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Family Research Letters in German

You want to get records from Germany. At this page two letters in German with an English translation are listed, so you could write in German.
I'd appreciate any form of critique or just the wish for more. If you want me to put another letter for another genealogical reason in there just give me anotice !

1. Addresses in Germany

1.1 Churches: Records until abt. 1875

Look at the phone books online to get the address of the church. First search for the town, then search for "Kirche" (church).
You will get an address like this:

Christuskirche Pfarrer Auer, Gänsheidestr. 29, 70184 Stuttgart, 0711-240715

The 'proper' (the way we are used to) address would be like this

Christuskirche
Pfarrer Auer
Gänsheidestr. 29
D-70184 Stuttgart
Germany

1.2 Bureau for Vital Records: records from abt. 1875

You won't need to look at the phone books online. The address works this way by any means:

Stadt Stuttgart       <-- name the town here
Standesamt            <-- this is the Bureau for Vital Records
Postfach              <-- P.O. Box (will always work)
D-70184 Stuttgart     <-- insert Zip-code and town
Germany

2. Typing the letters in German

Just in case you don't use the german Umlauts every day <bg>:
for example: type ALT 148 to get an ö.
Hold the [ALT]-key and press the numbers, then release the [ALT]-key.
This is the table for the 'german' signs:

ä	ALT-132	Ä	ALT-142
ö	ALT-148	Ö	ALT-153
ü	ALT-129	Ü	ALT-154
ß	replace with: ss or: ALT-225

3. Getting church records

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,         |    Dear ... (common formula)
                                       |
ich bin auf der Suche nach meinen      |    I am seeking for my 
Vorfahren, die aus Deutschland         |    ancestors from 
stammen.                               |    Germany.

You could put your data in the letter like this:
(NOTICE: in Germany dates are written DD.MM.YYYY)

Bis jetzt weiß ich folgendes:          |    So far I know the following:
   Johann BRAUN                        |
   geboren am 15.08.1873               |    born 8/15/1873
   gestorben am 27.01.1963             |    died ...
   Er heiratete am 02.01.1899          |    He married 1/2/1899
   in Schwarzenberg                    |    in (location)
   Johanna MAST.                       |
   Seine Eltern hießen:                |    His parents were:
   ...                                 |
   Johann BRAUN und Johanna MAST       |
   hatten folgende Kinder:             |    ... had these children:
   ...                                 |

Or you send a printout of your genealogical program:

Ich habe einen Ausdruck beigelegt,     |    The enclosed printout
auf dem Sie ersehen können, was ich    |    shows the data 
bis jetzt weiß.                        |    I know so far.
                                       |
Bitte senden Sie mir eine Kopie        |    Please send a copy of 
des Familienregisters.                 |    the family register.

Only if you want to send a check
(has to be in German Mark !)

Zur Deckung Ihrer Unkosten habe ich    |    For your cost I enclose 
Ihnen einen Scheck über DM x,00        |    a check with DM x,00.
beigelegt.                             |

Only if you want to pay for the stamps:

Als Portoersatz lege ich x             |    I enclose x I.R.C.'s for
internationale Antwortscheine          |    your reply.
bei.                                   |
                                       |
Für den Fall, daß ich bei Ihnen nicht  |    Just for the case I am 
an der richtigen Stelle bin: bitte     |    not at the right place: 
leiten Sie meinen Brief doch an die    |    please forward my letter 
richtige Stelle weiter.                |    to the right place.
                                       |
Herzlichen Dank für Ihre Mühe !        |    Thank you very much !
                                       |
Mit freundlichen Grüßen                |    Kind regards

4. Getting records from the bureau of vital statistics

Just a few words: Getting records from the church is easy. Getting records from a 'Standesamt' is not easy. There are specific laws for data safety which will prevent in most cases that you will get a record. To ensure that you have the right to take a look in these data (or get a copy of a record) you have to name your full name, the ancestor, you are searching for and the relationship ("he is my grandfather"). In many cases the fee for a church record is none or a donation, the fee for a record from the Standesamt is abt. 7 DM each.

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,         |    Dear ... (common formula)
                                       |
ich bin auf der Suche nach meinen      |    I am seeking for my 
Vorfahren, die aus Deutschland         |    ancestors from 
stammen.                               |    Germany.

You could put your data in the letter like this:
(NOTICE: in Germany dates are written DD.MM.YYYY)

Bis jetzt weiß ich folgendes:          |    So far I know the following:
   Johann BRAUN                        |
   geboren am 15.08.1873               |    born 8/15/1873
   gestorben am 27.01.1963             |    died ...
   Er heiratete am 02.01.1899          |    He married 1/2/1899
   in Schwarzenberg                    |    in (location)
   Johanna MAST.                       |
   Seine Eltern hießen:                |    His parents were:
   ...                                 |
   Johann BRAUN und Johanna MAST       |
   hatten folgende Kinder:             |    ... had these children:
   ...                                 |

Or you send a printout of your genealogical program:

Ich habe einen Ausdruck beigelegt,     |    The enclosed printout
auf dem Sie ersehen können, was ich    |    shows the data 
bis jetzt weiß.                        |    I know so far.
Bitte senden Sie mir eine Kopie        |    Please send a copy of 
des Familienregisters.                 |    the family register.
                                       |

THIS IS IMPORTANT: name your relationsship to the requested ancestor:

Johann BRAUN ist mein Großvater.       |    ... is my grandfather.

Count 5 DM for the stamps (they won't take I.R.C.'s) plus ?? DM each record [It used to be 7 DM, I will ask next week. Let me know and I will give you a notice by email as soon as I know the exact amount, ok?]:

Zur Deckung Ihrer Unkosten habe ich    |    For your cost I enclose 
Ihnen einen Scheck über DM xx,00       |    a check with DM xx,00.
beigelegt.                             |
                                       |
Für den Fall, daß ich bei Ihnen nicht  |    Just for the case I am 
an der richtigen Stelle bin: bitte     |    not at the right place: 
leiten Sie meinen Brief an die         |    please forward my letter 
richtige Stelle weiter.                |    to the right place.
                                       |
Herzlichen Dank für Ihre Mühe !        |    Thank you very much !
                                       |
Mit freundlichen Grüßen                |    Kind regards

last changed: March 6, 1998