Note: The webmaster of German Genealogy: List of Documents and FAQs gave permission to reproduce this index which was sent by one of our members. HTML was kept as simple as possible so you can just "save as" or highlight and copy this index to your own computer or printer if you wish.

Return to the Main Study Group page

Vorbemerkung / Note:
Um die Texte mehrsprachlich verfuegbar zu halten, werden die meisten Dokumente in jeweils einer deutschen und einer englischen Version zur Verfuegung gehalten /
Most of the documents are available in a german and an english version.
filename.de ......deutsche/German Version
filename.en ......englische/English Version
filename .........beide Versionen/both versions

Die Dokumente sind erhaeltlich via / Documents are available via

A. eMail : LISTSERV@RZ.UNI-KARLSRUHE.DE

command: GET GEN-DE-L.FAQ-number

B. File Transfer Server (for anonymous FTP):

ftp ftp.genealogy.net
Name: anonymous
Password: your Email-Address
ftp> cd genealogy/gene/faqs
ftp> get file-name (mget *)
ftp> quit

C. or on our mirror-site in Germany:

ftp w3g.med.uni-giessen.de
Name: anonymous
Password: your Email-Address
ftp> cd pub/mirrors/genealogy.net/faqs
ftp> get file-name (mget *)
ftp> quit

D. WWW: http://www.genealogy.net (Home Page)
http://w3g.med.uni-giessen.de/gene (mirror-site)
ftp://ftp.genealogy.net/genealogy/gene/faqs/file-name

Note: use World Wide Web ( WWW ) (e.g. via Lynx, Mosaic, Netscape) if possible, as there are more HTML-documents available than ASCII-files of this list.

FTP:file-name LISTSERV Date Description

FAQ.doc       FAQ-IND   23-Apr-97  Dieser Text / this text

Allgemeine Hilfen zur genealogischen Forschung in Deutschland /
General hints for genealogical research in Germany:

beginn.de     FAQ-01    15-Mar-96  Wie finde ich meine Vorfahren in
                                   Deutschland?

sgg-faq       FAQ-02    22-Apr-97  Help for beginners: Jim Eggert's
                                   FAQ for soc.genealogy.german

verbaende     FAQ-06    23-Apr-97  Liste der genealogischen Vereine in
                                   Deutschland / list of genealogical
                                   societies in Germany

muster.en     FAQ-08    29-Jul-96  Sample letters to help you write to
                                   registrar offices and regional
                                   genealogical organizations.

sam-let.txt \                      Sample letters to help you write to

sam-let.txt /           21-Mar-97  German churches and archives

transl.en     FAQ-32    19-Mar-97  Translation service german-english
                                   and english-german via email
                                   at uni-giessen.de

geoserv.en    FAQ-13    12-Jul-95  GEO: a german town locator via
email
                                   at uni-giessen.de

emigrant.en   FAQ-24    07-Aug-96  German and American Sources for
German
                                   Emigration to America.

immigration   FAQ-18    21-Jan-95  Immigration Buecher Liste / list of
                                   books about immigration

gh_guide.en   FAQ-20    31-Jan-95  Guide to German History Resources
on
                                   the Internet

LDS.de        FAQ-31    04-Dec-96  Familienhistorische Zentren (FHCs)
der
                                   Mormonen (LDS Church) in
                                   Deutschland/Oesterreich/Schweiz

ortsbuch      FAQ-29    23-Apr-97  Ortsfamilienbuecher in Deutschland.

PLZ-ZIP.en    FAQ-30    09-May-95  How to find German ZIP-Codes /
                                   Postleitzahlen

gensig        FAQ-27    21-Mar-97  Genealogische Zeichen /
Genealogical
                                   Symbols

maps          FAQ-19    25-Mar-97  Bezugsadressen historischer Karten
/
                                   source addresses for historical
maps

antiq         FAQ-15    23-Aug-96  Antiquariatshaendler Genealogie und
                                   genealogische Hilfsmaterialien /
                                   German dealers in historical books
and
                                   objects Genealogy and genealogical
                                   aids

Ueber uns / about us:

cfv           FAQ-03    15-Mar-96  soc.genealogy.german Erlaeuterung /
                                   Charter for soc.genealogy.german

about_us.de   FAQ-05    21-Mar-97  Mitglieder des soc.genealogy.german
                                   Komitee / members of the
                                   soc.genealogy.german committee

Regional-Forschung / Regional Research:

pr_lit.de     FAQ-07    16-Dec-94  Literatur des Vereines fuer
                                   Familienforschung in Ost- und
                                   Westpreussen e.V. / Publications of
                                   the genealogical society of East and
                                   West Prussia

lit_mec       FAQ-09    26-Dec-94  Literaturspiegel Mecklenburg

lit_sh        FAQ-10    28-Dec-94  Literaturspiegel Schleswig-Holstein

lit_pom       FAQ-11    15-Jan-95  Literaturspiegel Pommern

lit_nsa       FAQ-12    28-Dec-94  Literaturspiegel Niedersachsen

prussia       FAQ-16    01-Jan-95  Archive fuer Preussenfoschung /
                                   archives for prussia research

opreuss       FAQ-17    15-Jan-95  Hilfsmittel der West- und
                                   Ostpreussenforschung / research aids
                                   for West and East Prussia

hann.de       FAQ-21    05-Feb-95  evangelische Kirchenarchive
                                   Hannover

hann.en       FAQ-22    05-Feb-95  Lutheran Church Archives in
                                   Hannover

akdff.de      FAQ-25    16-Mar-97  Arbeitskreis donauschwaebischer
                                   Familienforscher

akdff.en      FAQ-26    11-Apr-97  Working group of Danube-Swabian
                                   genealogists

bromberg      FAQ-28    19-Jun-96  Bromberg History and Book List

Via "anonymous FTP" zusaetzlich erhaeltlich:

(ftp ftp.genealogy.net)
- first:
cd genealogy/gene
- then:
cd gifs/maps          Karten/Maps (GIF-Format)
cd gifs/wappen        Wappen der Kreise, Staedte und Flecken
                      Coats of arms of counties, cities, and villages

cd quass              Einzelne Namensnachweise, meist aus der
                      Datei QUASSOWSKI /
                      individual surname records, mostly
                      from the Quassowski listings

cd dos                Einige ausfuehrbare DOS Programme, /
                      some DOS executable programs (download in
                      binary mode)
   - chron16.exe      Ahnen-Chronik (WINDOWS)
   - pcahn96a.exe     genealogy program PC-Ahnen 96
   - suetter.exe      program to learn old german script
   - pk-lies.txt      README for pkunzip/pkzip
   - pkunzip.exe
   - pkzip.exe

cd vereine            Arbeitsergebnisse genealogischer Vereine /
                      research results of genealogical societies

   - akdff.zip        - Arbeitskreis donauschwaebischer
Familienforscher.
                        DBase file gepackt (benoetigt pkunzip.exe)
                        Working group of Danube-Swabian genealogical
                        researchers.
                        DBase file packed (needs pkunzip.exe)

Last update: 23-Apr-97 (ds)



Review of Basic Naturalization Documents 
(Marian has given permission to reprint her recent post to IMMI-GRAND list) 
A recent exchange about naturalization papers serves as a reminder of how
important time and place are in any search for naturalization records. 

Declaration of Intention (to become a Citizen of the United States).  Prior to 1906, courts were to make some record of the declarant's visit to court
and their declaration.  This may be as little as a mention in the court
minutes, or an elaborate document sporting seals and ribbons.  The
information gathered depended on the judge's curiosity, past practice of
that court, and perhaps the local printer.  After September 1906 all
declarations were on the same federal form, no matter what court (federal,
state, or local), and contained standard, predictable information.

Petition (for naturalization).  Often referred to as the "application for
citizenship," "second papers," or "final papers."  Like declarations,
petitions varied widely in their form and content prior to implementation of
the Basic Naturalization Act of 1906.  Also, petitions did not have to be
filed in the same court as the declaration (in cases where the immigrant
moved), but not all pre-1906 petitions will record where the relating
declaration is filed!  After the 1906 Act, petitions became standard forms
with standard information, including a reference to the related declaration.
 The arrival data (port, date, ship) on a post-1906 petition is also more
reliable than that given on the declaration, since the data on the petition
was verified by the government against the passenger lists.

Certificate of Naturalization.  This is the document issued to the new
citizen as proof of citizenship.  Some early 19th c. certificates were little
more than receipts.  Others are dripping with calligraphy and ribbons.  Most
contain at least the name of the new citizen, the court, the date, and the
country of former allegiance.  Others contain more.  After 1906 the
certificate names the new citizen, gives an address, physical description,
age, country of former allegiance,  court and date information, and a
reference to the petition.  Not until 1929 was a photograph attached.

"One-Paper" or "Minor" Naturalizations.  Some people spend years searching
for documents that do not exist because their ancestor went through a one
paper natz.  Mid-19th c. legislation allowed those who had arrived in the US
prior to their 18th birthday to naturalize on one paper (essentially, they
were exempt from the declaration of intent requirement).  In practice, many
courts had a special petition form which included language usually found in a
declaration.  Others used a petition but cited the "minor naturalization"
law.  Note that "minor naturalizations" are not the granting of citizenship
to minors--the petitioner had to be of age--but to those who ARRIVED as
minors.

Remember, for pre-1906 naturalization records you must figure out where the
immigrant did (or could) naturalize, and look for that court's records.  If
it was a federal court, those records are likely at the appropriate Regional
National Archives.  After 1906 the procedure is just the same, except that
there was a copy of all naturalization records since September 27, 1906,
filed with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.  So if you cannot
determine which court naturalized the immigrant after 1906, or if the
courthouse burned and the post-1906 records were lost, you can request a copy
from the INS under the Freedom of Information Act.  


 E-mail Lynn  (lynnd@adnc.com) with corrections or comments





Contents 

 General Genealogy Resources 
~  Maps & History 
~  Databases 


 Tools 
~  Immigration  
~  Other Internet 
~  Books 
~  German Words 


 German/English Form Letters 
~  FAQ 
~ Documents