How to research German ancestry
Useful websites and recommended reading
Ancestor, Dec 2026 ‘How-to’ article by Trena Ronnfeldt, Dec 2026.
Websites
- Ahnenforschung.net (Genealogy on the Internet): https://ahnenforschung.net/
- Ancestry: http://ancestry.com
- Archion: http://archion.de
- Association of Professional Genealogists (APG): https://members.apgen.org/members/directory/search_APG.php?org_id=APG
- Australian Wendish Heritage Society: https://www.wendishheritage.org.au/
- Beyond History: https://www.beyondhistory.com/
- Bremerhaven: https://www.deutscheauswandererdatenbank.de/homepage
- Bremen Passenger Lists: https://diemausbremen.info/index.php?id=29&L=1
- CompGen: https://Compgen.de
- Cyndi’s List Germany: https://www.cyndislist.com/germany/general/
- Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft genealogischer Verbände e. V. (DAGV): https://www.dagv.org/
- Digital Dictionary of Names in Germany: (This one is very slow to load) https://www.namenforschung.net/en/dfd/dictionary/list/
- Deutsche Newspapers: https://www.deutschedigitalebibliothek.de/newspaper
- Family Search: https://www.familysearch.org/
- Family Search Online Research Help: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Online_Research_Help
- Family Search Wiki: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Germany_Genealogy
- Gate of Nations GmbH: https://gateofnations.org/germanheritageancestryjourney/
- GEDBAS: https://gedbas.genealogy.net/
- Geogen (Geographical Genealogy): https://geogen.stoepel.net/
- German Association of Genealogical Societies https://www.dagv.org/?Service___Anfragestelle
- German Australia: https://www.germanaustralia.com/index.htm
- German Roots: https://www.germanroots.com/germandata.html
- German State Archives List: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_staatlicher_Archive
- Google My Maps: https://www.google.com.au/maps/about/mymaps/
- Hamburg State Archives: https://www.hamburg.de/politikundverwaltung/behoerden/behoerdefuerkultu…
- Hessian Regional History Information: https://www.lagishessen.de/en
- Internet Archive: http://archive.org
- Matricula Online: https://data.matriculaonline.eu/
- Meyers Gazetteer: https://www.meyersgaz.org
- My Ancestor's Journey: https://myancestorsjourney.com/
- MyHeritage: http://MyHeritage.com
- Root Digger: https://www.rootdigger.de
- The NiederWeisel Story: www.niederweisel.com
- Trove (National Library of Australia): http://www.trove.nla.gov.au
- Transkribus: https://www.transkribus.org/
- Wikipedia German edition: http://de.wikipedia.org
- WorldCat: https://search.worldcat.org/
Recommended Reading (available at GSV Library)
- Angus Baxter, In search of your German roots: a complete guide to tracing your ancestors in the Germanic areas of Europe, R 929.143 BAX
- Edna M Bentz, Decipher Germanic records: if I can, you can, 430 BEN
- Lois Hemmeter Edwards, Beginner's guide to Germanic genealogy, R 929.143 EDW
- Germanic Genealogy Society, Germanic genealogy: a guide to worldwide sources and migration patterns, 929.143 GER
- Genealogy Society of Queensland (GSQ) German Interest Group, Die Zeitung: newsletter of the German Research Group, 943.005 ZEI
- Charles M Hall, The Atlantic bridge to Germany vols. 110, 912.43 HAL
- Kevan M Hansen, Finding your German ancestors: a beginner's guide, 929.143 HAN
- Kevan M Hansen, Map Guide to German parish registers (Series), 912.43 HAN
- William F Hoffman, In their words: a genealogist's translation guide to Polish, German, Latin, and Russian documents v. 4 German, R 433 HOF
- International Settlers Group (ISG) Discussion Circle, International Settlers Group newsletter, 929.05 INT
- Germanic Genealogy Society, Germanic genealogy journal, 943.005 GER
- Wilhelm Iwan, Because of their beliefs: emigration from Prussia to Australia, 325 IWA
- Wilhelm Iwan, English translation of William Iwan's Name list Chapter XX 'Old Lutheran' emigration of the mid19th century from Eastern Germany (mainly Pomerania and Lower Silesia) to Australia, Canada and the United States, 325 IWA
- Eric Kopittke, Locating your German ancestor's place of origin, 929.143 KOP
- Roger P Minert, Deciphering handwriting in German documents: analyzing German, Latin and French in vital records in Germany, 417 MIN
- Roger P Minert, German census records 18161916: the when, where and how of a valuable genealogical resource, 929.3643 MIN
- Owen Mützelburg, The Family History Series: How to trace your German ancestors: a guide for Australians and New Zealanders, 929.143 MUT (RHSV)
- Ian Nicholson, Log of logs: a catalogue of logs, journals, shipboard diaries, letters, and all forms of voyage narratives 1788 to 1988 for Australia and New Zealand and surrounding oceans; v. 1 17881993; v. 2 17881993; v. 3 17881998, 387.5016 NIC
- Shirley J Riemer, The German Research Companion, 929.143 RIE
- Marten A Syme, Shipping arrivals and departures Victorian ports v. 1 17981845, v. 2 18461855, v. 3 18561860, 387.5 VIC SYM
- Thea Skyte, A guide to Jewish genealogy in Germany & Austria, 929.143 SKY
- Ernest Thode, German genealogy research, 929.143 THO
- Ernest Thode, German English genealogical dictionary, 433 THO
- Thomsen's Genealogical Center, Atlas of the German Empire 1892: reproductions (enlarged) of the maps published by: Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, Leipzig and Vienna, E F 912.43 ATL
- Wendy K Uncapher, Lands of the German empire and before, 943 UNC
- Wendy K Uncapher, German maps & facts for genealogy, 912.43 UNC
- Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, Atlas of the German Empire 1892: reproductions (enlarged) of the maps, Leipzig and Vienna (1892), E F 912.43 ATL
- Simon Winder, Germania: A Personal History of Germans Ancient and Modern,
- 943 WIN
- William Dwight Whitney, A compendious German to English dictionary (German English : English German) with notation of correspondences and brief etymologies, 433 WHI
- Raymond S Wright, Ancestors in German archives: a guide to family history sources, 943.0929 WRI
This list was prepared by Trena Ronnfeldt, GSV Library and Resources Manager in October 2026. Links correct as at 26 Oct 2026.
Trena can be contacted at libraryadmin@gsv.org.au