Genealogy Guide: Germany

The Leo Baeck Institute was founded in 1955 to document the history and culture of German-speaking Jewry, a remarkable legacy the Nazis sought to destroy. Its Archives and Library offer the most comprehensive collection of documents, memoirs, photographs and books dealing with the life and history of Jews in German-speaking lands from earliest times until the present. The materials are mostly in German, with some in Hebrew, and many in English.

LBI collections are bountiful sources of material for German-Jewish genealogical research. Archival holdings include family collections, Jewish community collections, and large genealogical collections compiled by historians.  Almost all include family trees, vital records, photographs, and other materials relevant to family and community research. Nearly 75 percent of LBI archival collections have been digitized and placed online. DigiBaeck allows you to search and view these digitized collections. The library collections include biographical dictionaries, community histories, and surveys of archives in Germany. All sources may be identified by searching CJH’s online catalog. For an overview of the major genealogy resources at LBI, please consult our LBI family history research guide. For an overview of LBI resources that may be used to trace the fate of individuals in the Holocaust, please consult our Holocaust research guide. 

Baxter, Angus. In Search of Your German Roots. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2008. Has a separate chapter on Jewish records.  Genealogy Institute  CS 614 .B39 2008

Brandt, Edward R. Germanic Genealogy: A Guide to Worldwide Sources and Migration Patterns. St. Paul, MN: Germanic Genealogy Society, 2007.  Reading Room  CS 611 G47 2007

Ellmann-Krüger, Angelika, and Edward David Luft. Library Resources for German-Jewish Genealogy.  Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, 1998.  Information on collections and access for German libraries with holdings related to Jewish genealogy, such as published genealogies, family histories, biographies, and regional literature.  Genealogy Institute  Z 6373 .G3 E55

Jersch-Wenzel, Stefi, et al.  Quellen Zur Geschichte Der Juden in Den Archiven Der Neuen Bundeslaender [Guide to Jewish history sources in the Archives of the former East Germany]. New Providence: K.G. Saur, 1996. 6 volumes. In German. Vol.  6 contains a detailed inventory of the Centrum Judaicum, Germany’s largest collection of Jewish community records.  Reading Room CD 1222 Q8

Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German-Jewish Surnames. Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2005. Genealogy Institute  CS3010.Z9 G476 2005

Ophir, Baruch Zvi, et al. Pinkas Ha-kehilot: Entsiklopediyah Shel Ha-yishuvim Ha-Yehudiyim Le-min Hivasdam Ve-`ad Le-ahar Sho'at Milhemet Ha-`olam Ha-sheniyah. Germanyah [Encyclopedia of the Jewish Communities of Germany: From their foundations till after the Holocaust]. Yerushalayim: Yad Va-shem, 1972-2007. 4 volumes. Mostly in Hebrew, with summary of introduction in English.  
Reading Room  DS135.E81 G47

Ribbe, Wolfgang and Eckart Henning. Taschenbuch Für Familiengeschichtsforschung. 11^th ed. Neustadt an Der Aisch: Degener & Co., 1995. In German. A guide to conducting German family history research.  Genealogy Institute  CS614 .T36 1995

Shea, Jonathan D., and Hoffman, William F. In Their Words: A Genealogist's Translation Guide to Polish, German, Latin, and Russian Documents. v. 4 - German. New Britain, CT: Language & Lineage Press, 2017. Genealogy Institute  PB268 .S49

Skyte, Thea, et al. A Guide to Jewish Genealogy in Germany and Austria. London: The Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain, 2001.  Genealogy Institute  CS614 .G85 2001

Stammbaum: The Journal of German-Jewish Genealogical Research.  New York: Leo Baeck Institute,1992-2007. Only English language periodical on German-Jewish genealogy. While the journal’s primary focus is Germany, its scope also includes Austria, Switzerland, Alsace, Bohemia, and other areas with linguistic and historic relevance.  Genealogy Institute CS3010.Z9 G47*

* The Leo Baeck Institute digitized this journal and has made the entire run available online here.     

Thode, Ernest. Address Book for Germanic Genealogy. 6^th ed. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Pub., 1997.  
Genealogy Institute CS611 .T48 1997

Wright III, Raymond S., and Ann Marie Bailey. Ancestors in German Archives: A Guide to Family History Sources. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publ., 2004. Reading Room CS 611 A56 2004