German Ancestry

If you have a valid interest in history, especially the history of individual races, nationalities and peoples, then examining any genealogy can be absolutely fascinating. However, there is one genealogy that is more fascinating than most – German genealogy. Having been influenced over the years by numerous outside influences, including several different cultures, German genealogy has a long and incredibly diverse history. As such, you might want to sit back and read on because the following information is a great place to start when examining it!

To understand German genealogy, you first have to understand what genealogy itself is.  It was actually originally a Greek concept and was the study of tracking and charting family lines, history and identity. Today, people all over the world trace their family lineages via numerous means, with oral traditions, genetic analysis, historical records, documentation and general historical information being the key ways to do so. In effect, genealogy is simply the process by which family trees are determined and authenticated as accurate. However, if you do have a German genealogy to trace then you may well find that you will be investigating a very complex and heavy family line.

German genealogy is often investigated by looking at a variety of factors, including the most common surnames out there. For example, you will find that Schneider, Schmidt and Muller are particularly prevalent and will expand the scope of your German genealogy search. However, other cultures have also been influential over the years.

Russian genealogy has had an influence on German genealogy as a result of migration from one country to another and that has effectively made some elements of genealogy that little bit harder to trace. Similarly, Jewish genealogy and American genealogy has also had a major effect over the years. Religious connotations made an impact in Germany itself but the American influence has come from many German families migrating to the United States in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries. That is often the genealogy that the rest of the world is most used to as a result of the prevalence of American culture. That is not to say that it cannot be traced back to German culture though because it can.

German culture and history has had a major impact on German genealogy for hundreds of years but that is not to say that you cannot trace it today. Some people are able to trace their genealogy back centuries but it does require a deeper understanding of German genealogy to begin with and a lot of patience. All the information you need to begin is right here so enjoy!