Just how does the U.S. Dollar compare to foreign currency, anyway?

Click here   for a currency converter
In Germany the comma is expressed by a decimal point
up until the last place.
144,029.51 in the USA thus becomes 144.029,51 in German

How much was your money worth in .............                        

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German Postal Rates
For the actual German
Post Office website, CLICK HERE <often VERY slow to load>).
Standard Letter
Airmail, up to 20 grams = 3.00 Euro
Airmail, 21 to 50 grams = 4.00 Euro

Oversized Envelope
Airmail up to 50 grams = 5.00 Euro
More than 50 to 100g  = 6.00  "
More than 100 to 250g = 8.00
More than 250 to 500g = 12.00
More than 500 to 750g = 16.00
More than 750 to 1000g = 20.00
More than 1000 to 1500g = 28.00
More than 1500 to 2000 g = 36.00

Each village has family and town registers which contain all the names of the citizens. They also have resident registers, which persons moving in and out of villages were required to fill out. Until recently, the police department handled the latter. Now it is known as the Einwohnermeldeamt and is handled by civilian employees of town government. The police also recorded the names of those leaving Germany, and those arriving from other countries. This was in addition to passports. In 1960, again in 1971, a little in 1989, and again in 1991, smaller communities in Germany were annexed by larger ones. In some cases, several communities were combined into one town, even though they might have been miles apart. The name of the new "cluster city" was usually based upon the name of the largest community, which became the administrative location, and an administrative city was sometimes arbitrarily assigned. Local officials chose the name of a nearby mountain, river, or lake, as the new name for the "cluster." A central post office for all the communities was established in the administrative city. When villages merged like this, town and family registers, and resident registers and police records, were often moved into a central location.

THEREFORE ... it is difficult to find genealogical records in Germany without the full name, exact date of birth, and exact village of birth, for your ancestor. Before 1871, as a rule of thumb, you find them in the church archives. After the creation of the German Empire in 1871, the decree went out that these records would be retained in civil archives. By 1876, that had been accomplished. However, many churches insisted on maintaining duplicates, after 1871. For towns with only one zip code, addressing your letter is simple. Here is the example:

For the church archives:                 For the municipal archives:
Pfarramt                                           Standesamt
00000 Townname                             00000 Townname
Germany                                          Germany

If the village you are searching for has been annexed or merged with another village or town, then your address must look like this:

Pfarramt Oldtownname
00000 Newtownname (or Townname where the post office is)
Germany

It is the same for the Standesamt (civil office).

Just plug in the zip code and town name. Zip codes are found at "Postal Zip Codes". I prefer the site that shows old town names and new town names - but it may not have ALL German communities, towns, and cities. Remember that the faith or confession of your ancestor is VITAL to your research! Your letter must go to the proper archive, Evangelisch (Evgl; non-Catholic); Katholisch; Kath; Catholic), or to the civil archives. Another VITAL ingredient of your search is the postal zip code. Many, many, many towns in Germany have the same name. Once you nail down the one you are interested in, identify it with its zip code.

One method which has been successful in many cases is to look in a modern German telephone directory for persons with the last name of your ancestor still living in the village, or the area of the village, you are interested in. You then write them a letter in the German language, enclosing a self-addressed envelope, with German postage affixed for an airmail response. Don't send them an IRC!! You can access the German telephone directory at this LINK. Choose Telefonbuch or Telephone Book.

Letters already written in the German language are found at
./letters.htm

Research in Germany: A Second Opinion : Click Here

2. HIRING A RESEARCHER IN GERMANY

Yes, you can hire a German researcher. Not everyone can afford it, although it may cost less than a trip to Germany. Check with the guy who takes photos of your ancestor's village (see the Fee for Services Links in Link Tables, Table #3). You can also check our RESEARCHERS link in the Table of Links .

About a researcher in Hessen who goes ONLY to certain towns:

Clem Schreiber only does research in the following places near where he lives: Ahlersbach, Altengronau, Bellings, Breitenbach, Breunings, Drasenberg, Elm, Gundheim, Gomfritz, Heubach, Hinkeldorf, Hintersteinau, Hohenzell, Hutten, Jossa, Klosterhoefe, Kressenbach, Marjoss, Mottgers, Neuengronau, Niederzell, Oberkalbach, Oberzell, Ramholz, Reinhards, Roehrings, Sannerz, Schluechtern, Schwarzenfels, Seidenroth, Steinau, Sterbfritz, Uttrichshausen, Vollmerz, Wallroth, Weichersbach, Zuentersbach.

He WILL NOT travel to other cities. He does not have E-Mail. Contact him about the costs of research with a letter wherein you identify everyone you are searching for and all the personal information you have about them. Don't send long, rambling narratives. Just the facts, like full name, date and place of birth, spouse, children, date emigrated, port, whatever! Make sure you state clearly that all you want at this point is an estimate of the cost. Include a self-addressed envelope and at least $4 cash for return postage so that he can send you an estimate. He CANNOT use USA postage stamps or stamps from any other country on your self-addressed envelope, so don't put them on there. He can only use German postage stamps for his reply and needs the $4 U.S. cash from you to buy German stamps (unless you purchase them in advance, from Peggy, above).

His mailing address:

Clemens Schreiber
19 Bergst
36381 Schluechtern
Germany