Irecommend creating a Prussian genealogy cheat sheet when searching for ancestors from Brandenburg, East Prussia, Pomerania, Posen, Silesia, and West Prussia.
Creating a Prussian Genealogy Cheat Sheet
When creating your Prussian genealogy cheat sheet, add columns first by German names for Prussian provinces. Then add a column for Polish place names. Add a third column if you need place names other than Poland (Russia, Lithuania, etc.)
The image shown here is a cheat sheet for locations in Kreis Posen with three columns for German, Polish, and original place names. Right-click to download this example.
Improving Prussian Genealogy Research Results
Try these resources:
Prussian Family Tree Webinars
My Family Tree Webinars on Prussia are available here. Or you can request one or more for your genealogy society at my Presentations and Contact links.
Finding Ancestral Locations in Prussia eBook
The first section of this Sassy Jane Genealogy eBook offers a broad understanding of the geographical and historical changes to the land once known as Prussia.
The second section offers links German and Polish gazetteers, databases, and maps. These resources identify Prussian locations of immigrant ancestors and their families. Finding precise locations for your German-speaking ancestors unlocks a world of primary resources.
The third and final section provides a Prussian Genealogy Toolkit. Resources for reading German handwriting, pronunciation guides, accent marks, and using translators are included.
Shifting Borders and Languages
Over the last 300 years, borders between Germany, Poland, and neighboring countries changed many times. After World War II, Prussia was partitioned and ceased to exist. What once was Prussia is now primarily in Poland. Identifying place names and parishes of German-speaking ancestors is essential in German research. This is doubly so in Prussian genealogy research.
Did this tip help you find ancestors and their primary sources in Brandenburg, East Prussia, Pomerania, Posen, Silesia, and/or West Prussia?
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