Customer Reviews

Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs With Researcher's

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I challenge the one lone user who said this review was not helpful to self-identify, stipulate & write a superior review. Email it to karlmsala@msn.com & call 1-888-456-7252 to render your apology, chastisement &/or explanation.

I've been a German Genealogist since 1979; have 63+ endearing endorsements on Linkedin.com--& that's just since 2008--& that's just from folks who happen to be on Linkedin.com! I have hundreds more from folks who are not on Linkedin or not even online at all!

I'm neither owner nor author, but I sure am a 3-decade user of this book! Buy & ship me one for a reward twice the value of the book!

SINCE 1979, @ the Family History Library in Salt Lake City & @ Family History Centers in the USA & Germany, using this book & other resources, I've both voluntarily & professionally helped hundreds of patrons & clients solve hundreds of mid-Europe & German cases!

TO CRACK/SOLVE cases, I use not just one, but TWO gazetteers of the entire pre-WW1 German Empire: Meyers Orts= und Verkehrs=lexikon des Deutschen Reichs is a bit superior to the similar Neumanns Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. Meyers has more place-name entries. Therefore, Meyers is THE source used by the cataloging department of the Family History Library (FHL) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, UTah. Don't be dissuaded in any way by the name of the church or whether you are not of the same faith. If you are seeking German parochial records (a/k/a parish registers) in the FHL Catalog, you will need to follow their excellent lead.

NEUMANNS gazetteer, however, has some highly interesting historical notes not found in Meyers. Meyers has some statistical data not found in Neumanns. Meyers also has many more entries & listings.

BOTH can be used to narrow down from which particular location--for example--Marbeck (or was that Marbach or Bad Marbach, Neu Marback, Obermarbech, etc. ad nauseum?) your ancestor originated. Meyers clearly--but not always--has the advantage over Neumanns.

CAVEAT (or what WON'T Meyers {or Neumanns} tell me?): While Meyers (& Neumanns) might indicate whether a particular village had its own Evangelical (Lutheran) or Catholic parish, IF the location was too small to warrant its own parish, neither Meyers nor Neumanns gazetteers will PROVIDE the name of the actual parish. This must be done in actual PROVINCIAL gazetteers. The province name, e.g. Sachsen, CAN be obtained from Meyers. There were a few different Sachsens & their specific gazetteers, but that OFTEN PROBLEMATIC research challenge will not be discussed here. Once the village is found within the provincial gazetteer, then its Evangelical or Lutheran parish microfilm numbers, if any, can be ascertained & ordered with a look-up in the Family History Library Catalog online or on its CD.

...GOT ACCESS to the MICROFICHE, but not the book? WHY $300? For those needing to look up more than just a few places, or those needing to scan the graphics (like me for clients), this source is worth every bit of $300. No serious Euro-Germanic Genealogy researcher, research library or Family History Center should be without it, both in microfiche & book form. The book is superior to the fiche because of ease of use & due to its having the two-page maps, which are in color.

NEUMANNS? First, get MEYERS. I got my Neumanns @ a used book store during one of my 7+ research trips behind the Iron Curtain. My Neumanns is 1905 & has 2-page color maps of large towns. I believe color maps are also available in Ray Wright's publication of Meyers. Wright's book also has other great explanatory features & translations not found in the original German-published books.

CONCLUSION: Whatever gazetteer you use, ensure that its publication date pre-dates WW1! Life is short, so DO NOT DELAY! I know you can find the original gazetteer online, but I always need back-up copies! Don't you?

REWARD: If anyone would buy & ship this book to/for me, I would gladly grant you $500 worth of US, immigration, or Euro-Germanic research! How about you, Ray Wright? Or you, Ancestry.com? Or you, WorldVitalRecords.com & GenealogyBank.com? Hey, Scott Spencer, you know me & what I can do! Or even you, ProGenealogists.com! Life is way too short. Call & email me today & make your offer. 1- 888-456-7252 = 480-507-3316.