German Origins

German Civil Registration Records

By Maggie Hein | June 17, 2023 | German Origins

If you have searched for a birth certificate, marriage license, or death certificate, you know that many localities didn’t start keeping these types of records until the late 1800s or early 1900s. These government records of vital events are called Civil Registration Records. 

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Online sources for German, French, and Danish church records

By Maggie Hein | December 9, 2022 | German Origins

How do you prove exactly where in Europe your ancestors lived before they migrated to Russia? We know that we can't rely on the place names given in the published translations of the First Settler's Lists because those are sometimes inaccurate. The best proof of your ancestors' origin location is to find them in the church records of the location where they resided prior to emigration.  

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Were your ancestors French Huguenots?

By Maggie Hein | September 19, 2021 | German Origins

We call ourselves "Volga Germans".  While most of the settlers in Volga (and later Black Sea) villages were German, there were also settlers from other European countries.  Many settlers in Russia were French, or came from French-speaking areas of Europe.  Some of these French settlers were Calvinist or Reformed Protestants (Huguenots) who fled religious persecution in France. 

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The Stumpp Book

By Maggie Hein | June 27, 2021 | German Origins

The Emigration from Germany to Russia in the Years 1763-1862 by Karl Stumpp was first published (in German) in 1972.  Several editions have been published since then, including English language translations of portions of the book.  

Read more

German Civil Registration Records

By Maggie Hein | June 17, 2023 | German Origins

If you have searched for a birth certificate, marriage license, or death certificate, you know that many localities didn’t start keeping these types of records until the late 1800s or early 1900s. These government records of vital events are called Civil Registration Records. 

Read more

Online sources for German, French, and Danish church records

By Maggie Hein | December 9, 2022 | German Origins

How do you prove exactly where in Europe your ancestors lived before they migrated to Russia? We know that we can't rely on the place names given in the published translations of the First Settler's Lists because those are sometimes inaccurate. The best proof of your ancestors' origin location is to find them in the church records of the location where they resided prior to emigration.  

Read more

Were your ancestors French Huguenots?

By Maggie Hein | September 19, 2021 | German Origins

We call ourselves "Volga Germans".  While most of the settlers in Volga (and later Black Sea) villages were German, there were also settlers from other European countries.  Many settlers in Russia were French, or came from French-speaking areas of Europe.  Some of these French settlers were Calvinist or Reformed Protestants (Huguenots) who fled religious persecution in France. 

Read more

The Stumpp Book

By Maggie Hein | June 27, 2021 | German Origins

The Emigration from Germany to Russia in the Years 1763-1862 by Karl Stumpp was first published (in German) in 1972.  Several editions have been published since then, including English language translations of portions of the book.  

Read more