“Ciltskoki” Hidden Treasures: The Digital Document Collection

Did you think your family research was finished and complete? In truth, it never really is – almost every week new documents appear that can enrich or even change the story.

Two Types of Researchers

It seems to me there are two types of researchers: those who trace their ancestors and then stop, and those who simply can’t. They go on to research relatives, friends, acquaintances – sometimes for free, sometimes for a small fee – and for them, genealogy is almost an addiction.

While the second group is usually up to date with the latest news in genealogy, the first group often doesn’t even imagine that new documents could add to their research. But the truth is, documents are constantly being digitized – by both institutions and individuals – and this opens new paths of exploration.

The Ciltskoki Digital Document Collection

One place where you can find such additions is the Digital Document Archive on the Ciltskoki website (Dokumenti →Digitālo dokumentu krātuve). Here you’ll find materials that volunteers have photographed in archives, churches, or museums. These are sources that institutions have not digitized and therefore do not appear in the Raduraksti site (the Latvian State Historical Archives’ digital platform for church books and other genealogical records).

Most church books are kept at the Latvian State Historical Archives and are available in Raduraksti, but there are always exceptions. Some books or lists of parish members remain in the churches themselves; others have ended up in regional museums. Thanks to dedicated enthusiasts, these materials are now available to us all through the Ciltskoku site.

My Discovery

Just this week I had a joyful surprise while browsing the newest additions to the archive.

A few years ago, together with my parents, we traced one branch of my family from Skrunda parish. On the Raduraksti site, this parish is missing the baptismal registers for 1856–1868 and 1877–1889. We assumed they had simply not survived.

And then – in the Ciltskoki collection– I saw that the registers for 1861–1865, 1878–1879, and 1880–1888 had been photographed! Of course, it was a huge joy – I found the baptism record of my great-great-grandfather’s half-sister. Another puzzle piece fell into place, and the family story grew richer.

What Else Can Be Found in the Collection?

The Digital Document Archive contains not only church registers but also other types of documents:

• passport books,

• lists of inhabitants and rural rolls,

• parishioner lists, and more.

  
  

If the original documents are held in the State Historical Archives, the archive entry includes the fond, inventory, and file number (the reference system used in Latvian archives).

So take a look – you may well find something new for your own family research in the Ciltskoki Digital Document Archive!

P.S. If you’d like to start researching your Latvian ancestors, I invite you to join my 10-week beginner’s course in English, starting this October. The course is held online and is suitable for international participants.Subscribe to the newsletter and receive the latest updates as soon as they’re available!