German-Russian Website Suggestions
(last updated June 28, 2004)
In planning for the 2004 conventions, Carol Harless, noted genealogy instructor and long-term member of AHSGR and GRHS, suggested that attendees would find it useful to have a list of Germans from Russia web sites. Learning of her request, Duane Stabler, who has been publishing GR web addresses for some years in the AHSGR, North Star Chapter Newsletters, provided the comprehensive list that follows, together with some helpful comments. At the end are several other listings suggested by Allyn Brosz, Ken Leffler, Ray Heer, and others.
I. The Best of Duane Stabler’s Computer Corner
About his material Duane Stabler writes: “The following list was compiled from some 22 issues of “The Computer Corner”, as published in the North Star Chapter, AHSGR, of Minnesota’s Newsletter and on the website www.northstarchapter.org. If all or parts of this compilation are used in another newsletter or digital publication, I request that the author and the North Star Chapter be notified and acknowledged in the publication. © Duane Stabler ([email protected])”
Germans from Russia Organizations:
· American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Lincoln, NE - www.ahsgr.org
· Germans from Russia Heritage Society - www.grhs.org
· Glückstal Colonies Research Association - www.glueckstal.org
· Germans from Russia Heritage Collection - www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc
· German-Russian Genealogical Library - pixel.cs.vt.edu/library/odessa.html
Volga German Websites
· http://www.webbitt.com/volga/ is a new site specific for Volga German Russians. To better understand it’s purpose go to http://www.webbitt.com/volga/help-purpose.html
Archives and Digital Libraries:
· The Odessa Digital Library (http://www.odessa3.org) - It contains in excess of 70 megabytes of data on Germans from Russia. This equates to in excess of 500 books/files. This data has been extracted, assembled, scanned and made available by many GER-RUS researchers for the use of all of us.
· The Galizien German Descendents website (feefhs.org/gal/ggd/frg-ggd.html). The area of Galicia was located just west of the Ukraine and in southern (modern) Poland. Some GRs, including one of my family members (Schmidt) stayed there prior to continuing on to the Glückstal Colonies.
· National Archives & Records Admin Web Site - a link to the US Government web site where you can inquire about records that may exist in the archives www.nara.gov/genealogy/immigration/immigrant.html
· Genealogy Section at: www.nara.gov/genealogy/
· Good data on US records sources, historical time lines, internet genealogy, plagiarism, copyright, and other useful info. homepages.rootsweb.com/~haas/learningcenter.html
· For patent numbers for homesteads: (general e-mail) [email protected]
· This is the Library of Congress site with over 900 photographs of rural and small town life at the turn of the century, including sod homes and the people: memory.loc.gov/ammem/award97/ndfahtml/ngphome.html
· www.ggrs.com ...German Genealogical Research Service Website
· www.teleauskunft.de/ ...is a telephone book of Germany
· pixel.cs.vt.edu/library/odessa.html …the German’s from Russia repository of information.
· glueckstal.org/index.htm ...the Gluckstal Colonies Research group www.grhs.com/ ...the Germans from Russia Historical Society Website
· www.ahsgr.org/ ...the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia Website.
· www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/ …NDSU’s Germans from Russia Collection of data
· www.remmick.org/Remmick.German.Facts/ ...a website listing German facts
· This may be of interest to some ...For those few who have ante-bellum (before the civil war) heritage; there is now on the Internet a list of the 5.3 million soldiers and sailors who fought in the Civil War both for the Union and the Confederacy. It is located at www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/. For each person, it shows the name, regiment, and rank at start/end of enlistment.
· Social Security Death Index. The update of the database contains more than 67 million names and is ready for searching at: ssdi.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi/
· www.ingeneas.com/free/index.html is a free database for the National Archives of Canada. It might be a good starting point if you have Canadian Relatives. And after you’ve finished with that one, try this Internet site (www.archives.ca) under Archivia Net. Earlier records are not indexed but further information can be obtained on their website under Genealogy: Immigration Records: Passenger Lists 1865 to 1935. They further note that passenger lists constitute the official record of immigration in that period. www.archives.ca/
· As of May 2002, the US National Archives and Records Administration website became www.archives.gov. It looks very good and might be worth a few minutes of your time. And, as an additional item, www.archives.gov/research_room/genealogy/index.html will take you to the 1930 Federal Census.
· The LDS Family History Library has an excellent guide about their website: makeashorterlink.com/?D46A52155
· The National Archive of England, Wales and the United Kingdom (PRO) at: www.pro.gov.uk
Geography & Maps, Worldwide:
· Maps and References at: www.cgrer.uiowa.edu/servers/servers_references.html If you are looking for features in South Dakota, it's at mapping.usgs.gov/www/gnis/
· Map Sites of interest from the US government: www.fordham.edu/halsall/maps/962germa.jpg Germany in 962 AD; www.fordham.edu/halsall/maps/barbarossa-germ.jpg Germany under Fredrick Barbarossa; www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbookmap.html
· A Railroad Map site: memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/rrhtml/rrhome.html
· Bessarabia Web Site (www.bessarabia.com/) If you have family that emigrated from Bessarabia, or are a member of the Bessarabia group or just have an interest.
· National Geographic has a website that specializes in maps at: plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/index.html
· Stumpp published two maps that have been indexed for part of this side of the world . . . this index can be found at: pixel.cs.vt.edu/library/refs/link/mapind.txt
· Here's a really excellent 1848 map of Posen that also extends west into Brandenburg and east as far as Lodz. It’s also pretty enough to hang on the wall: www.michaelectric.com/prussia/maps/posen_1848.jpg
· www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/german1_shepherd.jpg Baden map in color.
· www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/shepherd/german2_shepherd.jpg Wurtemberg map.
· www.rollintl.com/roll/grsettle.htm German Russian Settlement map with excellent links to other GR maps.
· www.man.poznan.pl/~bielecki/images/posen.gif A map of Posen area extending east past Konin, with many town names in German. The map has much detail.
· members.rogers.com/kdee/Maps/Maps.html Volga Maps with numerous links and some connection to Winnipeg.
· www.s-line.de/homepages/ebener/Karte_1.htm A map site that looks to be of much interest if you are tracking ancestors in Württemberg and Baden.
Newspaper Websites:
· Professor Thomas Isern, North Dakota State University, gave Michael Miller permission to share his recent newspaper columns. To review the many columns by Tom Isern, go to the following North Dakota Extension Service website page: www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/plainsfolk.htm
Obituaries:
· Vital Records Web Site (vitalrec.com/ca.html) is a source for California records but I found that I could access other states by changing the "ca" to another state. I tried " SD" and found the web site in Pierre on line. A further search and I found (vitalrec.com/index.html#usmap), which allows a full search of the USA
· Index of Bowdle, SD, obituaries while searching for some of my relatives. sites.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/searches/sdbowdle
· Bismarck ND, Tribune Obits: www.legacy.com/bismarcktribune/LegacyHome.asp
· Aberdeen SD, American News Obits: www.legacy.com/AberdeenNews/LegacyHome.asp
· Mobridge SD, Obituaries: www.mobridgetribune.com/mobridgetribune/myarticles.asp?S=97&P=9924&PubID=541&EC=0
Online bookstores & publishers world wide:
· eleaston.com/books/index.html and in particular, German bookstores: eleaston.com/books/index.html#german
· Try www.abebooks.com as a primary source in searching for used books and I have had very good luck from U.S., Canadian, German, and British booksellers. www.zvab.com for German booksellers.
Search Engines:
· Search Engines are a terrific way to do some searching of the web through various phrases. I use www.google.com and have even added it as a tool bar across the top of my web browser. That can be done by going to toolbar.google.com and following the directions.
· Another search engine that has been recommended is www.alltheweb.com/ Web Search Web Site (www.dogpile.com) If you need to use the Web to do a search for information, genealogy or other, try this method. It allows you to type in a few search words and the system looks for articles related to your query. Be specific or you might get thousands of sites to search ie., don’t type in Germany or you’ll be overwhelmed.
Passenger Lists and Ships Lists:
· Searching the Ellis Island Database stevemorse.org Rather than being restricted to First and Surname by the Ellis Island Database, this site was created as a search engine that allows you to use first initial year of arrival, age at arrival, boat name, ethnicity, etc. as search criteria.
· You will now find naturalization information in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a division in the newly-created Department of Homeland Security. They maintain an index for naturalizations occurring after 1906. The following website should help you find your information: uscis.gov/graphics/aboutus/history/NatzRec/NATREC.htm
Database of Ship Descriptions and Histories at:
· www.fortunecity.com/littleitaly/amalfi/13/ships.htm Persons interested in obtaining copies of the Ship's Manifest for the family might also request through the following NARA website at: www.nara.gov/index.html
· If you are seeking ships names and arrival dates, try this is one: www.cimorelli.com/safe/shipmenu.htm
· Also try these sites: www.nmgm.org.uk/maritime/index.html www.liverpoolcollege.co.uk/Mosaic/maritime.htm
· The Emigration Lists of Hamburg can now offer a database of the years 1890 through 1898 for your search (click on "Search Now"). The database will continue to grow to include the following years, until the data of all emigrants are available, initially of the years 1890 to 1914, and finally of all years between 1850 and 1934. Unfortunately, the site does require fees to get the data but it is a source if you happen to have family that immigrated during the years indicated. www.hamburg.de/fhh/behoerden/staatsarchiv/link_to_your_roots/english/index.htm
· www.angelfire.com/ks/gerrus/index.html is another passenger list site for Germans from Russia
· www.immigrantships.net/ is a website dedicated to ships manifests and put there by the Immigrant Ships Transcribers Guild. I’ve only recently started to look at the listing but it’s got some good information. I encourage anyone that is looking for ships records to start here.
· For photographs of numerous ships to purchase www.kinshipsprints.com
General North American Information:
· Ancestry.com - www.ancestsry.com
· Bureau of Land Management – www.blm.gov
· Family History Library - www.familysearch.org
· US GenWeb Project – www.usgenweb.com
· www.germanlife.com is an online magazine with various articles that might be of interest.
· A good example of a personal genealogy website can be found at www.gigacorp.net/~gcmeyer
· Remember CCC camps in the USA? Here’s a website about them: www.cccalumni.org/history1.html
· Interesting links to various states and genealogy: www.linkpendium.com/genealogy/USA
Sites for those interested in North or South Dakota:
· McPherson Co SD Website sites.rootsweb.com/~sdmcpher/ and other SD counties are located at: sites.rootsweb.com/~sdgenweb
· ND and SD Germans from Russia at www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/
· Birth record search site for South Dakota www.sdhistory.org/arc/archives.htm and North Dakota at www.state.nd.us/hist/sal.htm
· Time Passages: Genealogy of the Dakotas: North Dakota Genealogy: South Dakota Genealogy www.time-passages.com/ including: North Dakota and South Dakota census research services, North Dakota land ownership maps, North Dakota military records; North Dakota 1900 Census Project, North Dakota and South Dakota census index publications; North Dakota naturalization records, North Dakota and South Dakota genealogy archives, South Dakota 1900 Census Project; North Dakota and South Dakota homestead records, North Dakota cemetery records, North Dakota and South Dakota genealogy bulletin board to find your ancestors in the Dakotas.
· Bureau of Land Management records are online as part of the US GenWeb site for North and South Dakota as follows: North Dakota site is: sites.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/nd/ for links to content. South Dakota site is: sites.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/sd/land/sdland.htm The South Dakota site consists 71.5 MBytes and covers over 650,000 parcels of land in the database, the Patent Number is called "DOCID". If there is more than one parcel of land with the same person's name and the same DOCID, you will get all of the information by submitting one Form 84. If there are different DOCID's, then you will need to submit a separate form for each DOCID.
· While this site will not help anyone find their great-grandfather, it will allow us a glimpse into the streets he walked. www.us-genealogy.com/ukraine/kpcs.html and for South Dakota photo postcards try sites.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/sd/ppcs-sd.html.
· The North Dakota Biography Index (NDBI) database by the Institute for Regional Studies at the North Dakota State University Libraries. Searching the database will enable users to quickly determine which publication to consult for biographical information. More than 138,000 biographical sketches are indexed; found in some 540 publications. The site can be found at www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/bio&genealogy/ndbioindex.html
· County breakdown from site below includes land records and 1900,1910,1920 census. Some counties contain other info such as marriage records sites.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/nd/
· This Site contains SD births prior to 1900
www.state.sd.us/doh/vitalrec/birthrecords/index.cfm
· Here's the link I use to view individual 1895 North Dakota County Maps:
· ND Department of Health – www.health.state.nd.us
· State Historical Society – www.state.nd.us/hist/sal.htm
· State Genealogical Society – sites.rootsweb.com/~ndsgs
· University of North Dakota – www.und.nodak.edu/dept/library
· ND Institute for Regional Studies - www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs
· SD Department of Health – www.state.sd.us/doh
· State Historical Society – www.sdhistory.org
· State Genealogical Society – sites.rootsweb.com/~sdgenweb/gensoc/sdgensoc.html
Sites for those interested in Nebraska:
· Health & Human Services –www.hhs.state.ne.us/ced/nevrinfo.htm
· State Historical Society – www.nebraskahistory.org
· State Genealogical Society – www.rootssweb.com/~nesgs
(No additional research on other states was made, but presumably the above is a format to follow for any state. Also investigate information held at the county level, on USGenWeb, by state. It is often quite extensive.)
Commercial Genealogy Links:
· Cyndi's List - Over 26,000 Genealogy links in over 70 categories at: www.CyndisList.com and Germans from Russia at www.cyndislist.com/germruss.htm
Miscellaneous:
· The GRHC website at the General Information section at Introduction for the pages for the Landsmannschaft der Bessarabiendeutschen at: www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/info/introduction/index.html
· The GRHC website at the General Information section at Introduction for the pages for the Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Rußland at:
· Famous Germans from Russia Web Site (www-personal.umich.edu/~steeles/gerrus/) is a listing of famous and, perhaps, not so famous German Russians.
South America:
· Argentina Germans Who Disappeared Web Site (www.yendor.com/vanished/vanished/cels-list.html) connects you to the listing of people that disappeared during the dictatorship in specific years in Argentina. I doubt if the list is complete but it is interesting to read. A second address is (www.desaparecidos.org/arg/coalicion/des.html).
· From Northern CA Chapter, GRHS, a Colony in Argentina www.santamariaentrerios.com/ar
Languages and Translating:
· For those interested in the origins of languages, a rather interesting diagrammed description of the "tree of Germanic Languages" at: softrat.home.mindspring.com/germanic.html Also further descriptions of 'Living Germanic Languages' which include - English, High German, Low German, Afrikaans, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Dutch-Flemish, Faroese, Frisian, Icelandic & Gutnish.
· "The Internet Handbook of German Grammar": www.travlang.com/languages/german/ihgg/
· A perspective on working with geographical names when preparing foreign language translations (Brosz) accurapid.com/journal/28names.htm#4
· The term "Germanic" has come up numerous times in various discussions... Linguistically speaking there is a great resource at: www.yourdictionary.com/languages/germanic.html#gerdialects with anything from Afrikaans to Yiddish ...BUT best of all there are Swabien dictionaries as well at www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/2619/swab_voc.html
· babelfish.altavista.com/translate.dyn?url=http%3A%2F%2F …use this site to translate German (and other languages) to English.
· Translation from German to English www.world.altavista.com
· The Library of Congress has a wonderful collection of still photographs, as well as books, sound & motion picture recordings, etc., etc. I have visited the Still Photographs Reading Room many times and enjoyed the resources available there. For some time now, many of these photographs have been digitized and placed on-line at the Library of Congress website. If you haven't already done so, you MUST see this! It's a terrific resource and will only get better as more photos are added. Details of this collection, go to this link: www.loc.gov/rr/print/catalog.html
· To search the collection, go to this link: lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/mdbquery.html www.tc.umn.edu/~pmg/genealogy.html (U.S., Midwest, general) sites.rootsweb.com/~gbhs/
· www.schwaebisch-englisch.de/ is a website that focuses on the Schwaebisch dialect. While sites.rootsweb.com/~romban/misc/germanjobs.html provides information about German professions in English.
· German Script is at best difficult to read. Here is a site that helps understand it www.tranquility.net/~pwrigh01 And yet another site to assist with translating is dictionary.reference.com/translate/text.html You might try to cut information from your email or other source, and paste it in. I’ve done it with a few simple phrases and it’s done a nice job.
· This website also has a very useful resource page for learning old German script. www.genealogienetz.de/misc/scripts.html
· In the 20th century, Gothic script has also been known as the Sütterlin script and this website gives much information: www.peter-doerling.de/Englisch/Sutterlin.htm
· This site has a helpful tutorial with actual examples: www.mun.ca/rels/morav/script.html
European Research - General:
· [email protected] …German Genealogical Research Service (Sabine Schleichert) has good skills at doing research in Germany and is familiar with the Germans from Russia
· www.mrjumbo.com/contents/ostfriesland/maps/wasserflutt.html Information about a natural disaster in Europe.
· www.man.poznan.pl/~bielecki/mrecords.htm#119 genealogical records of Greater Poland, LDS film numbers for those of you who might find a need to research some of the Polish records.
· members.rogers.com/kdee/Stuff/Timeline.html German Russian Timeline with information about the Yauks family that immigrated. A unique approach to research.
· pages.prodigy.net/brandtfam/geneal/east-eur.htm
· Surnames Index, bavariansurnames.homestead.com/index.html
· Black Forest Customs. It has excellent 1935 photos of a wedding but does load a little slow due to the graphics.
· feefhs.org/banat/bhistory.html At the end of the nineteenth century, there were more than two million Germans living in Hungary. During the eighteenth century, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria, which ruled Hungary at that time, had enticed Germans to immigrate to the unsettled lands of Southern Hungary.
· www.mennolink.org/doc/lg/index.html This Low German dictionary is offered as an encouragement towards the preservation of a much-loved Mennonite language. The majority of words in this version have been in basic use for over two and a half centuries. The word stock of this dictionary was compiled from oral and written information obtained from a host of sources. Herman Rempel, 1995 Dictionary.
· http://home.freeuk.com/russica2/books/russia/16.html Article about foreign settlers on the steppe.
· www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/2619/swab_voc.html Swabish to English dictionary that looks very good.
· home.freeuk.com/russica2/books/russia/35.html Contains quite a bit of info on the very early revolutionary activity in Russia including arrests of a large group of revolutionaries in Saratov in 1873.
· www.dobriner-land.de/ Looks like lots of interesting articles in the Weg And Ziel for people researching in middle Poland. The website is in German.
· www.ualberta.ca/~german/altahistory/hints.htm Aside from this, there are also many other interesting topics in this keyword list.
· Here's a helpful web site page described in the latest issue of the Polish Genealogy on-line newsletter, Gen Dobry. This page describes and interprets the various markings and annotations you often find on a passenger arrival manifest for your ancestors entering the United States of America. This page is particularly important and authoritative because the author is Marian L. Smith, historian of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Enjoy. www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/manifests/
· A site helpful to in translating German words and symbols used in old documents www.genealogienetz.de/misc/gensig.html but there is yet a second site that looks like it’s a keeper in your bookmarks it is: dictionary.reference.com/translate/text.html
· One of 9 specialized English-language books on the list of "Twenty-five of the most useful books for German genealogical research" by Horst Reschke, German-born columnist for Heritage Quest (Sept.-Oct. 1998). translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=www.zum.de/Faecher/G/BW/Landeskunde/rhein/volkskunde/brauchtum/hochzeitslader.htm&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dhochzeitsbitter%26start%3D90%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26sa%3DN
· EZW Information at www.genealogyunlimited.com/daveobee/ewzmain.html information from people who have already died. Imagine discovering that your relatives had been extensively interviewed about family history, and the papers they filled out half a century ago are available to you today. That is the beauty of the Berlin Document Center records.
· I’ve reviewed this website more for its style than content but think those who have Catholic GERMANS from RUSSIA & ROMANIA should take a look at www.cgrr.com and there is a second site: www.kutschurgan.com for Black Sea Catholic Germans from Russia
· The following URL appears to have a lot of interesting data on West Prussia: www.westpreussen.de/homepage.htm
Canadian Research:
· For anyone with ancestors who settled in the western prairies of Canada at the turn of the 20th century, you may wish to know that ArchiviaNet at www.archives.ca/02/0201_e.html has added digital images of the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 (Manitoba, Saskatchewan & Alberta) to their site. However, as these images are not indexed, you will need to know which districts they lived in. Census map images and district descriptions are included to help you out.
· For anyone with ancestors who settled in the western prairies of Canada at the turn of the 20th century, you may wish to know that ArchiviaNet at www.archives.ca/02/0201_e.html has just added digital images of the Census of the Northwest Provinces, 1906 (Manitoba, Saskatchewan & Alberta) to their site. However, as these images are not indexed, you will need to know which districts they lived in. Census map images and district descriptions are included to help you out
Old World Cooking:
· staff-www.uni-marburg.de/~gloning/kobu.htm Culinary & Dietetic Texts 1350-1800. This site is dedicated to the study of historical texts on cookery, food, nutrition and dietetics.
· clem.mscd.edu/~grasse/GK_Rumpolt1.htm This is a website that has a German cookbook going back to 1581. It is documented in German and the author of the site indicates he’s working on translations.
· cs-people.bu.edu/akatlas/Buch/buch.html This is an electronic version of Ein Buch von guter Speise. It has the German transcription from a copy printed in 1844.
· NDSU website with cookbook information on GR cooking: www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc/recipes/index.cgi
II. Other Sources
German & European Websites: (various)
From German Life
For the Rheinland-Pfalz www.genealogie-in-pirmasens.de/index.htm
LDS Catalog www.familysearch.org
From Allyn Brosz:
www.imf.org/external/np/omd/bios/hk.htm
news.bbc.co.uk/2/.hi/europe/3742273.stm
www.dw-world.de/german/o,3367,1454_A_1207225,00.html
www.germany-info.org/relaunch/politics/new/pol_bundespresident_election_2004_2.html
Engels website (from Ken Leffler & Ray Heer)
engelsarchive.ru/issledovaniya_eng.html
Copyright July 2004, Duane Stabler & Glückstal Colonies Research Association. Permission given for personal use. Please quote this source.
Note that this document will be updated on occasion to incorporate new websites. The updates will appear at http://www.northstarchapter.org
