Genealogy in French

Could You Use Some Help Researching Your French Family Tree?

Genealogy is already a bit of a challenge...

But genealogy in French isn't just about researching in a foreign language.

It's also about knowing the history of the region and knowing how the French system works...

Genealogy in French is all about knowing where to look, who to call, and of course being able to actually speak to administrative people in French.

The French tend to keep very good records of their citizens, so usually the information you are looking for is out there waiting for you...

But where exactly is it?

You may be asking yourself "If somehow I manage to find out where the information I'm looking for is...will there be someone there that speaks English?"

From experience living here in Alsace...

I can tell you that nothing scares most French people like having to talk on the phone in English even when they do speak it.

And I completely understand because speaking on the phone in a foreign language is quite challenging.

Unfortunately also from experience, phone calls are the most effective way to get anything done in France...especially when it comes to administrative tasks...

There are other challenges too...

Researching your family tree in France (and Alsace in particular) requires a good knowledge of the many wars and nation switching that has happened.

And in Alsace they didn't just change nationalities...

Alsace officially changed languages quite a few times since 1871 which means the names of places may have changed a little or a lot.

Sometimes villages disappeared because everyone was killed or forced to move.

I'm not a genealogist, but I know a lot about France and especially Alsace, so I can help you research some of your genealogy in French.

• I can chase down the location of documents for example.

• I can recommend local newspapers (or bulletin boards) for publishing a search for relatives in a village.

• I can find out what happened to that village that doesn't exist anymore.

• And in some cases I may even be available to go to the village and get photos of gravestones and even speak with the locals.

Of course, it would be all the more fun if you can come over for a visit yourself!

And I can help you with that too!! : )

If this sort of service interests you, send me an email and we can discuss it some more...

Looking forward to hearing from you!

New! Comments