FR-2-3 8010 000117 French resources for Jewish genealogy +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ FRENCH RESOURCES FOR JEWISH GENEALOGY - II-III +-----------------------------------------------------------------+ A JewishGen InfoFile By: Micheline Gutmann Paris, France CHAPTER II Decret de Bayonne 1808, lists of choices of fixed names ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Europe at the beginning of the 19th Century, not all Jews had a hereditary surname. In 1808 Napoleon issued the Decree of Bayonne, in which he ordered the taking of permanent family names for all the French Empire, which was then divided into 130 departements (France, Belgium, Netherlands, left bank of Rhine of Germany, north of Italy). Nowadays there are in France 97 departements. Everywhere, in all towns, big or small, lists were established . They contained the former name and the new one (often the same), with a definitive surname, generally the dates of birth, not always precise, and sometimes a profession. The children were declared by the father and given his new surname, the wife took her father's surname. We could say many things about the utility of such a law, about the surnames which changed again after that, or returned to the former ones. But these lists are very precious for genealogists. Not all were found, some were destroyed, as in Paris, some not yet discovered, perhaps still lying hidden in dusty archives. The Dutch Association for Jewish Genealogy, V.N.K.V.J.G., has published lists of the Jews living then in The Netherlands. We have also many lists from Belgian towns. Searches are also taking place for these lists in Germany. Some are already found. For Italy, some lists have been found in Piemont, we hope them to be available soon. In France one can find them in the Archives Departementales, in the chef-lieu of the Departement, generally the most important city of it. But many people have already some lists. We have to notice especially the work of Pierre KATZ, from Marmoutier, Alsace, who has listed the people, with reconstitution of the families, town by town, from all the documents already found in Alsace and in a large part of Lorraine too. I was responsible for the publication of his work for Bas-Rhin, one of the two departements of Alsace. The same work for Haut-Rhin has been published too. All of the volumes are now available from the CGJ on their Web site at http://www.genealoj.org/document.html and include also one for Lorraine and surrounding territories! Denombrement de 1784 of the Jews of Alsace ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This census concerning the Jews allowed to live in Alsace in 1784, had been ordered by Louis XVI. Some Jews, present at that time are not in the list because they were there illegally and so did not declare themselves. or because they were peddlers, always on the road. But most of the time we may find our Alsatian ancestors there. The families are completely described but the wife has generally only a first name. Children are listed, boys and girls separately, generally in the order of birth. How to find this census: we may find it in many libraries and archives services. Daniel LEESON has created the first Index to this Census with four separate lists: by family name, first name, maiden name, as well as village, which in effect reproduces the Census itself. This microfiche is available from AVOTAYNU ($10.) by mail: P.O. Box 900, Teaneck, NJ 07666 by Fax: (201) 387-2855 By phone: (201) 387-7200 on the Web: http://www.avotaynu.com. It is now also available in a re-edition from the CGJ, with the purchasing information available on their website at http://www.genealoj.org/document.html CHAPTER III (Modifications according to ministerial order of June 11th 1998) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Naturalisations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When requests were made to become naturalized French citizens it was necessary to prepare a dossier with necessary information. After some years living in France (the period has varied), if the autorisation was given, it was possible to obtain French nationality. A statutory order, "decret", was published . It is that dossier which may be consulted, if it dates from more than 60 years ago. You often have the names, places of birth, ages, professions, addresses, often the names and origins of the parents . The wife is mentioned and sometimes her parents, the living and minor children too, with dates and places of birth. There are often errors or imprecisions, but the documents are very interesting, the best way to obtain information of ancestors who remained in East Europe. Reintegrations In 1872, when Germany claimed Alsace and a part of Lorraine, following the Franco-Prussian War, residents of those areas who did not wish to become German citizens, but to retain their French citizenship, where required to move to places within French territory, after filing an "option de nationalite". These "options de nationalites" can be consulted on microfilm, in alphabetical order, at the CARAN (see above). One can find name and surname, date and place of birth, and husband's surname. The list of fixation of names for a lot of towns in France and in Belgium are avalaible at the association GenAmi. Those who have stayed in Alsace and the part of Lorraine which became German territory , and who later wished to be able to move back to French territory, had to be "reintegrated" into France. These dossiers of reintegration may also be found on microfilm at the CARAN, in the same way as the options de nationalite. The research - - - - - - - -- - It is a little complicated, I will try to simplify the explanations. It has to be done in 2 stages. 1 - The research of the "decret". The "decret" can be found in "Le bulletin des lois", about 500 books present in the large administrative libraries, in all departements of France. Before 1900, there are indexes each 10 years with all the names in alphabetical order in the chapter "etrangers" of the "partie supplementaire". I have to say that the research may be difficult. Since 1900, there are books with the alphabetical list of all the naturalisations, for each ten years. It is easier to find the decret, but note: the wives are listed only under the name of the husband. In both cases, note the date and the number of the "decret". 2 - In order to consult it, the dossier has to be requested at the CARAN, (Centre d'Accueil et de Recherches des Archives Nationales). CARAN, salle de lecture 4 rue des Quatre Fils 75003 Paris, France The research of the dossier take about 3 weeks. You may know when it is ready, by letter or calling there. Then, you have to go and look at the dossier. Photocopies cannot be done any more. They propose to do microfilms and then photocopies. Price : about $3 or $4 per page. The order has to be written in duplicate; the precise pages to photocopy must be mentioned. After 10 days, an estimate will be sent to you. You have to answer and send a check. The microfilms and photos will arrive after some weeks. If the dossier is less than 60 years old, you have to ask for a dispensation. The CARAN has papers to fill. The answer will be given after about two months. Then you can ask for the dossier as written above. Provider: Micheline Gutmann Association de Genealogie Juive Internationale http://www.chez.com/genami/ ---------------- [17Jan00mg/rl]bk Copyright 2000 JewishGen, Inc. http://www.jewishgen.org +----------------------------------------------------------------------+