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Today's Article
Demystifying Eastern European Research
by Lisa A. Alzo
Anyone who has attempted to trace their ancestors back to Eastern Europe understands the special challenges and frustrations associated with this seemingly daunting task. Border changes, language differences, political considerations, and exotic-sounding surnames often complicate the research process. In addition, misconceptions and myths about the research process often discourage even the most avid of genealogists.
Here are some of the most common myths about Eastern European genealogical research and how to work around them.
Myth #1
It's Too Difficult.
At one time, finding information about an ancestor who hailed from a tiny town or village in most Eastern European countries could be challenging and perhaps impossible. However, thanks to the changing political sphere, less restrictive access in many countries, microfilming efforts of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' Family History Library (FHL) (www.familysearch.org), and the Internet, many doors once closed to researchers have now opened. This is not to say that all records or archives in every locality in Eastern Europe are completely accessible. There are still limitations on what records are available and, in some cases, the method by which researchers can obtain the information.
While it is tempting to start over in Europe, actually it's best to begin your research on this side of the Atlantic. First, you need to learn details about the immigrant and identify the town or village of origin. This information can often be located in home and family sources. If not, then consult vital records, census, immigration, naturalization, church, and other records. Many of these records can be accessed online via Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com) or Genealogy.com (www.genealogy.com).
Myth #2
You Will Find All of the Information You Seek Online.
While it's true that the Internet has greatly changed the field of genealogy, those seeking Eastern European ancestors generally still need to refer to microfilmed records, photocopied documents from archives, or other traditional means to obtain key details. But don't take this to mean you won't find any information about your Eastern European ancestors online. You can find a listing of 5,500 websites at “Repositories of Primary Sources” (www.uidaho.edu/special-collections/Other.Repositories.html). A good strategy is to utilize the Internet to gather initial information, streamline the steps of the research process, and to contact or network with others.
Myth #3
You Should Search Only on Contemporary Spellings for Names and Places
Don't base your research solely on the way your name is spelled or because a family member insists that a surname has “always been spelled that way.” Surname spellings often vary in grammatical context. Female surnames typically have the suffix “ova” at the end. You may encounter patronymic surnames (those derived from the father's name), surnames that reflect social status or personal features, trade or occupation, or those derived from other sources.
Note first name practices too. Orthodox and Catholic families frequently named their children for saints. Many immigrants “Americanized” their names upon arrival. Some adopted the English equivalent, while others made the spelling appear more American, or chose a similar-sounding name. Despite common lore, Ellis Island immigration officials did not purposely change people's names.
Myth #4
“I Know My Ancestor Came Through Ellis Island. . ." and Other False Assumptions About Immigration
More than 20 million immigrants passed through the Port of New York (or Ellis Island) during the years of 1892-1924. But, Ellis Island was not the only port to process Eastern European immigrants. If you can't find your ancestor in the Ellis Island Database (EIDB–www.ellisisland.org), and you've tried the search tools designed by Steve Morse (www.stevemorse.org), you should also consider searching another port, such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, or New Orleans. Ancestry.com has a large collection of searchable immigration records.
You should also check port of departure records for the two most common ports of Hamburg and Bremen, Germany. Passenger lists for the Port of Hamburg are preserved in the German State Archives in Hamburg. Check for these lists (Auswandererlisten 1850-1934) in the FHL catalog. Portions of these lists are online.
When searching, you will see initial results, but will need to pay to receive additional details.
Unfortunately, most of the records from Bremen have not survived. However, thanks to an ongoing reconstruction effort, some Bremen Passenger Lists (1920-1930) can be viewed online (http://db.genealogy.net/maus/gate/shipslist.cgi).
Some immigrants were “Birds of Passage,” meaning that they did not necessarily intend to settle permanently in the United States. Many came over for a short time just to earn enough money to return to their homeland and purchase land, and possibly travel back again to earn more money. Always check for multiple entries for an ancestor in both arrival and embarkation records.
Myth #5
For Eastern European Research All Countries Are Created Equal
While many of the steps in the research process are universal, the specifics on how and where to find the information may vary from country to country. Finding information in Romania may prove more difficult than doing so in Poland. Documents or records in Slovakia may be more readily accessible than those found in the Czech Republic. Always take account of what was happening in a particular country when your ancestor resided there in terms of geography, government, religion and other factors.
To find out more about the research process for specific countries, consider signing up for my Basic European Research class.
Geography 101
The two World Wars changed the face of Eastern Europe. Invasions and other internal conflicts in countries also contributed to changing political and geographical borders. Towns and villages were destroyed, redistricted and renamed. Therefore, current place names may not have existed during your ancestor's time. Check maps and atlases, and gazetteers. Gazetteers are books that show all the towns in a particular country, and how they are organized into political jurisdictions (provinces, counties, districts, etc.). Two good sources are the Osztrák-Magyar Monarchia (1910), and the FHL. Another way to find a place is to use “Shtetlseeker” at (www.jewishgen.org), which provides a link to MapQuest (www.mapquest.com). You may find similar town names occurring in more than one district, and you may need to convert between old language and contemporary place names. Use Google (www.google.com) and/or your favorite search engine to locate travel and tourism websites. State or regional archives have their own website, as do some towns and villages.
Beware of the “nationality trap.” Just because your grandmother said she was “Slovak” or “Polish” does not mean it was always the case. Ask relatives what language they heard their parents or grandparents speak. Check the Census, especially, “Mother Tongue” (1920) and “Language spoken at home before coming to the U.S.” (1930) columns, and look at religion for additional clues. Also, for more assistance, consider joining The Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies (FEEFHS -- www.feefhs.org) and the East European Genealogical Society (www.eegsociety.org/Index.html).
In summary, if you're an Eastern European genealogist today, you should feel optimistic. The common myths that once stood as roadblocks to your research no longer need hold you back. With patience, persistence, and creative web sleuthing, you can demystify the process of finding your ancestors.
Lisa Alzo is the author of Three Slovak Women (Gateway Press), Baba's Kitchen: Slovak & Rusyn Family Recipes and Traditions (Gateway Press), and the recently published Finding Your Slovak Ancestors (Heritage Books), as well as numerous articles for genealogy magazines. She is an instructor of Eastern European, Slovak and Great Lakes Region genealogy classes for MyFamily.com, and is a frequent speaker at national conferences, genealogical and historical societies.
Lisa's Upcoming Classes at Ancestry.com
Upcoming Events Where Lisa Will Be Speaking
- Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies Annual Conference
(19-21 August 2005, St. Paul, Minnesota)
- Slippery Rock Heritage Society
(08 October 2005, Slippery Rock, PA)
- New York City Family History Fair
(16 October 2005, New York, NY)
- University of Pittsburgh Slovak Festival
(06 November 2005, Pittsburgh, PA)
Details and links to upcoming events at www.lisaalzo.com.
Copyright 2005, MyFamily.com.
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