Our Library Collections: Germany

One in a series by CGS member Chris Pattillo, highlighting some of our holdings at the CGS Library in Oakland.  For a fuller listing of books, journals, and more, consult the CGS Library catalog in WorldCat.

This post about German research is thanks to Phil Hoehn – one of our great Library Committee volunteers. Phil prepared a list of the German books in our library for me and explained that in the case of Germany our books are not all in one place. Instead, they are shelved by subject/content or geography. Books on Germany can also be found among our state books, so you need to use our online catalog to find all that our library has to offer. Phil had another great tip - he told me that Wikipedia has links to the Library of Congress articles. I went home and tried this. On the Wikipedia site I entered: Library of Congress German Genealogy. Then I entered the words “German”, “Germany”, and “genealogy” in their search box. More than a thousand articles popped up on a broad range of topics.

Books on German research in our reference section

Nancy Cork also offered a helpful tip for German researchers. She wanted me to tell you about our collection of The Work Paper, journals from the American Historical Society of Germans From Russia. These are contained in three boxes on the back wall, with the oversize books. Our set covers 1969-1977.

Phil’s first listing was for books in our reference section CS 49, where I found four books that look very helpful, including Discovering Your Immigrant & Ethnic Ancestors–How To find and Record Your Unique Heritage by Sharon DeBartolo Carmack; American Migration Guide by John Heisey; German Family Research Made Simple and They Came in Ships: A Guide to Finding Your Immigrant Ancestor’s Arrival Records. These would all be good places to start or expand your German research.

Germanic Genealogy is in the
CS610 section of books

You will find one full shelf of German genealogy books starting in section CS 610. A couple of our newer books are Germanic Genealogy: A Guide to Worldwide Sources and Migration Patterns and The German Research Companion by Shirley J. Riemer, Roger P. Minert and Jennifer A. Anderson. These were published in 1995 and 2010. Germanic Genealogy includes a chapter on Jewish genealogy. The German Research Companion was donated to our library by the author. Both of these books are packed with useful information.

For those who read German, we have a twelve-volume set of Genealogisches Handbuch Des Adels that were given to the library by George R. Dorman. The title translates to Genealogical Handbook of the Nobility. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything more about this set because I do not read German.

For books on German history, Phil sends us to section DD where you will find eleven books on German history, including the two-volume set of Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs, an indispensable gazetteer of the German Empire (1871-1918). Tip: the online version of this source is much easier to understand.

The 12-volume Genealogisches Handbuch Des Adels 

Next, head for section E184.G3, where you will find a large collection of books on Germans in the United States. This section includes German-American Genealogy by the Immigrant Genealogical Society. This is a set of journals covering 1987-2016. Our set of Der Blumenbaum is in section F869.S12 B58, which is in the California Room in the back corner of the library.

You will also find 25 volumes of German Immigrants in American Church Records by Roger P. Minert in section E184.G3 published in 2005. These books focus on the states where Germans first immigrated–Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Missouri.

German atlases will be found in G1905-1939; and don’t forget to check our map collection. Finally, Z115 is where you will find books on German handwriting.

These 25 volumes contain church records for early German immigrants.

Thank you, Phil and Nancy, for helping with this post.

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

"Discovering Your German Roots" July 11, 18, 25

July is sizzling with lots of exciting classes and events! Today, we look at a FREE class that will be of special interest to those with German heritage: "Discovering Your German Roots: The Great Migration, 1815-1914."

Longtime favorite Robert Jackson leads this three-part course, which looks at the large German migration from the early nineteenth to the early twentieth century. As he explains, "More than twenty percent of all Americans claim primarily German descent, and many more have at least one German ancestor. It continues to be the largest single ethnic component of the American population.

"To the delight of their descendants, the documentary sources available in Germany, many of them now available in the U.S. on line and on microfilm, facilitate the assembly of family trees of great age and depth, often back to the 1500s, even for simple peasant stock (which includes nearly all of us). It is not unusual for the documented family tree of one German immigrant to contain as many as 300 ancestors."

The class runs July 11, 18, and 25, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the CGS Library.  It is free to all, but limited to 30 people. Please register HERE to save your place.

All our Events can be found listed on the CGS Facebook page

or on our website:

or at EventBrite.com (search for California Genealogical Society)

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

2019 International German Genealogy Conference

Many CGS members were in attendance at the German Genealogy Conference this past weekend in Sacramento! The event was hosted by the International German Genealogy Partnership, with local hosts the Sacramento German Genealogical Society and the German Interest Group of the San Diego Genealogical Society.

Thanks to Linda Okazaki and Lisa Hork Gorrell for the photos!

Copyright © 2019 by California Genealogical Society

Got German Ancestors? August 25th Members-Only Event ends our Summer Evenings Series

Please join us this Thursday, August 25th, from 6pm until 8pm for a special, members-only evening with Robert Jackson at our genealogy library.  An added bonus is that metered parking is free after 6pm and much easier to find!

There will be informal discussion around early German records (he'll help demystify), plus the latest news from Robert about newly available German Genealogy resources.  

If time allows, he will walk you through some early marriage and baptism entries, along with how to deal with them.  No registration needed. 

About the instructor

Robert Jackson holds a Ph.D. in history from Harvard University. After several years’ teaching at the college level, he pursued a professional career in banking and finance. Since retiring, he has assisted a variety of not-for-profit and community organizations.  He has also been enjoying his hobbies of genealogy and tennis. 

Robert lives in Berkeley, is devoted to his wife, and is very proud of his daughter, who recently graduated from Bennington College in Vermont.

Join Robert this Thursday for this special, members-only event and learn how to decipher your German roots!

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society

Coming soon: Genealogy Summer Camps!

by Maureen Hanlon

Are you a beginner in need of a jumpstart?  Or are you a more experienced genealogist who could use some insight and guidance on your more vexing roadblocks?  Want to help us raise a little money for the society?

If yes to any of these questions, then you should join us on successive Thursday evenings this July and August beginning July 7 and ending on Aug 25. Our expert Genealogy Camp Counselors will be on hand to help, but you’ve got to register and reserve your spot. 

Schedule your 30-minute, one-on-one campfire session today with an expert in one of the following topics: Adoption, DNA, Family Tree, French-Canadian, German, Getting Started, Irish, New York, New England and possibly more topics to come.

Who are the camp counselors?  The current lineup includes Robert Jackson, Jane Lindsey, Pam Miller, Stephen Harris, Vinnie Schwarz, Therese Hart-Pignotti, Pam Brett, Ron Madson and Laura Manion.

Who knows, there may even be s’mores...Your consultation fee will support California Genealogical Society and Library’s ongoing mission.

Sign-up today and join us for a summer of fun!

Copyright © 2016 by California Genealogical Society