German Family Research
with
Dr. Roger P. Minert
Program:
10:00 AM (EDT)
Status in German Society 1500 to 1800: Where Did Your Ancestor Fit In?
Thanks to a great extent to the very well-developed and rather inflexible
feudal system in Germanic territories in Europe, our ancestors were quite
stable in their social and economic status. The structure of classes (from the
highest to the lowest) is described in this presentation, with an emphasis on
correctly placing our ancestors on that social scale continuum. Advantages
and disadvantages for our ancestors are discussed, as well as the advantages
for modern historians searching for their ancestors in that world.
11:30 AM (EDT)
Census Records in Germany, 1816–1916
This presentation is based on the results of my sabbatical stay of six months
in Europe in 2015. The traditional mystery of German census records can
now be explained: they are in many ways unlike their counterparts in the U.S.
Frequency, content, methodology, and accessibility of these records in the
thirty-eight states of the German Empire will be explained and illustrated.
1:30 PM (EDT)
German Residential Registration
From the sixteenth century on, local authorities monitored the comings and
goings of strangers and foreigners, keeping ever more detailed records of
newcomers— primarily for the safety of local residents. The personal details
contained in such records make them a valuable resource for family history
research. This presentation exhibits the form and content of residential
registration and traces the historical development up to the late nineteenth
century; by then, in most states every man, woman, and child was
registered—whether local or from elsewhere.
3:00 PM (EDT)
Which Hessen is Which?
Hessen, Hessen-Nassau, Hessen-Kassel, Kurhessen, Rheinhessen, Oberhessen, Hessen-Homburg?
All of these names applied to political entities
in the German-language realm in the nineteenth century and some survive
even today. This presentation will clarify the status of each "Hessen" and
assist genealogical researchers in determining how to access records in those
territories, as well as how to correctly record place names for the events in
ancestors' lives.
Registration:
$35.00 for MAGS Members / $45.00 for Non-members
You can register online
here or you can mail payment (noting “2021 Spring Conference” on
the check) to:
Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society
ATTN: Cheyenne Cashin
20650 Hope Spring Terrace, Unit 403
Ashburn, VA 20147-2950
email: registration@magsgen.com
