Books & Archives (German/Prussian Genealogy)
Effective German genealogical research relies on resources beyond simple vital records. Address Books (Adreßbücher) and Family/Village Lineage Books (Ortssippenbücher or OSB) serve as essential finding aids and surrogates for difficult-to-access church and civil registers. Address Books (covering periods from the late 18th to mid-20th century) provide crucial snapshot information, listing names, occupations, and street addresses, which can help precisely locate a family in a city before searching registers.
Still Life with Books - Jan Lievens 1627 | Public domain painting - free to use - Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication
Ortssippenbücher (OSB) are compilations—often published by genealogical societies or dedicated local historians—that reconstruct families based on all available local records (church books, tax lists, court records) for a single town or parish over several centuries. Accessing these digitized resources and the records of the Polish and German State Archives is fundamental to overcoming the challenges of old script, boundary changes, and record dispersal inherent in German-Prussian research.
Central Archives & Digital Libraries 🏛️
- Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (DDB) (Added: Critical link - The central German portal providing access to millions of digitized cultural and historical records from archives, libraries, and museums.)
- Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archives) (Added: Critical link - The definitive source for official government, military, and post-1945 records.)
- Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage State Archives)
- Landesarchiv Greifswald (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern State Archive)
- Online-Service der Archive in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Hessisches Archiv-Dokumentations- und Informations-System (HADIS)
- Internetseite des Hessischen Staatsarchivs Marburg
- Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Preussischer Kulturbesitz (Berlin State Library)
- PIONIER Network Digital Libraries Federation (Polish academic library portal, often holds German-era books/periodicals)
- DLibra - University Poznan (Digital Library Portal)
Ortssippenbücher (OSB) & Family Books 📖
- Badische Ortssippenbücher (Baden OSB List)
- Deutsche Ortssippenbücher Reihe A, B, C (National OSB List by Series)
- Ostfrieslands Ortssippenbücher (East Frisia OSB List)
- Württembergische Ortssippenbücher (Württemberg OSB List)
- Ortsfamilienbuecher (Cardamina Verlag - Publisher of many OSBs)
- Tazewell County Genealogical and Historical Society Ostfriesland OSB Collection (U.S. Repository)
- Hessische Kirchenbücher (Hesse Church Book List/Context)
- ECB Evangelical Central Archives in Berlin (EZAB)
- Evangelische Kirche in Hessen und Nassau (Archiv)
Address Books (Adreßbücher) & Directories 🏘️
- Historic German Addressbooks - Deutsche Adressbücher (GenWiki Central Search Portal)
- Berliner Adreßbücher 1799-1943 (Berlin Addressbooks)
- Deutschsprachige Adressbücher (German Addressbooks WikiSource)
- Hamburger Adressbücher (Hamburg Addressbooks)
- Hannoversche Adressbücher (Hannover Addressbooks)
- Heidelberger Adressbücher (Addressbooks) - digital
- Historic Saxon Addressbooks - Historische Adressbücher
- Rheinische Adressbücher (Rhineland Addressbooks)
- Wiener (Vienna) Adressbücher von 1859 bis 1942 (Vienna Addressbooks)
- Elbinger Adressbuecher (Elbing Addressbooks Wiki)
- Stolper Adressbücher, Ortsverzeichnisse und Kalender (Stolp Addressbooks)
Prussian & Language Aids 📚
- Archiwa Panstwowe - State Archive in Poznan (Polish State Archives)
- Szczecin State Archives online records in Pommerania, civil and church records included
- Bydgoszcz (Bromberg) online archives
- Torun (Thorn) Archive
- Westpreußen – Archiv (West Prussia Archive)
- Hinweise zur Familienforschung in Westpreußen (Advice for Family Search in Westprussia)
- Abkürzungen und Zeichen in Kirchenbüchern - Abbreviations and symbols in Church Books
Credits
Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.