German Research Division
Jewish Genealogical Research in German-speaking Regions
German RD Search
   

News Archive


 08/16/2023  German Research Division Database Updates - Aufbau and Württemberg Family Registers

The German RD is excited to announce the addition of more than 10,000 new indexed family notices from Aufbau. These notices cover 1953 to 1957, although some months from that period are still being worked on. Records from this update are located in the 'German Aufbau - 2023 Update' component of the JewishGen Germany database.

Earlier this year the Württemberg Family Register database was also updated. It now contains almost 20,000 records.



To search both of these datasets please visit https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/germany/


 08/02/2023  2023 German RD Meeting at IAJGS Conference in London

The German Research Division (formerly GerSIG) held its first in person meeting in four years on 2 August 2023 in London. The following is a summary of the IAJGS Conference meeting presentation.



Staying in Touch



Although the German Research Division no longer has its own mailing list there are still a number of ways to stay in touch.



1) JewishGen Discussion Group



- mailing list with more than 16,000 members

Sign up or edit your settings at https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main

Search for archives messages at: https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/topics



2) FaceBook Groups



GerSIG: German Jewish Genealogy Special Interest Group - 1,474 Members

https://www.facebook.com/groups/GerSIGGermanJewishGenealogy



Jewish Genealogy in Berlin - 1,028 Members

https://www.facebook.com/groups/JewishGenBerlin



JEWS - Jekkes Engaged Worldwide in Social Networking - 2,387 Members

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1556357284602836



Hamburg Jewish Ancestors - 283 Members

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamburgjewishancestors/



Jewish Genealogy-Jews from Posen and Prussia - 1,834 Members

https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewsfromposen/



Hoppe Hoppe Reiter - 11,164 Members [צאצאי ייקים צעירים למען שימור מורשת הייקים]

www.facebook.com/groups/HoppeHoppeReiter/



3) Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain German SIG



- Handouts on Jeanette Rosenberg's Blog: https://round2itgenealogy.wordpress.com/category/gersig/



German Research Division Projects



The German RD has several on-going projects:



- Surname Adoption Lists – West of the Rhine

- Württemberg Family Registers - 2023 Update: Almost 20,000 records have been indexed and are part of the Germany database

- Former Eastern Germany Vital Records (Gatermann)

- Aufbau Newspaper Family Notices  - August 2023 Update: 10,000 notices from 1953 to 1957 added to the Germany database



Please visit https://www.jewishgen.org/gersig/tpl_base.asp?id=23 for full details on these projects. The JewishGen Germany database can be searched at https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/germany/



Join the German RD Volunteer Team!



The German RD is looking for volunteers to:



- index records: prepare documents, enter data and translate records 

- complete the German portion of the JewishGen communities database

- serve as Regional Leaders - regional leaders will help create regional research guides, and identify and prioritze future indexing projects

- catalog online, printed and archival resources for individual towns, districts and regions - see video and PDF guide at https://www.jewishgen.org/gersig/TPL_Base.asp?id=24



We have new opportunities to have indexing work performed by third parties. By serving as a regional leader you can help decide where to next focus these efforts.


New Book by Steven M. Lowenstein


In May 2023 Academic Studies Press published The Population History of Germany Jewry, 1815 - 1939 by Steven Mark Lowenstein z'l. A recording of a panel held at the Leo Baeck Institute in New York shortly before the book's release can be viewed at https://www.lbi.org/events/steve-lowenstein/. Also see table of contents on the publisher's website.



New, Updated and sometimes Old Online Resources



Rheinland-Pfalz Vital records

Overview at https://www.landeshauptarchiv.de/unser-auftrag/personenstandsarchiv-rheinland-pfalz/digitalisierung

Search Apertus at https://apertus.rlp.de/



Online Resources - Newspapers

Overview: https://wiki.genealogy.net/Digitale_historische_Tageszeitungen

North Rhine Westphalia Newspaper Portal - https://zeitpunkt.nrw/

Baden - https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/

Württemberg - https://digital.wlb-stuttgart.de/start

Bavaria - https://digipress.digitale-sammlungen.de/search/simple/

Europeana Newspapers (includes Hamburg and Berlin) - https://www.europeana.eu/en/collections/topic/18-newspapers

Frankfurt - https://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/periodika



Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe 229 - Special Files of the Smaller Districts and Places with more than 4 million images - now complete! - https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/startbild.php?bestand=11158 - search for files under Judensache and Judenrecht 



Archivalia blog https://archivalia.hypotheses.org/



Ancestry.com Digitized German Vital Records - Berlin, Dresden, Eastern Prussian Provinces, Hamurg, Hessen (including Frankfurt), Karlsruhe, Mainz, Mannheim, Worms and others



Overview of Available Years on Ancestry.Com for selected German record sets

 




Contact us through: https://www.jewishgen.org/gersig/ABT_Board.asp


 08/22/2022  2022 IAJGS Virtual Conference Update

The German Research Division is once again the German-Jewish Special Interest Group (GerSIG).


Staying Connected - Facebook Groups and Other Resources


GerSIG: German Jewish Genealogy Special Interest Group


https://www.facebook.com/groups/GerSIGGermanJewishGenealogy


Jewish Genealogy in Berlin


https://www.facebook.com/groups/JewishGenBerlin


JEWS - Jekkes Engaged Worldwide in Social Networking


https://www.facebook.com/groups/1556357284602836


Hamburg Jewish Ancestors


https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamburgjewishancestors/


Jewish Genealogy-Jews from Posen and Prussia


https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewsfromposen/





Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain German SIG - Handout on Jeanette's Blog: https://round2itgenealogy.wordpress.com/category/gersig/



Jewish Gen Discussion Group



Sign up or edit your settings at https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main


Search for archives messages at: https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/topics



Statistisches Jahrbuch deutscher Juden (1905) on Compact Memory


German Research Division Projects


The German RD has several on-going projects:


- Surname Adoption Lists – West of the Rhine


- Württemberg Family Registers


- Former Eastern Germany Vital Records (Gatermann)


- Aufbau Newspaper Family Notices


Please visit https://www.jewishgen.org/gersig/tpl_base.asp?id=23 for full details on these projects.





We need more help!


We cannot move forward without project managers


Can you help index - Scan, prepare materials, data entry, translation


Can you help research German-Jewish communities that are missing from the JewishGen communities database?


We need regional leaders


- We are looking to expand the German RD by adding regional leaders


- Suggest indexing projects and help to recruit volunteers to manager them


- Help compile basic overviews of research in your region


- Can you write up a research guide?


German Research Division Resource Cataloger sought





Index Your Town - Index the vital records for the towns your family came from


Transcription of the Mohel Book of R. Seligmann of Hüffenhardt - http://tinyurl.com/mohelbookindexsh


Online Resources


Rheinland-Pfalz Vital records

Overview at https://www.landeshauptarchiv.de/unser-auftrag/personenstandsarchiv-rheinland-pfalz/digitalisierung

Search Apertus at https://apertus.rlp.de/


Online Resources - Newspapers

Overview: https://wiki.genealogy.net/Digitale_historische_Tageszeitungen



North Rhine Westphalia Newspaper Portal - https://zeitpunkt.nrw/

Baden - https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/

Württemberg - https://digital.wlb-stuttgart.de/start

Bavaria - https://digipress.digitale-sammlungen.de/search/simple/

Europeana Newspapers (includes Hamburg and Berlin) - https://www.europeana.eu/en/collections/topic/18-newspapers


Ktiv - The International Collection of Digitized Hebrew Manuscripts - https://web.nli.org.il/sites/nlis/en/manuscript


Database of Jewish Cemeteries in Alsace and Lorraine - http://judaisme-dev.sdv.fr/cimetieres/index.html


Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe 229 - https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/startbild.php?bestand=11158


Archivalia blog https://archivalia.hypotheses.org/


Ancestry.com Digitized German Vital Records - Berlin, Dresden, Eastern Prussian Provinces, Hamurg, Hessen (including Frankfurt), Karlsruhe, Mainz, Mannheim, Worms and others



Sponsored Speakers - Please let us know your suggestions!


Contact us through: https://www.jewishgen.org/gersig/ABT_Board.asp


 08/03/2021  2021 IAJGS Virtual Conference Update

New to German Research - Complete the JewishGen Form at https://forms.gle/QsLFW1ELHJawd6Pz5



Staying Connected - Facebook Groups and Other Resources





GerSIG: German Jewish Genealogy Special Interest Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/GerSIGGermanJewishGenealogy

Jewish Genealogy in Berlin

https://www.facebook.com/groups/JewishGenBerlin

JEWS - Jekkes Engaged Worldwide in Social Networking

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1556357284602836

Hamburg Jewish Ancestors

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hamburgjewishancestors/

Jewish Genealogy-Jews from Posen and Prussia

https://www.facebook.com/groups/jewsfromposen/



Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain German SIG - Handout on Jeanette's Blog: https://round2itgenealogy.wordpress.com/category/gersig/

 



Jewish Gen Discussion Group





Sign up or edit your settings at https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main

Search for archives messages at: https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/topics



 



Obermayer Awards



2022 Award nomination deadline: August 13, 2021
 



German Research Division Projects



The German RD has several on-going projects:

- Surname Adoption Lists – West of the Rhine

- Württemberg Family Registers

- Former Eastern Germany Vital Records (Gatermann)

- Aufbau Newspaper Family Notices

Please visit https://www.jewishgen.org/gersig/tpl_base.asp?id=23 for full details on these projects.





We need more help!

We cannot move forward without project managers

Can you help index - Scan, prepare materials, data entry, translation

Can you help research German-Jewish communities that are missing from the JewishGen communities database?

We need regional leaders

- We are looking to expand the German RD by adding regional leaders

- Suggest indexing projects and help to recruit volunteers to manager them

- Help compile basic overviews of research in your region



- Can you write up a research guide?

German Research Division Resource Cataloger sought



Index Your Town - Index the vital records for the towns your family came from

Transcription of the Mohel Book of R. Seligmann of Hüffenhardt - http://tinyurl.com/mohelbookindexsh

 



Online Resources





Ktiv - The International Collection of Digitized Hebrew Manuscripts - https://web.nli.org.il/sites/nlis/en/manuscript

Database of Jewish Cemeteries in Alsace and Lorraine - http://judaisme-dev.sdv.fr/cimetieres/index.html

Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe 229 - https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/olf/startbild.php?bestand=11158



Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People (CAHJP)

current catalog: https://www.nli.org.il/en

collection of PDF finding aids:https://bit.ly/37gHGf5

Archivalia blog https://archivalia.hypotheses.org/



Sponsodred Speakers - Please let us know your suggestions!

Contact us through: https://www.jewishgen.org/gersig/ABT_Board.asp


 03/25/2020  GerSIG Discussion Group migrated to New Platform

Dear Members of JewishGen German (GerSIG) Discussion Group,



As you know, our current/old Lyris discussion list platform is woefully antiquated. Among its many challenges are that it is not secure, and is no longer supported. In addition, the platform's archiving capabilities are limited, it requires messages to be sent in Plain Text, it does not support accented characters or languages other than English, it cannot display links or images, and it is not mobile-friendly, among other challenges.



This past Fall, our main JewishGen discussion group was migrated to https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main and has permitted us to engage with new and current JewishGen members in more dynamic and engaging ways. Here are some of the exciting features on the JewishGen Discussion Group:



- A simple, secure, and intuitive interface that is mobile friendly. - In addition to English, you can post messages in other languages - Messages can have attachments, and display hyperlinks, photos, and images - You can include formatted (bold, italic, underlined, accented) characters



*What Happens Now?* Beginning today (Wednesday 03/25/2020), the JewishGen German (GerSIG) Discussion Group will be retired. All messages to this group will be now be re-routed to the main JewishGen Discussion Group.



*Do I Need to Join the Main Discussion Group?* No. Your account has been automatically migrated.



*Will I be able to search archives of old German Discussion Group messages?



Yes. As you may know, the archives have been broken since the fall of 2018 and inaccessible to most people. With our new system, we have made all 30,357 messages available and easily searchable.



*That's Great! How far back do the archives go?* All messages are available since 1998.



*How Do I Search The Archives?* There are a few ways:



- Visit https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main, scroll down to the list of top hashtags and click Germany.



- Visit https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main. On the left side of the page click Chashtag and then click Germany.



- Visit https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main. On the left side of the page click messages. Use the search box to enter any text you would like to explore, and choose '#Germany' from the 'Hashtags' drop-down menu. You can also scroll through messages by date, even without searching for a specific text.



*How Do I Post Messages to the Main JewishGen Discussion Group and make sure they are categorized properly?* It's easy! In the subject line of your message, simply add ' #Germany ' at the end of your subject line. For example, if your subject is: 'Resources in Berlin,' you should list it as: 'Resources in Berlin #Germany'



*What if I forget to add the Hashtag?* No problem! Our moderators will add it for you!



*I am still confused about Hashtags. Do you have any more information about it?* Yes. We have created a brief guide to using Hashtags here: https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/wiki/HASHTAG-GUIDE



*I still have questions about the group in general. Is there any more information about the New Discussion Group?* Yes. We have created a Member Guide which is accessible here: https://tinyurl.com/vvwnstw or https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/wiki/The-New-JewishGen.org-Discussion-Group-Member-Guide



We also prepared specific Guidelines for participating on the Main Discussion Group which are accessible here: https://groups.jewishgen.org/g/main/guidelines



*What if I still need help? Is there anyone available to help me get used to the new system?* Yes! A number of individuals have volunteers to help anyone in need. Please email support@JewishGen.org for additional information.



*A final note about the JewishGen German Research Division (formerly the German-Jewish SIG or GerSIG).* Although the mailing list is being transformed, the resources of the JewishGen German Research Division (formerly GerSIG) are still available on our website at https://www.jewishgen.org/gersig/ and in the JewishGen German Collection database at https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Germany/.



Please continue to post your questions, queries and German-Jewish genealogy news to the main JewishGen Discussion Group as discussed above. The new list functionality, along with the influx of new members, will provide greater exposure for inquiries and allow the members of the JewishGen German Discussion Group to more widely share their invaluable knowledge and expertise.



Thank you again for your support.



This change comes as a result of our strategic plan to modernize our systems and to make JewishGen more robust, sustainable, and easier to use, and we would like to thank everyone who has played such an integral role in getting us to this point. Specifically, we would like to publicly express our appreciation to John Lowens who has managed this list for more than two decades with devotion, dedication, and sensitivity. He is owed a tremendous debt of gratitude, and we are extremely glad that he will continue to serve as a moderator on the new platform.



If you have any questions in the meantime, please email support@JewishGen.org.



Avraham Groll Executive Director



Alex Calzareth Director of German Research



Nancy Siegel Director of Communications



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