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Eastern German Records: An Advanced Tutorial

Finding Genealogy Records from the Former German East

Over the years numerous people have asked,

Where can I find Eastern German Genealogy data?

Hopefully, this document will help provide a reasonable response.

It comes as no surprise that there are ‘good places’ where you can search for genealogical source documentation. But keep in mind, conducting research in an area of the world where neither the government nor peoples of a former land remain is challenging. Do not despair! This page will provide you with useful places to search and succeed.

Initial Step: Gazetteers and Naming Conventions

The first critical hurdle in researching the former German East ( Ehemalige deutsche Gebiete ) is locating your ancestral town's name, as most towns were renamed in Polish after 1945. You must know both the German name (to search German-language archives and texts) and the Polish name (to search Polish-language archives and current records).

Use specialized online gazetteers to map the town's name and administrative district:

  • Meyers Gazetteer: Excellent for the pre-1918 German Empire structure.
  • Kartenmeister: A vital tool for mapping German names to current Polish names and identifying the relevant State Archive (Archiwum Państwowe).

Essential Online Resources

The most reliable sites for surviving source materials include:

Polish Archives and Digital Databases

Since the vast majority of original records from the former eastern provinces are now housed in Poland, these databases are essential complements to FamilySearch and Archion.

Centralized Digital Databases

  • Szukajwarchiwach (Search in Archives): The official Polish State Archives search engine. It hosts millions of digitized images from civil registration offices (USC) and state archives, including many former German records.
  • Geneteka: A community-driven, non-commercial database that indexes millions of vital records (births, marriages, deaths) from current and historical Polish regions, including parts of the former German East.

Key Regional State Archives (Holding Former German Records)

Locating a town’s correct archive is crucial, as records were organized by jurisdiction:

  • Archiwum Państwowe w Szczecinie (Szczecin State Archive): Primary repository for records from former Pomerania (Pommern).
  • Archiwum Państwowe w Poznaniu (Poznań State Archive): Major holdings for former Posen (Poznań), and parts of West Prussia (Westpreußen).
  • Archiwum Państwowe w Olsztynie (Olsztyn State Archive): Primary repository for records from former East Prussia (Ostpreußen).
  • Archiwum Państwowe we Wrocławiu (Wrocław State Archive): Major holdings for former Silesia (Schlesien).

Genealogical Societies (Germany & Poland)

These societies often hold card files, proprietary indexes, and specialized knowledge that complement official archives.

  • AGoFF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft ostdeutscher Familienforscher e. V.): The umbrella organization for genealogical researchers in the former East.
  • VFFOW (Verein für Familienforschung in Ost- und Westpreußen e.V.): Focuses specifically on the regions around former Allenstein (today Olsztyn), providing numerous indexes and data.
  • Genealogical Societies in Poland: Look for local or regional societies in Poland that focus on areas corresponding to the former German provinces, as they often actively index and publish record extracts online.

Understanding Record Availability

Uncovering Eastern German genealogy relies heavily on the availability and use of good Church records. Churches of those former realms were the primary repositories of birth, marriage, and death records. There were/are very few Census records, and almost as few Civil records until 1874. Lastly, people who were members of minority faiths (Jews, Mennonites, etc.) had their records stored alongside, and embedded within, those of the majority faiths (evangelisch, katholisch).

The Evangelical Central Archives in Berlin (ECB)

The ECB is a vital source, storing originals or copies of Evangelical (Protestant) parish registers.

The East Prussian church records [as well as West Prussian, Pomeranian, and Silesian records] are preserved in large measure as originals or copies. [...] While [ECB Evangelical Central Archives] store the originals of the ev. parish registers, Leipzig only maintains copies.

Rechenbuch - 1599

Rechenbuch-Reinhard - 1599| Public domain - Public domain - children, free to use, no copyright restrictions - Picryl

ECB Evangelical Central Archives in Berlin

  • Bethaniendamm 29, 10997 Berlin
  • Tel. 030/22 50 45 36 | Fax 030/22 50 45 40
  • E-mail: archiv@ezab.de

Availability by Region:

  • Brandenburg east of the Oder River (today Poland): Few parish registers available; duplicates are at the Central Archives of Brandenburg (Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv) in Potsdam.
  • East Prussia: A significant but incomplete collection is kept in the archives. From the period before 1874, microfiches are available at the German Center for Genealogy in Leipzig.
  • Pomerania: Only an estimated 10-15% of original church books have survived. Most originals are lost; Stettin's registers were moved to Berlin.
  • West Prussia: A substantial number of registers from Protestant parishes survived but the collection is incomplete.

ZGL German Central Office for Genealogy

Saxon State Archives, State Archives Leipzig

  • Schongauer Straße 1, 04328 Leipzig
  • Phone: + 49 341/25 555 51 | Fax: + 49 341/25 555 55
  • E Mail: poststelle-l@sta.smi.sachsen.de

Leipzig documents the eastern provinces of Posen, East, and West Prussia. The Centre holds the "family history collections" of the 1945 resolution Reichssippenamt Office, including originals and films of parish registers. Although almost everything has been copied by the LDS (now FamilySearch).

Summary of Best Sources

The best sources of reliable genealogical data are, in order of usefulness:

  1. FamilySearch with its vast array of accessible ‘surviving’ Church records, etc.
  2. Surviving Address Books (multiple sources with the best being, Federacja Bibliotek Cyfrowych)
  3. Polish Digital Databases (Szukajwarchiwach, Geneteka) and relevant Polish State Archives.
  4. Textbooks and Histories from the Federacja Bibliotek Cyfrowych

Unfortunately, record loss across the former German Eastern Provinces, during the time period of 1944–1950+, was remarkable and monumental in its breadth and scope. If you are willing to dig and cross-reference, much can still be found or uncovered.

Credits

Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.