-crop.jpg "Hamburg Hafenpartie (Hamburg Port portion), Postcard from Ancestry Historical Postcard Collection")
The recent posting of the Hamburg Passenger Lists, 1850-1934 at Ancestry had me digging for my paternal ancestors once again, several of whom I’m convinced must have swam over. I was able to find several interesting records though and I thought I’d share some tips for searching this new collection.
Searching and Reading German
First off, it’s important to note that the lists, created in Hamburg, Germany, are in German. Don’t let that dissuade you though. They are on printed forms and there are several translation tools out there that can help you with the headings.
FamilySearch Research Guide: German Genealogical Word List
(Select G and then scroll down to Germany and the German Genealogical Word List)
The forms use German script, which for untrained eyes like mine can present a challenge. I found the Omniglot website with examples of the script and the letters they represent very helpful.
Using a combination of these tools, I was able to approximate the meanings of the following terms I found on the images.
Zuname = surname
Vornamen = given name
Geschlecht = Gender
Mannlich = male
Weiblich = female
Alter (in Jahren) = age (in years)
Familienstand = family status
Verheiratet = married
Geschieden = divorced
Ledig = single
Verwitwet = widowed
Beruf = occupation
Stellung = position
Staatsangehorigkeit = citizenship, nationality
Bisheriger wohnort = past residence
Ziel der Auswanderung = destination
Ort und staat = place and state
The Ethnicity/Nationality Field
If you plan on specifying your ancestor’s nationality, you will also need to know the German name for it. Below is a short list of some nationality listings I found in the database. You’ll want to consult historical maps for the time period in which your ancestor emigrated. Although my great-grandfather was Polish, his entry lists Russland because during that period, the part of Poland he was from was under Russian rule.
Polen = Poland
Ungarn = Hungary
Osterreich = Austria
Russland = Russia
Deutschland = Germany
Schweiz = Switzerland
Rumanien = Romania
Bulgarien = Bulgaria
Serbien = Serbia
Kroatien = Croatia
Belgien = Belgium
Niederlande = Netherlands
Italien = Italy
Spainien = Spain
Search by Residence
One search I found particularly helpful was in searching by town name. I found my great-grandmother’s brother, Marton Szkokan, listed with his town of origin as Hoszuszo, which is in what was formerly Hungary, or Ungarn. (It actually falls in Slovakia on current maps.) I did a fresh search, using only that town name and found a Sandor Harsanyi listed as well. Since Harsanyi was Marton’s mother’s maiden name, this is one I’ll definitely be following up on.
I also found quite a few people listed with what I believe may be a spelling variant–Hosszuszo, so just as with surnames and given names, you will want to play around with the names of locations. Also, research in gazetteers and historical maps to see if your ancestor’s town changed its name over the years. This was not unusual in areas where borders were redrawn over and over again.
Keep in mind, last residence does not necessarily mean birthplace. It may simply be the last place they lived, but it does give you a place to pick up the trail.
Search by Ship
When working with passenger lists, it’s always a good idea to check out fellow passengers. Once you locate your ancestor, do a search by ship name and arrival date and browse through the passengers. You might recognize a familiar or misspelled name this way. To narrow it down a little, add in your ancestor’s nationality. I tried this with Sandor Harsanyi and after initially receiving 2,691 hits, by adding Ungarn, I ended up with 815. (Yes, it’s still quite a few, but it goes quickly if you scan them fifty at a time.) And don’t just look at the names. Look for others from the same town or nearby towns.
Hamburg or Bremen or Some Other Port?
Keep in mind that Hamburg was not the only European port. Bremen (Germany), Fiume, (Croatia), Antwerp (Belgium), and several other ports were bustling emigration centers in the early 1900s. Below are links to some emigration statistics I found online.
Migration from Hungary to the U.S.–Figures of European Ports
http://www.bogardi.com/gen/g025.htm
Poland GenWeb
http://www.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/Research.html
Emigration Port, Antwerp, Belgium
http://belgium.rootsweb.com/migr/emig/antwerp/tr_port_antwerp_00.html
If you believe your ancestor traveled from a port other than Hamburg, try to catch them on this side of the trip. The New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957Â capture arrivals from these other European ports and from other parts of the world as well. Ancestry also has lists available for Baltimore (1820-1948), Boston (1820-1943), New Orleans (1820-1945), Philadelphia (1800-1945), and other U.S. ports.
In some cases you may be able to catch them leaving Europe, and arriving in the U.S.
Handwriting Tips
As with many handwritten records we have to search, you’ll find some pretty horrific handwriting samples in this database. If you have found an ancestor in the index, but want to save some eyestrain seeking him or her out on the page, look for his age or some other easier to identify piece of information found in the index. (Although you’ll still want to scan the page for other family members who may have been traveling with your ancestor.)
If you’re having a tough time reading a letter or word, use the zoom and then also click on the magnifying glass to better see what it looks like. Compare letters to others on the page that may be more readable. Sometimes if you focus on just one letter at a time, what was seemingly an unreadable word or name can be deciphered.
Have Fun with It!
Although I began the day with absolutely no knowledge of the German language, with the help of the websites mentioned above, I was able to find some leads on my Hungarian lines. I hope you have as much fun with it as I did!
The image accompanying this article is a Hamburg postcard from the Ancestry Historical Postcard Collection. Click on the image to enlarge it.
Juliana Smith has been an editor of Ancestry.com newsletters for more than eight years and is author of “The Ancestry Family Historian’s Address Book.” She has written for “Ancestry” Magazine and wrote the Computers and Technology chapter in “The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy,” rev. 3rd edition. Juliana can be reached by e- mail at [email protected], but she regrets that her schedule does not allow her to assist with personal research.
Remember that first names will be in their native language. My grandfather Stephen is on Hungarian records as Istvan (Hungarian for Stephen).
Bev, Great point in more ways than one. We have solved many cases by spelling & phonetical variations of ALL names. Some people went by another given name. My wife calls me Karl, but my mother and anyone who knew me pre-1974 calls me “Mike!†My Opa Karl Friedrich Viehmann = “Fritz” was never a “Fred.” My Uncle Karl Heinz Viehmann = Heinz!
Please note that only the HPL years 1890-1913 have been indexed so far. However, all of the images for 1850-1934 are available… While it is possible, we do not recommend searching page-by-page.
Unless you are positive that Hamburg is the ancestral port of departure, it would be advisable to first search Ancestry.com’s entire Immigration Database all at once. We have stunned many clients when we told them their ancestor arrived in Baltimore, or, what? New Orleans! By searching the entire Immigration database at once, you can get results on most of the passenger listings at the same time.
At that point, you can alter spellings, use wildcards (e.g., Fri* Vie*man*), limit the scope, narrow the search (years of arrival; age upon arrival, et al.), omit an entire first or last name, use soundex, etc.
Be sure that you are altering the search parameters within the entire Immigration database—not just one particular passenger listing database. After having selected a particular passenger listing database to view, in order to ensure you’re next search will be in ALL immigration databases, you’ll then need to back-screen to return to the Immigration search engine.
Lynell &/or Karl-Michael Sala, Euro-Germanic Genealogist since 1979!
Hundreds of US & European cases solved! Thousands of individuals found!
373 E 720 So * OREM, UT 84058 * USA * 801-226-2808
[email protected] karlmsala at msn . com
The present spelling of my name is AUFULDISH. The first time I found the name in the US was the Ohio 1850 census ALLFOOLISH
I have tried many different spelling of the name but have been unable to find any link between Europe and America. Would you have any idea of ways the name may have been spelled in the 1840’s.
Thank you, Bob Aufuldish
Please note that only the years 1890-1913 have been indexed so far. However, all of the images for 1850-1934 are available. If you do not find your ancestor in a search by name, try browsing the images by year.
My question is “How do I get to the images”. All of my ancestors immigrated in the 1880’s.
On my laptop I have found that if I move the laptop screen away in a flattened position it produce a negative image of the image I am looking at. It provides the written letters with a density that allows one to see the heaviest pen strokes. I have often traced the letters this way and been rewarded with a clearer view the written word.
I am looking forthe port of departure for my Swedish Grandparents. They emigrated to Canada in July 1904. My Grandfather is Nils Salomon Lindberg and his wife Eva Lovisa Persdotter (Lindberg) They travelled with 3 children, one of them just a baby. The oldest child was Lovisa born June 22 1899 in Dorotea, the second child was Ruth Frideborg , born 1901, and Johan Edvin born Sept 22 1903. I have no information on their emigration at all. I don’t know if they came alone, or with other family members. I do know that Eva Lovisa’s sister and brother in law also emigrated but I don’t know when. Norma Jane Stolte
Absolutely terrific, well-organized article. Advice is specific and usable. Writing is clear. This helped my research immeasurably.
Many thanks.