Will I be able to find ancestor records in Alsace?

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Will I be able to find ancestor records in Alsace?

by Laurene Kittler
(West Springfield, MA USA )

My great-grandparents were both from Sausheim and Mulhouse in Alsace.

Can you tell me if and where I'd be able to find more about my "roots?"

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Will I be able to find ancestor records in Alsace?

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The History of Alsace and Genealogy
by: Suzele

A few events to know about when you are researching your family tree in Alsace...

1) The Thirty Years War (1618 to 1648) was the cause of most of the damage the castles in Alsace.

It destroyed more than 50% of the population in Alsace and a lot of people from Switzerland, Germany, France, and other countries moved in.

Before the Thirty Years War Alsace was not a part of France. It was a part of the Holy Roman Empire.

2) The French Revolution (1789 to 1799) was a dangerous time to be alive in France...and Alsace was no exception.

A lot of people were executed and many left because they were afraid they might be next.

The Republic sold all of their possessions and very few were ever able to reclaim it.

At first they went east to Russia, Germany, and Poland. And then in the 1800s...

3) Alsatians began immigrating to America...

Most of the Alsatians that went to the States made their move in the 1800s.

4) The Franco Prussian War (1870 to 1871) was short and Alsace became a part of Prussia.

A small part of the population moved to France because they didn't want to be German.

5) World War One (1914 to 1918) meant that Alsace was at war with France.

Just 45 years ago the French were their fellow countrymen and now they had to fight in the German army against them.

So Germany sent the Alsatian soldiers to the eastern front to fight the Russians.

There was some very active fighting in southern Alsace for about a year from 1914 to 1915.

6) World War Two (1939 to 1945) was probably one of the most unpleasant experiences for Alsace.

When Germany invaded Poland 430,000 Alsatians fled to the south of France. That was about 30% of the population of Alsace at the time.

Alsace became a part of Germany again and most Alsatian soldiers were sent to the eastern front to fight the Russians.

Many other people in Alsace were sent to forced labor camps in Germany and Poland for "not cooperating".

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Where to Look for Genealogical Records in Alsace
by: Suzele

I'm no expert on the subject...here is what I do know about researching your family tree in Alsace...

After 1792 you can find records usually at the Mairie (city hall) of the village or town where the person was born, got married, or died.

After 100 years you can find these records at the "Archives Departementales".

In Alsace there are two departements:

1) Haut-Rhin or southern Alsace
100 Avenue d'Alsace
68000 Colmar, France

2) Bas-Rhin or northern Alsace
5 rue Fischart,
67000 Strasbourg

Before 1792 you'll have to check the Parish Church records which you will find at the "Archives Departementales" most of the time, possibly the library, the parish church itself, or the Mairie (city hall).

Another source of information for French genealogical records to check out is Geneactes.

Some of the French records (over 100 years old) have been scanned and put online.

And of course there's the Family Search Library which also has French records.

Before you go to France or contact France about your ancestors, you'll need to know...

1) the name of the person

2) the name of the town or village

3) the date of the birth, marriage, death, etc...

You can also find cemetery records at the Mairie (city hall).

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