Latvian Genealogy Blog

New Documents Keep Surfacing 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. I work in the archives since 2006, and I keep learning about new sources. 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, acquainta

When the Record Says Almost Nothing Created by ChatGPT In many congregations, only short-form marriage registers are available. These usually list only the names and surnames of the bride and groom—occasionally also the manor or farm where they were living and working at the time. So how can you identify the couple in such cases? The short answer is: it can be quite difficult. Full marriage entries typically contain much more information, such as the names of the couple’s par

When Church Registers Switched Languages In an older blog post, I already wrote about the transition from German to Russian in church books. In this post, I will explain how to recognize names and surnames in church books in Russian. In 1891, an order was issued in the Russian Empire that church registers should henceforth be kept in Russian . Until then, Lutherans in Latvia and Estonia had kept their books in German. Of course, German pastors now had to rack their brains not

When Russian Became the Church-Book Language On June 3, 1891, an order was issued in the Russian Empire that from now on Lutheran church books should also be kept in Russian. The order came into effect on January 1, 1892. German pastors now had to urgently learn Russian. The guides published at that time on Russian language terms in church books are also useful for genealogy researchers. The Kurzeme Consistory's Circular The Evangelical Lutheran Consistory of Kurzeme came to

Beyond the Archive For genealogists, invaluable resources can be found not only in archives but also in museums and libraries. This time, I will focus on my experience with the collection at the Cēsis Museum, leaving libraries for another discussion. Created by Dall-E A few years ago, I was preparing lectures for the online course organized by the Cēsis Museum for family history enthusiasts. During one session, museum staff introduced us to materials held in the museum's arch

In genealogy, small details often lead to big discoveries. Genealogists are naturally passionate, and I’ve also found myself, in my enthusiasm, chasing the next lead and overlooking what seemed like minor details. Yet, it is precisely these details that can prove to be crucial in research. Created by DALL-E Why Is Translating Records Important? I’ve found that it’s essential to translate baptism, marriage, or death records as I come across them. Once I’ve written them out, I

Recently, I received a question: how does one transition from church records to revision lists? How can you determine which revision list...

This time, I want to explain with an example why it's important to pay attention to godparents in baptismal records. Godparents can...

Last time, I wrote about Latin abbreviations, but this time I want to look at some Latvian abbreviations in church books. It seems that...

Recently, a colleague and I were examining a death record that was partially in Latvian and partially in Latin. Here is what we found and...

Do you think that in the past everyone lived "happily ever after" and never got divorced? Recently, I saw a 1906 marriage record with a...

If you've looked through the church records on the Raduraksti website, you may have noticed the parishioner registers. What can be found...

In this blog, I have looked at both baptism and marriage records. Now, it's time to look at death registers in German. What is indicated...

For Kurzeme and Vidzeme family researchers, German language skills are a must. In this post, I will help decipher what is written in the...

Many of us have ancestors from the border regions – and our origins may be sought on the Estonian, Belarusian, or Lithuanian side. Accordingly, documents must be searched for in the archives of these countries. How do you search for your ancestors on the Estonian side? Created by Image Creators In my opinion, those who have Estonian ancestors or Latvian ancestors from Estonia are lucky. The digital site of the Estonian National Archives and the Tallinn City Archives, Saaga, i

If you have been researching your family history for a while, looking through various parish records, you've likely encountered...

Reading and interpreting the records of Riga's church books can be more complicated than those of rural congregations. This is due to the...

This week, I had the chance to delve into the records of Mazsalaca Lutheran Church, and twice was not able to find the baptismal record I...

Now and then, in church books, you come across words that you don't find in modern dictionaries. How to understand their meaning? Where...

If your ancestors were from Latgale Region, they were probably Roman Catholic. Earlier Catholic church books were written in Polish, but...