Eastern European: Church Records

Optional Print Course Material: Eastern European: Church Records

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

Church parish registers are the most popular and useful source for tracing ancestors in Eastern Europe. Often these are the only records in which to find information about our ancestors and their families in the old country, and as such, form the foundation of genealogical research. In most cases, our Eastern European ancestors were not landowners nor mentioned in probate records. Census records are sporadic, while tax lists and other records are scant, incomplete, and difficult to access, if they exist at all. This makes the local records of birth, marriage, or death kept by the local church the records of choice for documenting most East Europeans, especially before the late 19th century. In this course, you will learn the value of church records (both Christian and Jewish), what types of records are available, how to access them, limitations and privacy restrictions. In addition, you will learn about general search strategies, key terminology, how to deal with foreign language challenges, and other obstacles, and tips on reading and interpreting birth, marriage, and death records.

Course Length: 7 weeks