East Germany Decides to Cooperate

Question: I want to trace my father’s family, but they came from a village that is now East Germany. Is it possible to get records from there?

Answer: For a long time East Germany was uncooperative with genealogical researchers. However, now its government has decided that genealogy is a scientific study that can help “develop a humanistic concern in a well-developed Socialist society.” In 1967 the Zentralstelle fur Genealogie was established and is part of the National Archive Administration. It is located at Georgi-Dimitroff Platz 1, 7010 Leipzig, D.D.R.

Additionally, the LDS (Mormon) Family History Library has some miscellaneous material on microfilm from certain areas in Germany.

Three good sources to consult before beginning research in East Germany are: “In Search of Your European Roots” and “In Search of Your German Roots,” both by Angus Baxter, and “The Library,” edited by Johni Cerny and Wendy Elliott. Look for these books in a local library.

Q: Among my grandmother’s keepsakes I found an old picture album, which I believe dates back to about 1900. It is not in good condition and I would like to have it rebound. Where can I find someone to do this?

A: Check with members of your local genealogical society to see if they know someone who can do this work, or try Restorations Unlimited, 110 County Club Drive, New Orleans, La. 70124, which does outstanding bindery work.

Q: My ancestor, Noah David Speck, was born in 1799 in Forsyth County, N.C., and the Moravian Archives has verified his birth date. In 1815 he was apprenticed to Gottlieb Shober of Stokes County, N.C., but I have been unable to learn the names of his parents. Do you have any suggestions?

A: Since Forsyth County was not formed until 1849, the area in which he was born was then Stokes County, and that is the county in which you should concentrate your search.

Possibly the surname Speck was spelled Spach, and in the deeds of Stokes County the name Spach appears many times, as early as 1791. However, apprenticed children were, in most instances, poor orphans or bastards, and usually the child’s name and age, father’s name, master’s name and occupation, the term of service and other details will be found in the county court minutes. In those days an orphan usually meant fatherless, not parentless. Try those records and check for the spelling of Spach as well as Speck. If your ancestor’s father died while he was a minor, there may be an indication of this in Stokes County probate records.

The Moravians kept the best records of all the early churches, and since its archives verified your ancestor’s birth date, I’m surprised his parents were not mentioned. It certainly is worth a second search in those records, checking all spellings of the surname.

Q: When you suggest reference material you always say a larger library. It would be helpful if you would list at least one place we could write for help as apparently there is none in the Orlando, Fla., area.

A: Your area is blessed with the Orange County Library at 101 E. Central Ave., in Orlando, which has a fine genealogy department.

There really are no places that you can write that will actually do genealogical research for you. Most repositories will respond to a specific question that can be answered by a check in indexed material. However, it is best to visit libraries and become acquainted with their collections.