Price: EUR 40/hour​

​

I believe that details are the most interesting additions to your family tree, therefore I collect, translate, and outline church registers and other sources of information on your ancestors, such as their status and occupations, places of residence, studies or military careers, etc.

 

The research is based on documents available both online and on site, at the Latvian State Historical archive (LVVA).

​

What is required to start the research?

​

Please collect all possible information on the ancestors to be researched beforehand. Note that post-1914 vital records are not available to the public or researchers. Read more about how you can obtain birth, marriage or death certificates of your relatives under FAQ.

In some cases, I am able to start research without these certificates and locate the family in the 1935 or 1941-census lists.

​

What is included in the report?

​

• translations of the church registers;

• outlines of other documents with important information;

• digital copies of all found documents;

• historical maps with marked farm locations (if requested);

• GEDCOM file or family tree (if requested).

​

How far can I trace your ancestry?

​

If there are Latvians in your ancestral lineage, you might be able to research your family history as far back as the beginning of the 19th century, when surnames were adopted. Most Latvians were serfs and received their surnames only between 1826 and 1834. In some cases, it is possible to go further back in the 18th century.

​

German Baltic ancestors can be traced back much further. They were freemen, with surnames and of higher standing in society, so there is generally more information about them in historical sources.

​

How much will it cost?

​

I suggest starting with the ten-hour research plan, and you can decide on further priorities after receiving the first report.

​

About twenty to forty hours might be necessary to trace one surname line, but each case is different, and, each location has different available sources, therefore the sources reviewed, and the time spent on research can vary.

​

Few church registers have alphabetical name indexes, and many have been indexed in the last years by volunteers of Ciltskoki.lv, but many church registers, especially in Latgale Region, still have to be reviewed manually, page by page.

​