SAMPLE LETTERS
These are sample letters. For the Standesamt (the office at "City
Hall" which handles records) you must provide a notarized or otherwise official
document in the German language (birth certificate is the best example).
You may also be asked to provide a copy of your official passport if you
were formerly a German citizen, or other identifying information, to prove
your identity and your relationship to the ancestor being sought.
See
German law here! In many cases a local church will require compliance
with civil registration procedures. They might not require an identical fee,
but most will ask a 'good faith' donation to the church.
You can cut and paste these letters into an E-Mail or word processor, fill
in the ancestral information, and mail them yourself. A church or civil archive
research request by letter or E-Mail normally must not exceed three (3) or
four (4) ancestors. PLEASE! No family tree program print-out! If these letters
are not satisfactory - that is, if you want to write your own letter in your
own words, I'll do that for a fee. I'll provide a FREE translation of any
response(s) you receive. (Donations are accepted).
./donstrans.htm. Hit your back button to come back here.
Please see "Paying for Research - German Postage" for payment methods before mailing your inquiry to Germany. This is a critical first step to success. Instead of $40.00 plus $5.00 cash for return postage, you will want to provide currency in the European Euro (€), as indicated in the letters, below. The IRC (International Reply Coupon) is not recommended for correspondence with German archives or individuals. Although still advertised, the IRC fell into disrepute in Germany in 1996, and the law was changed in 1997 as a result. See our discussion of its disadvantages at "Paying for Research - German postage" . Be sure to read the German postal regulations, which were changed in 1997. Anyone living in Germany may be willing to provide German postage stamps for personal letters to and from individuals in Germany - the German Post Office will not mail them to you from Germany. If you have problems obtaining them simply add the equivalent of $5 in the German Euro to your research fee deposit or donation to a church.
For the umlauted characters a, o, and u, we have substituted ae, oe, and ue. For the German character ß that looks somewhat like the letter B but is pronounced like the letter S, we have substituted ss. Works great in German correspondence; each is officially recognized in Germany.
Please note that an archive may receive its mail at a post office different than its local address - a completely different city or town. For that reason you must include the local town name on the first line, the street address (if you have it), and the post office postal (zip) code and name of the town the post office is in, on the third line. In those cases where a town only has one zip code, no street address is necessary for civil offices. In towns with multiple zip codes, a street address is important. Without a zip code it is impossible to contact anyone in Germany by letter.
If you need HELP with any aspect of the letter-writing procedure: dwats <at> cox . net .
Letters
| Church Archive | Civil Archive | Personal | Church, lacking birthdate information |
FOKO | Town History |
Notes |
|---|
CHURCH ARCHIVE SAMPLE LETTER
01 Jul 2010 (Change Evgl to Kath for
Catholic archives)
Evgl Pfarramt Metze (Evangelical Pastor's
Office, town of Metze)
Obertor 8
(Street name plus number)
34305 Niedenstein (zip code
plus post office handling Metze mail)
Germany
Sehr geehrte Frau Pfarrerin, Sehr geehrter Herr Pfarrer,
zur Vervollstaendigung meiner Familiengeschichte benoetige ich naehere Angaben ueber _______________________, geboren am ____________________, in _______________________. (Note: This is the logical place to enter the information for your most recent ancestor only. The attachment or enclosure for entering additional family info is found HERE. You can repeat your most recent ancestor on the form. You will increase your chances of success by using the form). Remember to remove this note before mailing.
Ich bitte Sie freundlichst um Uebersendung einer vollstaendigen Fotokopie von Anmeldungen ueber diese Vorfahren aus den Geburts-, Heirats- und Steberegistern der Pfarrei, auch Einwohnerverzeichnisse. Ich bin auch an Kircherekordanmerkungen zur Familienauswanderung interessiert.
Sollte es Ihnen moeglich sein, mir zusaetzliche Fotokopien ueber Geburts-, Heirats- oder Todesanmeldungen der Eltern und Geschwister zu machen, die am selben Ort gewohnt haben, so waere ich Ihnen auch fuer diese Bemuehungen sehr dankbar. [Ich schließe Beweise meiner direkten Abstammung ein.](Note: Include the sentence in brackets ONLY if you are enclosing evidence of your direct family lineage, for records 95 years old or LESS. Not necessary for older than 95 years. Remember to remove this note before mailing.)
Koennen Sie mir bitte mit Ratschlaegen behilflich sein, bei welchen Personen oder Stellen ich dazu weitere Einzelheiten erfahren koennte, um so meinen Stammbaum zu vervollstaendigen? Gibt es vielleicht eine Archivzentrum? E-Mail Adresse? Eine andere Kirche oder Pfarramt in Ihrer Stadt oder Gebiet? Wen werde ich anrufen??
Ich lege Ihnen €_______ (click here for exchange rate for US$40.00) zur Begleichung anfallender Gebuehren bei, Deutsche Rückkehrporto inklusiv. Sollten Ihnen weitere Auslagen entstehen, so bitte ich Sie, mir dies mitzuteilen. Ich wäre sehr dankbar - auch wenn Sie keine Informationen haben - wenn Sie mir eine kurze Antwort schicken würden. Dann werde ich wissen, daß mein Brief Sie erreicht hat. Ich habe eine zusätzliche Einlage für die Rückkehr Versandkosten.
Fuer Ihre Hilfe danke ich Ihnen herzlich im voraus.
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
(handwritten signature)
(Your mailing address - AVOID punctuation and abbreviations when
possible!)
Example: John Charles Doe
1619
Northwest Broadhurst Avenue East
Detroit
MI 12345 USA
E-Mail Kontakt: _____________.
Notes: 1) Germans use the comma in the same way we use a decimal point. If the value of the Euro in the exchange rate chart is expressed as, for example, €24.50, change it to read €24,50 in your letter, if necessary. This is the correct format for German currency. 2) I'll translate any one to 1 1/2 page textual response you receive by letter or E-Mail for free, so don't worry about not reading German. I've been doing translations for the last 40 years. I've sort of got the hang of it <grin>. I ask for a donation for translating any attached documents.
***
TRANSLATION:
In order to complete my personal family history I require additional information with regard to [insert ancestor or ancestors in direct family line], born [insert birthdate(s) using the day-month-year format], in [insert village, town, city, county, region, state]. [To increase your chances of a response, go to the attachment or enclosure to fill in the rest of your family information].
I respectfully request complete copies of your archives concerning my ancestors, taken from the birth, marriage, and death records of the church, and resident registers, as well. I am also interested in any church record notes concerning the emigration of this family.
If possible, I would also appreciate copies of the birth, marriage, and death records of parents and siblings of my ancestor, who may have lived in the same community. I would be most grateful to receive this information. [I am enclosing verification of my direct family lineage][Delete this line if that is not the case].
When necessary, could you also clarify for me to whom I should write, or which offices I should contact, in order to obtain the above-requested information, in order to further develop my lineage? Is there perhaps a central archive? E-Mail addresses? Another church or parish in your city, or in your area? Whom shall I telephone??
I enclose €38,00 (example only) deposit toward your research fees and return postage. If there are additional costs, please notify me. I will be very grateful - even if you have no information - if you will send me a short answer so that I will know that you received my letter. I have enclosed an additional deposit for return postage.
Thanking you in advance for your assistance,
Most Sincerely,
(signature, home address, E-Mail Contact: _____________.)
CIVIL ARCHIVE SAMPLE LETTER
01 Jul 2010
Stadtverwaltung Metze
(City Hall, Town of Metze)
Stadtarchiv
(Town Archives)
Obertor 8
(Street name plus number)
34305 Niedenstein
(zip code plus
post office)
Germany
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
zur Vervollstaendigung meiner Familiengeschichte benoetige ich naehere amtliche Angaben ueber die Familie des ________________________, geboren am _________________, in ________________________. [Use the form to add information - remove this note]
Ich bitte Sie freundlichst um Uebersendung einer vollstaendigen Fotokopie von Anmeldungen aus Ihrem Geburts-, Heirats- und Sterberegister zu den/der vorstehend genannten Person(en). Ich bin auch an Rekordanmerkungen zur Familienauswanderung interessiert.
Sollte es Ihnen moeglich sein, mir ebenfalls Fotokopien ueber Geburts-, Heirats- oder Todesanmeldungen der Eltern und Geschwister zu machen, die im gleichen Ort gewohnt haben, so waere ich Ihnen auch fuer diese Hilfe sehr dankbar. [Ich lege bei eine notarische Beilage, als Bezeugen meines direkten Familien Linie.](Note: Include the sentence in brackets ONLY if you are enclosing evidence of your direct family lineage. Remove this note.)
Koennen Sie mir bitte mit Ratschlaegen behilflich sein, bei welchen Personen oder Stellen ich dazu weitere Einzelheiten erfahren koennte, um so meinen Stammbaum zu vervollstaendigen? Gibt es eine Archivzentrum? E-Mail Adresse? Eine andere Amt in Ihrer Stadt oder Gebiet Wen soll ich ?
Zur Deckung Ihrer Gebuehren und Rückkehrporto lege ich €_______ bei. Sollten Ihnen weitere Auslagen entstehen, so bitte ich Sie, mir dies mitzuteilen. Ich wäre sehr dankbar - auch wenn Sie keine Informationen haben - wenn Sie mir eine kurze Antwort schicken würden. Dann werde ich wissen, daß mein Brief Sie erreicht hat.
Fuer Ihre Hilfe danke ich Ihnen herzlich im voraus.
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
(handwritten signature)
(signature, home address, E-Mail Kontakt: _____________.)
AVOID punctuation and abbreviations in return address when possible!
Notes: 1) Germans use the comma in the same way we use a decimal point. If the value of the Euro in the exchange rate chart is expressed as, for example, €38.00, change it to read €38,00 in your letter, if necessary. This is the correct format for German currency. 2) I'll translate any one to 1 1/2 page textual response you receive by letter or E-Mail for free, so don't worry about not reading German. I've been doing translations for the last 9 years. I've sort of got the hang of it <grin>. I request a donation for translating any attached documents. You MUST tell me that you used one of these letters in attempting to complete your research! Otherwise, consider a donation for the entire response!
***
TRANSLATION: The text is virtually identical to the church archive text. Remember to visit "Paying for Research - German Postage" before proceeding. Please note that the Germans use a comma where we would use a decimal point in expressing currency amounts. To increase your chances of success, use the form provided.
PERSONAL letter to a "cousin" in Germany - someone you found in the telephones / E-Mail link at the web site. A street address, postal zip code, and correct spelling of the town name, is critical.
01 Jul 2010
Albert Schreiner
Oberstr. 26
36391 Sinntal-Mottgers
Germany
Sehr geehrter Herr Schreiner,
ich suche nach meinen deutschen Vorfahren. Ich habe im Telefonbuch Ihren Namen gefunden, und wende mich heute an Sie in der Hoffnung, dass Sie mir bei meiner Suche helfen koennen.
Ich interessiere mich jetzt besonders fuer die [insert most recent family ancestor information] aus [insert village, town, etc.] und Umgebung. [Ich fuege als Anlage die Angaben bei, die mir ueber diese Familie schon zur Verfuegung stehen]. (Note: Include the sentence in brackets to indicate that you are enclosing a separate copy of your remaining family members. To increase your chances of success, see the FORM provided for this purpose. DO NOT send a complete computer-generated family tree program! Remember to remove the brackets and this note.)
Obgleich ich weiss, dass Ihre Familie wohl nicht identisch mit meinen ist, schreibe ich Ihnen, falls Sie einige Hinweise ueber meine Familie haben, die Sie bereit sind, mir mitzuteilen. Ich werde Ihnen selbstverstaendlich alle Unkosten erstatten.
Koennen Sie mir bitte mit Ratschlaegen behilflich sein, bei welchen Personen oder Stellen ich dazu weitere Einzelheiten erfahren koennte, um so meinen Familienstammbaum zu vervollstaendigen? Ich bin auch an Kirche oder Stadt Rekordanmerkungen zur Familienauswanderung interessiert. Gibt es vielleicht eine Archivzentrum bei euch? E-Mail Adresse? Eine Kirche oder Pfarramt in Ihrer Stadt oder Gebiet?
Ich weiss natuerlich, wie sehr Sie mit anderen, wichtigeren Sachen beschaeftigt sind, jedoch waere ich fuer jede Hilfe, die Sie mir geben koennten, sehr dankbar. Anbei uebersende ich €6,00 (example only - use exchange rate chart for the equivalent of US$5.00) fuer Rückkehrporto. Sollten Ihnen weitere Auslagen entstehen, so bitte ich Sie, mir dies mitzuteilen. Ich wäre sehr dankbar - auch wenn Sie keine Informationen haben - wenn Sie mir eine kurze Antwort schicken würden. Dann werde ich wissen, daß mein Brief Sie erreicht hat. Ich bin bereit mit Ihnen meine Nachforschungen zu teilen.
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
(handwritten signature)
(signature, home address, E-Mail Kontakt: _____________.)
AVOID punctuation and abbreviations in return address when possible!
Notes: 1) Germans use the comma in the same way we use a decimal point. If the value of the Euro in the exchange rate chart is expressed as, for example, €34.50, change it to read €34,50 in your letter, if necessary. This is the correct format for German currency. 2) I'll translate any one to 1 1/2 page textual response you receive by letter or E-Mail for free, so don't worry about not reading German. I've been doing translations for the last 9 years. I've sort of got the hang of it <grin>. I request a donation for translating any attached documents. You MUST tell me that you used one of these letters in attempting to complete your research! Otherwise, I may request a donation to cover the entire response!
***
TRANSLATION:
Dear Mr. Schreiner,
I am seeking information about my German ancestors. I found your name in the telephone directory, and I am writing in the hope that you can assist me with my research.
I am especially interested in the [insert most recent family ancestor] from [insert village, town, etc.] and vicinity. [I am enclosing information already known about this family in Germany](Please! No family tree program computer print-out!)
I realize, of course, that your family may not be identical to mine; I am writing just in case you may have some information that will prove helpful to me, and would like to share it. Obviously, I will reimburse you for any expenses involved in your response.
When necessary, could you also clarify for me to whom I should write, or which offices I should contact, in order to obtain the above-requested information, in order to further develop my lineage? I am also interested in any church or municipal record notes concerning the emigration of this family. Is there perhaps a central archive? E-Mail addresses? A church or pfarramt in your town or vicinity?
I fully understand that you have other, more important priorities. I would be most grateful, however, for any assistance you can provide. I am enclosing €6,00 for your response. If there are additional expenses involved, please notify me in advance. I will be very grateful - even if you are not related or have no family information - if you will send me a short answer so that I will know that you received my letter. If we are related I will happily exchange family information with you.
Warmest Regards,
(handwritten signature, home address, E-Mail Contact___________.)
AVOID punctuation and abbreviations in return address when possible!
Remember that when writing to an individual, he/she may be 80 years
old and 30 miles from the nearest post office or bank, without transportation.
It is wise to choose the payment options given under
"Paying for Research
- German Postage," to avoid having your money lay in a drawer, untouched,
and your letter go unanswered. Their own postage stamps are, obviously, more
easily used than cash. Any German on your mailing list (who lives in Germany)
will probably be willing to mail German stamps to you - for a fee!
01 Jul 2010
Kath. Pfarramt Eberstadt
64297 Darmstadt
Germany
Sehr geehrter Herr Pastor,
zur Vervollstaendigung meiner Familiengeschichte benoetige ich naehere amtliche Angaben ueber die Familie des _________________, mein urgrossvater, geboren etwa 1836 in Eberstadt, verstorben 14 Dez 1900 in Eberstadt. Beide seine Eltern sollen auch aus Eberstadt sein. Weitere Informationen habe ich nicht.
Ich bitte Sie freundlichst um Uebersendung einer vollstaendigen Fotokopie von Anmeldungen aus Ihrem Geburts-, Heirats- und Sterberegister zu den/der vorstehend genannten Person(en). Ich bin auch an Kirche oder Stadt Rekordanmerkungen zur Familienauswanderung interessiert.
Sollte es Ihnen moeglich sein, mir ebenfalls Fotokopien ueber Geburts-, Heirats- oder Todesanmeldungen der Eltern und Geschwister zu machen, die im gleichen Ort gewohnt haben, so waere ich Ihnen auch fuer diese Hilfe sehr dankbar. [Ich lege bei eine notarische Beilage, als Bezeugen meines direkten Familien Linie.](Note: Include the sentence in brackets ONLY if you are enclosing verification of your direct family lineage. Don't forget to remove this note.)
Koennen Sie mir bitte mit Ratschlaegen behilflich sein, bei welchen Personen oder Stellen ich dazu weitere Einzelheiten erfahren koennte, um so meinen Stammbaum zu vervollstaendigen? Gibt es vielleicht eine Archivzentrum? E-Mail Adresse? Eine andere Kirche oder Pfarramt in Ihrer Stadt oder Gebiet? Wen werde ich Anrufen?
Anbei uebersende ich €6,00 fuer Rückkehrporto. Sollten Ihnen weitere Auslagen entstehen, so bitte ich Sie, mir dies mitzuteilen. Ich wäre sehr dankbar - auch wenn Sie keine Informationen haben - wenn Sie mir eine kurze Antwort schicken würden. Dann werde ich wissen, daß mein Brief Sie erreicht hat.
Fuer Ihre Hilfe danke ich Ihnen herzlich im voraus.
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
(handwritten signature, home address, E-Mail Kontakt____________).
AVOID punctuation and abbreviations in return address when possible!
This is NOT a letter you can use when you have little information about when your ancestor was born. If you can't identify at least a year or an accurate time span, and a village or town of birth, the archivist will simply ignore your inquiry. The letter is the same as the others, except for the first paragraph, which has been adjusted to read:
In order to complete my family history I require additional information with regard to the family of ________________, my great-grandfather, born in about 1836 in __________ died 14 Dec 1900 in __________. Additional information I do not have. (The remainder is essentially the same as the other church letter. You can attach the form for additional family members).
Notes: 1) Germans use the comma in the same way we use a decimal point.
If the value of the Euro in the exchange rate chart is expressed as, for
example, €38.00, change it to read €38,00 in your letter, if necessary.
This is the correct format for German currency. 2) I'll translate any one
to 1 1/2 page textual response you receive by letter or E-Mail for free,
so don't worry about not reading German. I may request a donation for
translating any attached documents. You MUST tell me that you used one of
these letters in attempting to complete your research! Otherwise, I may request
a donation for the entire response!
Here is a sample letter to send to a FOKO contact when
you are certain, or at least led to believe, that you and the FOKO contact
are researching the same surname in the same town during the same time
period:
01 Jul 2006
Helmut Kohler
<--- (Example Only)
Berlinerstr 1
64297 Darmstadt
Germany
Sehr geehrter Herr Kohler,
ich suche nach meinen deutschen Vorfahren. Ich habe mit FOKO Ihren Namen gefunden, und wende mich heute an Sie in der Hoffnung, dass Sie mir bei meiner Suche helfen koennen. Ich interessiere mich jetzt besonders fuer die [insert family, ancestor, ancestors information] aus [insert village, town, etc.] zwischen [insert time period]. Ich fuege als Anlage die Angaben bei, Ihre FOKO informationen. Obgleich ich weiss, dass Ihre Familie wohl nicht identisch mit der meinen ist, schreibe ich Ihnen, falls Sie einige Hinweise ueber meine Familie haben, die Sie bereit sind, mir mitzuteilen. Anbei uebersende ich €6,00 fuer Rückkehrporto. Sollten Ihnen weitere Auslagen entstehen, so bitte ich Sie, mir dies mitzuteilen. Ich wäre sehr dankbar - auch wenn Sie keine Informationen haben - wenn Sie mir eine kurze Antwort schicken würden. Dann werde ich wissen, daß mein Brief Sie erreicht hat.
Ich bin bereit mit Ihnen meine Nachforschungen zu teilen.
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
(handwritten signature, home address, E-Mail Kontakt__________.)
AVOID punctuation and abbreviations in return address when possible!
Notes: 1) Germans use the comma in the same way we use a decimal point. If the value of the Euro in the exchange rate chart is expressed as, for example, €34.50, change it to read €34,50 in your letter, if necessary. This is the correct format for German currency. 2) I'll translate any one to 1 1/2 page textual response you receive by letter or E-Mail for free, so don't worry about not reading German. I may request a donation for translating any attached documents.
*** TRANSLATION:
Dear Mr. Kohler,
I am seeking information about my German ancestors. I found your name while using the FOKO program, and I am writing in the hope that you can assist me with my research. I am especially interested in the [insert family, ancestor, ancestors information] from [insert village, town, etc.] for the time period [insert years](Add others using the form). I am enclosing the information you provided to FOKO. I realize, of course, that your family may not be identical to mine, but I am writing just in case you may have some information that will prove helpful to me, and would like to share it. I am enclosing €6,00 for your response. If there are additional expenses involved, please notify me in advance. I will be very grateful - even if you are not related or have no family information - if you will send me a short answer so that I will know that you received my letter.
I will be happy to share my research results with you.
Warmest Regards,
(handwritten signature, home address, E-Mail Contact:___________.)
To exchange information using a readily identifiable format, use the
FORM provided
for that purpose.
For a Town History: Each village, town, city in Germany has a town history which they will be happy to mail to you if you will reimburse their postage and handling, usually around $5 (use the exchange rate chart). You can also go to each village, town, or city website to obtain the town history in the German language, and have it translated at ./donstrans.htm. Most electronic website translations are free, but notoriously inaccurate. Here is a letter requesting a town history:
01 Jul 2006
Stadtverwaltung Eberstadt
Hauptstrasse 1
64283 Darmstadt
Germany
Sehr geehrte Frau, Sehr geehrter Herr,
Ich interessiere mich jetzt besonders fuer die Stadtgeschichte von Stadt Eberstadt bei Damstadt. Anbei uebersende ich €6,00 fuer Rueckporto und ein Kopy der Stadtgeschichte. Sollten Ihnen weitere Auslagen entstehen, so bitte ich Sie, mir dies mitzuteilen. Ich wäre sehr dankbar - auch wenn Sie keine Informationen haben - wenn Sie mir eine kurze Antwort schicken würden. Dann werde ich wissen, daß mein Brief Sie erreicht hat.
Mit freundlichen Gruessen
(handwritten signature, home address, E-Mail Kontakt__________.)
AVOID punctuation and abbreviations in return address when possible!
Notes: 1) Germans use the comma in the same way we use a decimal point. If the value of the Euro in the exchange rate chart is expressed as, for example, €34.50, change it to read €34,50 in your letter, if necessary. This is the correct format for German currency. 2) I'll translate any one to 1 1/2 page textual response you receive by letter or E-Mail for free, so don't worry about not reading German. I may request a donation for translating any attached documents.
Translation: Dear Madam, Dear Sir:
I am very interested in the town history of the town of Eberstadt near Darmstadt. I am enclosing €6,00 for return postage and a copy of the town history. If there are additional costs, please inform me of same. I will be very grateful if you will respond to my inquiry even if you do not have available the information I am requesting. That way, I will know that you have processed my letter.
Warm Regards,
etc.
Check this URL for payment and postage
information:
Click
Here for alternative letters in a variety of languages and
Here
for a letter in Polish.
Click
Here for an attachment you may want to substitute for, or add to,
a portion of the text.
REMEMBER to avoid the dreaded International Reply Coupon. Send only the Euro (€) or German postage stamps for return postage from Germany!! You may elect to leave out the fee deposit for church and civil archives, but you must not leave out the return postage stamps or the €______ for return postage. Some have reported good results without including the fee deposit, others have included US$40.00. In any event, you must pay the bill you receive from Germany in order to receive the researched documents. It is bad news when the Germans do the work according to their law --- and you refuse to pay the bill. Not good for great genealogical relationships with Germany.
Remember, they have to pay a monthly fee, an access fee, and for every second they are online using E-Mail - and an exhorbinant internet tax, as well.
Remember: Germany is highly reluctant to accept the IRC; they create significant grief for German citizens.
DON'T GUESS!! ASK FOR HELP
!!
dwats / at / cox . net