Dates in German records are not always what they appear to be. Let's start with the five calendars you are most likely to bump into when researching and how this will affect how you interpret the dates on your ancestors' records!
A mysterious church record, dangerous thunderstorms, and a centuries-old tradition that reminds us why history matters when researching our ancestors.
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.