German Phase 2 Course - SLIG

From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

In last week's blog post we talked about the new German research course that we (Debra A. Hoffman, PLCGS, and Teresa Steinkamp McMillin, CG) have been developing. “German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown.” is scheduled for this coming Fall 2025. Registration will open May 17^th https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/cpage.php?pt=524.

As you might imagine, we have ideas for more than just one phase. Tentatively, “German Phase 2: Research the Hometown Online” will be taught in fall 2026. Once the exact location of a hometown is identified for a German immigrant, the search can begin for church records for that town. Church records are the primary source used to research a German ancestor. Before 1871, Germany was not a country and civil registration was not universally available. The one constant were the churches. They were the early record keepers. Often, but not always, church records are digitized and available online. This course teaches how to find and use those records.

Other records, too, are becoming available online. Some examples are emigration lists, newspapers, civil registration records and even consulate records. This course shows you how to find all available online records for your research.

Knowledge of old German handwriting becomes essential in this course. We will include an introduction to this concept. Beginning in Phase 1 and continuing in Phase 2, we will be giving you an arsenal of resources to learn this handwriting. As you work with the records in Phase 2 and with the resources we point you towards, you will become ever more comfortable with the handwriting.

Catch next week’s blog post where we’ll tell you our ideas for Phase 3. It just keeps getting better!

 

German Phase 1 Course - SLIG

 From German Girls Genealogy (Teresa Steinkamp McMillin & Debra A. Hoffman):

German Phase I Course - SLIG

Debra A. Hoffman, PLCGS, and certified genealogist Teresa Steinkamp McMillin have partnered to create a series of German courses with the first one being offered through the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) starting in October 2025. Phases 2 and 3 are tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2026 and 2027.

The set of three courses is designed to educate German genealogical researchers to locate the German hometown in Level 1,  research the town in  traditional online German sources in Level 2, and provide region-specific knowledge and sources in Level 3, so that successful onsite research can be conducted.  

As stated above, the objective of the first course, entitled German Phase 1: Identify the Hometown, is to locate the town of origin in Germany. In conducting research on German immigrants, it is not enough to know they came from Germany or even a specific German state. This course teaches students how to find the hometown by conducting thorough research using United States sources and utilizing appropriate methodology. The presentations are meant to provide a solid grounding in historical information on German settlement in the United States. Sources that typically provide the German town will be covered as well as the methodology to effectively use them. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a one-on-one consultation with a faculty member to discuss their research problem. The students will be working on their individual research project over the five weeks and will have time between sessions to put the new information into practice. 

Registration for 2025 SLIG Virtual courses opens on Saturday, May 17^th. See https://slig.ugagenealogy.org/slig-fall-virtual/ for more information on the course and for details on how to register.