Using The Resources of an LDS Family History Center
Written by DearMYRTLE
Most U.S.-based researchers first work their German lines using microfilm available through the LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City,UT, and local branches called LDS Family History Centers, available throughout the world.
One's ancestors did not have to be members of the LDS Church to have records pertaining to their life appearing in the microfilms. During the destruction of WWII, the LDS Church began using the newly invented microfilming technique to preserve valuable records of birth, marriage and death records.
Two hundred years of the London Times could be stored in just a few drawers of microfilm. There is an video In a Granite Mountain (English) which tours the storage facilities and describes the process. Other important records on microfilm include: land, probate, tax, military, pension, census, court, newspaper and compiled genealogies. While not everything for Germany has been microfilmed, it can save lots of time and travel dollars to review what IS available by checking the FHLC.
The FHLC - Family History Library Catalog is available at every LDS Family History Center (FHC). I checked with Fred Graham, International FHCenter coordinator, to see what a typical LDS Family History Center in Germany offers. To his knowledge, the computer system FamilySearch is available only in English, but is certainly navigable by bi-lingual German researchers. He reminded me that the FHLCatalog is written in English but the entries are in German if that is the language of the original document or publication.
Mr. Graham forwarded the name of:
Christian FeidlerMr. Feidler is director of the European LDS Family History Service Center, which distributes microfilm to the various FHCenters including those in Germany. While he may not be a genealogist himself, he can refer you to the addresses of small local Family History Centers.
Die Genealogische Desellagaft
Im Roseagarten 25a
D 61118 Bad Vilgel, Germany
6172-7364-12
Just a reminder: the people who staff the little local LDS Family History Centers are volunteers. The hours of operation, and size of the facility will vary just as they do here in the U.S. Most of the records must be borrowed by microfilm or microfiche, as one center can't possible hold all that's available for Germany & Eastern Europe.
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