Many genealogists rely heavily on church records. We search indexes, compare entries, and assume that a church book is simply the record. But what if there is more than one version? Understanding the difference between original and duplicate church books can explain why records, and even indexes, do not always match.
Without church books, genealogical research in Germany would be... well, extremely limited. Going back more than a few generations would be nearly impossible without them.
Have you ever wondered where the tradition of counting down to Christmas began? (Hint - it all began in germany!)
Imagine living in 19thcentury Germany and having to adjust to a different time zone every time you travel within the country. This was reality until the introduction of a single time zone exactly 130 years ago. But how did it come about?