogy that you do.

If you plan to visit your ancestral village, the book Yes You! Yes Now! Visiting Your Ancestral Town may help you.