German is spoken in the countries of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Records written in German may be found in these countries as well as in parts of Poland, Denmark, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Hungary, and wherever German people settled. This includes some early records of the United States, such as in Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and other states where Germans lived.
There are several different dialects in the German language.
German words for persons, places, and things (nouns) are always capitalized.
All nouns are classified as masculine, feminine, or neuter. This classification is called gender. The gender of a noun is indicated by der (masculine), die (feminine), and das (neuter), which translates as "the."
Word endings may vary, depending on the way the words are used in the sentence.
In German, as in English, the forms of some words will vary according to how they are used in the sentence.
Adjectives describe nouns and must have the proper masculine, feminine, or neuter endings.
Plural words are usually formed by adding -er, -en, or -e. For example, the word Kind becomes Kinder, the word Frau becomes Frauen, and the word Aufgebot becomes Aufgebote.
Plurality may also change the vowel slightly. As an example, Mann becomes Männer.
Many words in German are formed by joining two or more words and you may need to look up each part of the word separately. An example is, Geburtstag -- a combination of two words, Geburt (birth) and Tag (day).
Written German uses several letters in addition to the 26 letters used in the English alphabet. These are Ä (ä), Ö (ö), Ü (ü), and ß. Historically, German also included Ÿ (ÿ) which today have been primarily replaced phonetically with the letters I (i) and Ü (ü).
Because spelling rules were not standardized in earlier centuries, spelling variations are common. Local dialect often affects the spelling in genealogical records. In German records, the following letters are sometimes used interchangeably:
· p used for b
· a used for e
· t used for d or dt
· s used for z
· ck used for k
· y used for i or j
· v used for w or f
· k used for g
· tz used for z
· ig used for isch or ich
· t used for th
· u used for i
Here are some words you may encounter in searching German records:
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Alter (in Jahren)
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age (in years)
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Abkömmling,
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descendant
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Ahnen
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ancestor
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Ahnenforschung
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genealogy
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Ahnentafel
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pedigree
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April
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April
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Archiv
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archive
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Armee
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army records
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Aufgebote
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marriage banns
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August
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August
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Auswanderer
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emigrant
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Auswanderung
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emigration
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Base (female)
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cousin
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Beerdigt
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buried
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Beerdigung
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burial
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Begraben
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buried
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Begräbnis
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burial
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Belgien
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Belgium
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Beruf
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occupation
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Bestattet
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buried
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Bisheriger Wohnort
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previous residence
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Bruder
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brother
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Brüder
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brothers
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Bulgarien
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Bulgaria
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Cousin
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cousin
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Cousins
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cousins
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Datum
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date
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Deutschland
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Germany
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Dezember (10ber, 10bris, Xber, Xbris)
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December
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Ehe
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marriage
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Ehefrau
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wife
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Ehegattin
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wife
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Ehemann
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husband
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Ehescheidung
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divorce
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Eheschließung
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marriage
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Einwanderer
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immigrant
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Einwanderung
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immigration
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Eltern
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parents
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Enkel
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grandson
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Enkelin
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granddaughter
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Evangelisch
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Protestant
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Familienstand
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family status
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Feber
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February
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Februar
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February
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Firmungen
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confirmation
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Frau
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wife
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Gatte
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husband
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Gattin
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wife
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Geboren
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born
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Geborene
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birth
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Geburten
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birth
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Geburtsregister
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birth
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Geburtsschein
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birth certificate
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Geburtsurkunde
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birth certificate
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Genealogie
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genealogy
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Geschieden
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divorced
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Geschlecht
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sex or generation
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Gestorben
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died
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Getaufte
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baptism/christening
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Großmutter
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grandmother
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Großvater
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grandfather
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Hausfrau
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wife
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| Hebamme |
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midwife |
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Heiraten
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to marry
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Heiratsurkunde
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marriage certificate
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Hochzeit
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marriage ceremony, wedding
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Italien
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Italy
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Jahr
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year
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Jänner
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January
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Januar
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January
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Jude
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Jewish
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Jüdisch
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Jewish
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Juli
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July
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Juni
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June
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Katholisch
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Catholic
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Kind
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child
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Kinder
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child
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Kirchenbuch
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church register
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Kirchenregister
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church register
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Kirchenrodel
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hurch/parish list
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Kirchensprengel
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church diocese
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Kirchspiel
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parish
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Konfirmation
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confirmation
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Kopulation
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marriage
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Kroatien
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Croatia
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Kusine (female)
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cousin
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Kusinen
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cousins
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Ledig
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single
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Lutherisch
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Protestant
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Mädchenname
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maiden name
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Mai
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May
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Mann
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husband
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Männlich
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male
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März
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March
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Militär
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military
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Monat
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month
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Morgen
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morning
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Mutter
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mother
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Nachkomme
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descendant
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Nachkommenschaft
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descendants
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Nacht
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night
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November (9ber, 9bris)
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November
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Oheim
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uncle
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Oktober (8ber, 8bris)
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October
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Onkel
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uncle
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Ort und Staat
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place and state
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Österreich
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Austria
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Pfarrbuch
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church register
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Pfarrei
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parish
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Polen
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Poland
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Proklamationen
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marriage banns
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Protestant
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Protestant
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Protestantisch
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Protestant
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Register
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index
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Rumanien
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Romania
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Russland
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Russia
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Saftladen
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A derogatory term used to describe a shop or any service business that offers junk.
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Scheidung
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divorce
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Schwager
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brother-in-law
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Schwäger
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brothers-in-law
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Schweiz
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Switzerland
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Schwester
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sister
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Schwiegertochter
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daughter-in-law
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Schwiegertöchter
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daughters-in-law
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September (7ber, 7bris)
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September
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Serbien
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Serbia
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Sohn
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son
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Söhne
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sons
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Soldaten
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soldiers
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Spainien
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Spain
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Staatsangehörigkeit
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citizenship, nationality
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Stammbaum
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family tree
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Standesamt
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civil registry
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Starb
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died
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| Stellung |
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position |
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Sterbefälle
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death
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Sterben
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to die
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Sterbeurkunde
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death certificate
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Steuerexecutor
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tax collector
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Tag
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day
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Tante
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aunt
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Taufe
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baptism/christening
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Taufen
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to baptize
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Tochter
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daughter
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Töchter
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daughters
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Tod
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death
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Tot
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ddead
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Totenschein
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death certificate
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Trauungen
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marriage ceremonies, weddings
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Ungarn
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Hungary
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Urgroßmutter
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great-grandmother
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Urgroßvater
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great-grandfather
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Vater
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father
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Väter
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fathers
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Verheiratet
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married
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Verkündigungen
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marriage banns
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Verstorben
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dead
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Verwitwet
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widowed
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Verzeichnis
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index
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Vetter (male)
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cousin
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Volkszählung,
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census
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Volkszählungsliste
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sensus list
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Vollwaise
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orphan
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Vorfahre
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ancestor
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Vorfahrin (female)
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ancestor
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Vormittags
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morning
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Vornamen
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given name
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Waise
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orphan
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Weib
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wife
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Weiblich
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female
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Woche
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week
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Ziel der undwanderung
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destination
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Zuname
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surname
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Have some other German words to add? Please send them to
Ken Weaver
