~ Donauschwaben Genealogy & History ~
Know your history and where your roots come from!
Over the years, members of our Club have pursued information about Donauschwaben genealogy and their family roots. This initiative was begun by the late Peter Kiss, and is carried on today by Dennis J. Bauer, our Club Genealogist. Contact Dennis at donauschwaben@mail.com to order your copy of his newly published book ", A Collection of Genealogical Information of Palankaer-Americans 1895-2008". We also have offered courses in genealogy with an emphasis on Donauschwaben research. Representatives from the Club also give seminars on Donauschwaben history. We share some information below that may aid you in your ancestral quest. Many of our members have roots in Palanka, Batschka. Please visit member John Feldenzer's Palanka Web site at www.feldenzer.com
Also, visit the Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands at http://www.dvhh.org
Family History Centers provide access to most of the microfilms and microfiche in the Family History Library to help patrons identify their ancestors (www.familysearch.org). Everyone is welcome to come to the centers and use Family History Center resources. Family History Centers are branceh facilities of the Family History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Salt Lake City. The LDS has many ancestral records from our Donauschwaben homeland. The center closest to the Trenton area is; Morrisville, Pennsylvania
1204 Pine Grove Rd
Morrisville, Bucks, Pennsylvania, United States
Phone: 215-295-9628
Hours: Tue 6:30pm-9pm; Fri 11am-3pm; Sat (2nd & 4th) 10am-2pm
Closed: Tue Feb. 16
Attention: Sat hrs by appt only - MorrisvilleFHC@gmail.com for an appt
Here is the information presently available online:
Also, visit the Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands at http://www.dvhh.org
Family History Centers provide access to most of the microfilms and microfiche in the Family History Library to help patrons identify their ancestors (www.familysearch.org). Everyone is welcome to come to the centers and use Family History Center resources. Family History Centers are branceh facilities of the Family History Library, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Salt Lake City. The LDS has many ancestral records from our Donauschwaben homeland. The center closest to the Trenton area is; Morrisville, Pennsylvania
1204 Pine Grove Rd
Morrisville, Bucks, Pennsylvania, United States
Phone: 215-295-9628
Hours: Tue 6:30pm-9pm; Fri 11am-3pm; Sat (2nd & 4th) 10am-2pm
Closed: Tue Feb. 16
Attention: Sat hrs by appt only - MorrisvilleFHC@gmail.com for an appt
Here is the information presently available online:
| how_to_research_your_family_tree.pdf |
| perished_donauschwaben_trenton_area.pdf |
| palankaers_in_new_jersey_1961.pdf |
| german_abbreviations_and_sympbols.pdf |
| german_genealogy_letter_guide_lds.pdf |
| hungarian_word_list.pdf |
Familien Kalender German Hungarian (Donauschwaben) Family Calendar Magazine
The 1930-40s German-Hungarian (Donauschwaben) Family Calendar Magazine, Subscriber List for Bucks County, Pennsylvania
The 1930-40s German-Hungarian (Donauschwaben) Family Calendar Magazine, Subscriber List for Mercer County, New Jersey
The 1950s German-Hungarian (Donauschwaben) Family Calendar Magazine, Subscriber List for Mercer County, New Jersey
| 1930_1940_german_hungarians_bucks_county_pa.pdf |
| 1930_1940_german_hungarians_mercer_county.pdf |
| 1950s_german_hungarian_mercer_county.pdf |
Geneology Links
Here are links to valuable genealogy websites from around the world.
- The Donauschwaben Web Site
- Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies
- Federation of Eastern European Family History Societies - Researcher List
- Batschka Village List
- German Genealogy Site
- Donauschwaben Research List
- Batschka List
- LDS Genealogy Site
- Donauschwaben Research Exchange
- Ellis Island Ship Passenger List Site
- Palanka - Batschka Web Site
- Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands Project
- Felix Game's A/H Genealogy
- The Bauer-Helleis Home Page
- Hungarian Maps -->
How To Start Your Ancestral Search
Donauschwaben Genealogical Research using Ortssippenbuchen / Familienbuchen
An Ortssippenbuch (OSB is roughly translated "town family/kinship book") is a village or town book dealing with the residents genealogy. The book may contain several volumes or editions/updates. They cost between 27-260 DM each, are written in German and are arranged alphabetically by family surnames, listing husband, wife and their children. The introduction discusses the history of the town and it's founders and settlers. The genealogical data generally includes each family member's birth date and place, marriage date and place and death date and place. The information in the book may trace a particular family back from the present to the late 1600s. In some cases, the ancestor's origin in Germany, Alsace or Lorraine is noted. The Familienbuch (family book) is very similar to the Ortssippenbuch. The author uses information from civil, church records and family histories supplied by fellow genealogists to compose the book. As in any secondary source there are occasional errors. Therefore, one should verify the information by checking the original records if possible. Most of the Roman Catholic Church records from 1826-1896 are available on microfilm from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints (LDS), Family History Center and are listed by town name. Keep in mine many of the original German town names had been changed to Hungarian names and then to Serbian names. There are several references available that can be used to determine the various names used over time for a particular town. Vital records from 1897-1919 can be obtained from the Archdiocese of Kalocsa, Kalocsa-Kecskemet, Erseki Hatosag, Szentharomsag ter 1, Postfach 29 Kalocsa H-6301, Hungary. Unfortunately, there is not an Ortssippenbuch for each town in the Donauschwaben areas of Hungary, Yugoslavia and Romania. However, the list grows each year as individuals compose these works in order to preserve a town's family history and genealogy. Many of the Donauschwaben Ortssippenbuch are marketed by the author through the Arbeitskreis donauschwäbischer Familienforscher (AkdFF) [The Working Group of Danube-Swabian Genealogists]. Their library is located at, AkdFF-Bibliothek, Goldmühlestr. 30, D-71065 Sindelfingen, Germany. In some cases they are ordered directly from the author. The books may also be available in the United States at the larger public or specialized libraries, including the main LDS Family History Library in Salt Lake City, UT, (www.familysearch.org) and the New York Public Library. You can also find additional information and resources at the Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands web site (www.dvhh.org). Many members of the DVHH will do free lookups in their personal OSB collections.
Pre-World War I Hungarian County List useful for your Research
Pre-World War I Hungarian County List As you are probably aware, many of the pre-World War I Hungarian counties are not in Hungary today. Some are now in Yugoslavia or Romania. Listed below are the county names in pre-World War I for your reference and use in genealogical research.
Abauj Torna
Also Feher
Arad
Arva
Bacs-Bodrog
Baranya
Bars
Bekes
Belovar Koros
Berog
Beszterce Naszod
Bihir
Borsod
Brasso
Csanad
Csik
Csongrad
Esztergom
Fejer
Foraras
Gomor
Gyor
Hajdu
Haromszek
Heves
Hont
Hunyad
Jasz Nagy Kun Szolnok
Krasso - Szoreny
Kis - Kulullo
Kolzos
Komarom
Lika - Korbava
Lipto
Maramaros
Maros Torda
Also Feher
Arad
Arva
Bacs-Bodrog
Baranya
Bars
Bekes
Belovar Koros
Berog
Beszterce Naszod
Bihir
Borsod
Brasso
Csanad
Csik
Csongrad
Esztergom
Fejer
Foraras
Gomor
Gyor
Hajdu
Haromszek
Heves
Hont
Hunyad
Jasz Nagy Kun Szolnok
Krasso - Szoreny
Kis - Kulullo
Kolzos
Komarom
Lika - Korbava
Lipto
Maramaros
Maros Torda
Modrius - Fiume
Moson
Nagy - Kukullo
Nograd
Nyitra
Nyitra
Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun
Pozsega
Pozsony
Saros
Somogy
Sopron
Szabolcs
Szatmar
Szerben
Szepes
Szerem
Szilagy
Szolnok - Doboka
Temes
Tolna
Torda - Aranyos
Torontal
Trencsen
Turoc
Udvarhely
Ugocsa
Ung
Varasd
Vas
Veroce
Veszprem
Zagreb
Zala
Zemplem
Zolyom
Moson
Nagy - Kukullo
Nograd
Nyitra
Nyitra
Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun
Pozsega
Pozsony
Saros
Somogy
Sopron
Szabolcs
Szatmar
Szerben
Szepes
Szerem
Szilagy
Szolnok - Doboka
Temes
Tolna
Torda - Aranyos
Torontal
Trencsen
Turoc
Udvarhely
Ugocsa
Ung
Varasd
Vas
Veroce
Veszprem
Zagreb
Zala
Zemplem
Zolyom