Search Smarter: German Records on FamilySearch Online

FamilySearch holds one of the largest collections of digitized German genealogy records in the world — but knowing where to look makes all the difference. In this practical session, Bärbel Johnson guides researchers through the most effective strategies for finding German ancestors using FamilySearch online. The session covers how to navigate the FamilySearch Wiki for German research guidance, how to search the catalog by jurisdiction rather than by name, and how to use full-text search to find ancestors in handwritten records that were previously unsearchable. Bärbel also explores the power of collaborative family trees as a research tool — showing how other researchers' work can open doors and accelerate your own discoveries. Attendees will leave with a clear, repeatable workflow for online German research on FamilySearch.