Generations of genealogists have gathered and published information
about families in the German-speaking area. There is a good chance
to find information on a given family in print and thus to avoid the
duplication of a tedious research that someone has done before. How
can one find previous publications about a family?

There are many possible places where genealogical data may have been
published:

(a) In the form of a printed family history.
(b) As an article in a genealogical, historical or heraldic journal
    or in a book series.
(c) In a local history book.
(d) In a book about all families of one town (Ortssippenbuch).
(e) In a general or specific dictionary.
(f) In the publication of a genealogical source.
(g) In newspapers.
(h) Publications on special groups of people.
(i) In a funeral sermon.
(k) Address directories.

These categories are now discussed in detail:

The first genealogies of non-noble families were printed in the late
1700s, but the number remained small for the first hundred years.
The emphasized interest in genealogy between the wars and from the
1970 onwards yielded an increased number of published family histo-
ries. They were mostly compiled by private researchers and have quite
different quality.

There are very many places where such articles may be placed, such as
- the magazines of the genealogical societies,
- the few magazines of one-name-societies,
- the magazines of historical societies (prominent families only),
- the Gotha (for noble families only),
- equivalent publications on non-noble families, especially the
  following two:
  1889-1903 Genealogisches Handbuch bügerlicher Familien.
  1904-1910 Genealogisches Handbuch bügerlicher Familien, ein Deut-
    sches Geschlechterbuch.
  1911-1943 Deutsches Geschlechterbuch.
  1965-1991 Deutsches Geschlechterbuch.
  The articles in this series follow a given structure, while the
  submitters to the following series may write their contributions
  as they like:
  1952ff.   Deutsches Famlienarchiv.
- the Siebmacher, a series of heraldic drawings with short abstracts
  about the pertaining families started in 1605; at first on noble,
  lateron also on non-noble families.
- book series published by the Herold and by professional heraldic
  bureaus including
  1920ff.   Deutsche Wappenrolle, ed. by Der Herold, Berlin.
  1946-1958 Wappenführende Geschlechter der Bundesrepublik Deutsch-
    land, then
  1959-     Wappenrolle Dochtermann, ed. by Wappen-Archiv Dochter-
    mann, lateron by Wappen Archiv Stuttgart.
  1971ff.   Allgemeine Deutsche Wappenrolle, ed. by Wappen-Herold.

German local histories do not contain as many biographical accounts
as the early American "mug-books". Anyway recent local histories often
contain lists of the inhabitants in various centuries, lists of immi-
grants and emigrants and biographies of clergymen, mayors and local
celebrities.

An Ortssippenbuch is a compilation of all entries in the birth, mar-
riage and death registers and sometimes of other sources to family
groups. Almost 300 volumes have been published so far. These books
offer the opportunity to build up ancestral lists within a few minutes.

- "Zedler's" universal dictionary, published from 1732 to 1754 under
  the title Großes vollständiges Universal-Lexicon aller Wissenschaften
  und Künste, 64 vols. and 4 suppl. vols., contains a wealth of bio-
  graphical and genealogical information.
- Brockhaus Enzyklopädie, 1st ed. 1796-1810, 17th ed. 1966-.
- Meyers Enzyklopädisches Lexikon, 1st ed. 1840-1855, 9th ed. 1971-.
- Regional biographical dictionaries.
- Biographical dictionaries of special population groups (mathema-
  ticians, doctors, ministers etc.).

A lot of source material has been published during the last 200 years.
During the 19th century, medieval deeds were the preferred objects,
while the interest is now in sources from about 1500 to 1900 (and of
other periods, of course).
Such publications may cover early censuses, land registers and lists
of settlers or emigrants. For the 18th and 19th centuries, many books
on emigrants have been published, mainly based on archival material,
sometimes upon official notifications.
Some towns published their parish registers in print from the 1690s
until about 1850.
The matricles of most German universities have published and indexed.
They offer a wealth of names back to the middle ages and are of good
value for the research on scholars, clergymen or officials families.

Various categories of newspaper entries may be of interest to genea-
logists:
- In many towns, the local newspapers printed current lists of the
  births, marriages and deaths (of the town only, not for the other
  places where the paper was also distributed).
- In the 1700s, calls for missing heirs and for deserters were pub-
  listed in a few widely-distributed papers. In the 1800s, such ads
  were published in the local papers and often in the gazettes of the
  pertinent countries or provinces. From 1870 onwards, calls for mis-
  sing heirs were published in the Reichsanzeiger and from 1949 onwards
  in the Bundesanzeiger.
- Legal emigrations were advertised in the newspapers and gazettes
  of many German countries from about 1800 to 1871.
- Death notes and obituaries were published from the late 1700s onwards
  for prominent persons. Presently death notes (including the names of
  the bereaved) are inserted for most of the deceased.

Printed membership lists of orders, societies etc. may as well yield
some information, but are very hard to locate.
This category includes publications on religious groups (e. g. the
expulsion of the Salzburgers).

From the 1500s to about 1900, many funeral sermons were published.
They contain the text of the religious and biographical sermon, the
names of the bereaved and of other persons involved in the life and
death of the deceased.

These books were published from the early 1700s onwards, at first
only for some large cities. They just contain the names and addresses
of the inhabitants. From the 1960s onwards they are more or less
superseded by telephone directories.

How does one find the titles of such publications as listed above? This
is sometimes quite easy, in other cases a difficult job. The following
list of bibliographies may help:

Wilhelm Totok, Karl-Heinz Weimann and Rolf Weitzel (comps.), Handbuch
der bibliographischen Nachschlagewerke, 5th ed. (Frankfurt am Main:
Vittorio Klostermann 1977) (known as Totok-Weitzel, a key to bibliogra-
phies of many fields and countries).

Winfried Baumgart (comp.), Bücherverzeichnis zur deusche Geschichte.
4th ed. (Frankfurt/Main, Berlin, Wien: Ullstein 1978)(a bibliography
of books about German history, including complete bibliographical
information about the Gotha and other books on noble and ruling
families).

Wilfgang Ribbe, Eckart Henning (eds.), Taschenbuch für Familienge-
schichtsforschung. 10th ed. (Neustadt an der Aisch: Degener 1990)
(includes the following bibliographies: religious groups 122-131,
funeral sermons 132, citizenship books 138-181, university matricles
181-221, Ortssippenbücher 221-233, address directories 235-262,
genealogical bibliographies in Germany and abroad 267-272, genealo-
gical magazines 272-278, biographical reference works 279-286,
migration and deportation 286-289, nobility 289-296, gazetteers
296-301, heraldry 331-336, names 350-352).

Otto Gundlach (comp.), Bibliotheca familiarum nobilium. 3rd ed. (Neu-
strelitz: Gundlach 1897)(references on genealogies of noble families
published until 1897).

Friedrich Wecken (vol. 1-2), Johannes Hohlfeld (vols. 3-7)(eds.),
Familiengeschichtliche Bibliographie. 7 vols. (Leipzig 1928-1938,
vols. 1-6, Marktschellenberg: Degener 1951), reprint of vols 1-6
(Wiesbaden: Sändig 1968)(includes fairly complete bibliographical
references for the following categories: general, institutions,
bibliographies, periodicals, sources, social classes and occupations,
places, onomastics, individual families, index of authors, surnames
etc., covering publications from 1898 to 1945; for a list on which
years are covered in which volume, see vol. 6 page 318).

Heinz F. Friederichs (comp.), Familiengeschichtliche Bibliographie.
vol. 11, 3 parts. (Neustadt an der Aisch: Degener 1961-1963)(conti-
nuation for years 1960-1962).

Eckart Henning, Gabriele Jochums (comp.), Familiengeschichtliche
Bibliographie. N.F. Band 1. (Stuttgart: Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft
Genealogischer Verbände, 1997). - Lists genealogical publications
from 1945 to 1960.

From 1963 onwards, there is no current biblio-
graphy of the genealogical literature. It is actually the task of the
Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft genealogischer Verbände to edit such a
work, but nothing has been achieved so far. - Several other books and
series partially help to overcome this lack:

Schrifttumsberichte zur Genealogie und ihren Nachbargebieten. 2 vols.
(Neustadt/Aisch: Degener 1951-1959, 1962-1972)(includes the following
articles:
no.  4: Citizenship registers, by Erich Wentscher.
no.  5: Genealogy outside of Germany, by Hermann Mitgau.
no.  8: Bibliography of regiment histories and registers of officers,
by Fritz Runge.
no.  9: The German genealogical societies and their publications, by
Walther Lampe.
no. 11: The Baltic genealogical writings, by Olaf Welding.
no. 12: Literature about funeral sermons, by Fritz Roth.
no. 13: Poem and device books (Stammbücher), by Hugo Schünemann).

Oswald Spohr (comp.), Familiengeschichtliche Quellen. Vol. 1-13
(Leipzig, lateron Schellenberg and Neustadt/Aisch: Degener 1926-1959)
(name keys to genealogical and historical books and periodicals,
covering more than 2 millions references, valuable for people who
search all occurrences of a given name everywhere).

Franz Heinzmann (comp.), Familiengeschichtliche Quellen. Vol. 14
(Düsseldorf: privately published by the author, 1984-1987) and con-
tinued.

Heinz Reise (ed.), Der Schlüssel, vols. 1-9 (Göttingen: Reise 1950
-1986), possibly continued (complete indexes to German-language
genealogical and regional history periodicals, with thorough indexes).

Thomas Freiherr von Fritsch, Die Gothaischen Taschenbücher Hofkalender
und Almanach. Aus dem Adelsarchiv vol. 2. (Limburg: Starke 1968)
(the history of the Gotha yearbooks and an index of the noble families
whose genealogies are published therein).

Karlheinz Goldmann (comp.), Verzeichnis der Hochschulen. (Neustadt an
der Aisch: Degener 1967)(a list of universities in the German-speaking
area and their matricles).

One is to discern between the covered years (Berichtsjahre) and the
year when the bibliography has been published.

Baden:

Bibliography der badischen Geschichte. 8 vols. 1929-1979 (continued
by the Landesbibliographie Baden-Württemberg).
Otto Beuttenmüller 'Bibliographie der gedruckten badischen bürgerlichen
Familiengeschichten' Schrifttumsberichte zur Genealogie vol. 2 no.
6-7 (1968).
See also Württemberg (from 1973 onwards).

Bavaria (Bayern):

Literarische Jahresrundschau 1 (1928) (an appendix to the Zeitschrift
für bayerische Landesgeschichte), then various titles, now Bayerische
Bibliographie (1989)(for 1980-1981) and continued.
Gerhard Pfeiffer, Fränkische Bibliographie, 4 vols. (Würzburg: Schö-
ningh, lateron Neustadt/Aisch: Degener, 1965-1978)(for publications
to 1945).
Unterfränkische Bibliographie (an appendix to Mainfränkisches Jahrbuch
für Geschichte und Kunst, vol.) 15 (1963)(for 1962-62), 41 (1989)(for
1988) and continued.
Schrifttum zur Geschichte von Stadt und Hochstift Bamberg sowie der
Randgebiete (an appendix to Berichte des Historischen Vereins Bamberg
vol.) 122 (1986)(for 1981-1985) and continued.
Neues Schrifftum zur Landeskunde Bayerisch Schwabens, series 67 (an
appendix to Zeitschrift des Historischen Vereins für Schwaben, vol.)
82 (1989)(for 1988) and continued.
Coburger Bibliographie (an appendix to Jahrbuch der Coburger Landes-
stiftung, vol.) 33 (1988) and continued.
Neuerscheinungen zur Geschichte und Landeskunde der Oberpfalz (in
Verhandlungen des Historischen Vereins der Oberpfalz und Regensburg
vol.) 128 (1988)(for 1988).
Pfälzische Bibliographie (started by Daniel Häberle in 1908) (Speyer:
Pfälzische Landesbibliothek 1991) (for 1980-1984) and continued.
Klaus Schwartzkopff, Blätter des Bayerischen Landesvereins für
Familenkunde. Gesamtregister. Blätter des Bayerischen Landesvereins
für Familienkunde vol 13a. (München: Bayerischer Landesverein für
Familienkunde, 1982).

Berlin:

Berlin-Bibliographie. Veröffentlichungen der Historischen Kommission
Berlin, Bibliographien ... 6 (1987)(for 1978-1984) and continued.
See also Brandenburg (for 1941-1956).

Brandenburg:

Bibliographie zur Geschichte der Mark Brandenburg und der Stadt Berlin
1941-1956 Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin, Schriften
des Instituts für Geschichte, Reihe II: Landesgeschichte, Band 6
(Berlin: Akademie-Verlag 1961).
Bibliographie zur Geschichte der Mark Brandenburg. 5 vols. (Weimar:
Böhlau 1970-1986).
Brandenburgische Literatur (Potsdam: Wissenschaftliche Allgemein-
bibliothek des Bezirkes Potsdam) 1 (1962)(for 1945-1958) to 17 (1988)
and continued.

Brunswick/Braunschweig:

Bibliographie zur braunschweigischen Landesgeschichte (in Braunschwei-
gisches Jahrbuch) 69 (1988)(for 1987) and continued.
See also Hannover.

Hannover:

Niedersachsen-Bibliographie 1908-1970. 5 vols. (Mainz-Kastel: Gaertner
1985). (Volume 5 includes families and persons).
Niedersächsische Bibliographie. Vol. 1 (Hildesheim: Lax 1971)(for
1975), vol. 6 (ibid. 1989)(for 1981-1984).

Hesse:

Schrifttum zur Geschichte und geschichtlichen Landeskunde von Hessen.
4 vols. (Marburg: Elwert 1973-1984)(for 1965-1976).
Hessische Bibliographie. Vol. 11 (München: Saur 1989)(for 1987).
Manfred Hofmann, 'Genealogische und biographische Quellen im Nassau-
ischen' Schrifttumsberichte zur Genealogie vol. 2 no. 1 (1962).

Hohenzollern:

Walter Bernhardt, Rudolf Seigel, Bibliographie der Hohenzollerischen
Geschichte Arbeiten zur Landeskunde Hohenzollerns vol. 12. (Sigma-
ringen: Thorbecke 1975).
See also Württemberg (from 1973 onwards).

Lippe:

Lippische Landesbibliographie. (Detmold: Lippische Landesbibliothek,
1988)(for 1986) and continued.

Mecklenburg:

Wilhelm Heeß: Geschichtliche Bibliographie von Mecklenburg. 3 vols.
(Rostock: Hinstorff 1944).
Mecklenburgische Bibliographie. (Schwerin: Wissenschaftliche Allge-
meinbibliothek) vol. 1 (1979)(for 1943-1964) to (1990)(for 1987).

Oldenburg:

Oldenburgische Bibliographie (in Oldenburger Jahrbuch vol.) 89 (1989)
(for 1988) and continued.

Pomerania:

Geschichtliche und landeskundliche Literatur Pommerns. Bibliographien
zur Geschichte und Landeskunde Ostmitteleuropas. Vol. 1 (for 1961-1970)
to 4 (1986)(for 1981-1984), vol. 5 (index to 1977-1981 and 1981-1984),
and continued.

Rhineland/Rheinprovinz:

Rheinland (in Blätter für deutsche Landesgeschichte vol.) 125 (1989)
(for 1978-1892).
Mittelrhein-Moselland-Bibliographie Veröffentlichungen aus rheinland-
pfälzischen und saarländischen Archiven vol. 1 (1978)(for 1975-1976),
12 (1988)(for 1987).
Bibliographie der wichtigeren Neuerscheinungen zur rheinischen Ge-
schichte, Rheinische Heimatpflege vol. 26 (1989)(for 1986-1987)
and continued.
Nordrhein-Westfälische Bibliographie vol. 1 (Düsseldorf: Schwann 1984),
vol. 5 (1989)(for 1987) and continued.
Edith Przyrembel, Bibliothek der Westdeutschen Gesellschaft für Fami-
lienkunde. Bestandsverzeichnis Veröffentlichungen der Westdeutschen
Gesellschaft für Familienkunde, Neue Folge 10. Köln: Westdeutsche
Gesellschaft für Familienkunde 1976.

Saxony/Sachsen:

Sächsische Bibliographie. Dresden: Sächsische Landesbibliothek. Vol. 1
(1989-..)(for 1945-1960), (1988)(for 1987) and continued.

Schleswig-Holstein:

Schleswig-Holsteinische Bibliographie. Vol. 12 (Neumünster: Wachholtz
1989)(for 1984-1986) and continued.

Silesia/Schlesien:

Literatur zur schlesischen Landeskunde für das Jahr 19.. (in Jahrbuch
der schlesischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Breslau) 29 (1988)
(for 1986-1987) and continued.
Schlesische Bibliographie. (Marburg: J.-G. Herder Institut), 3 vols.
(1986-87)(for 1971-1980), 2 vols. (1989)(for 1981-1985) and preceding
volumes.

Thuringia/Thüringen:

Regionalgeschichtliche Arbeiten im Bezirk Gera von 19.. to 19..
(in Jahrbuch für Regionalgeschichte, Weimar) 16 (1989)(for 1980-1985)
and prior volumes.
Regionalbibliographie für die Bezirke Erfurt, Gera und Suhl. (Jena:
Universitätsbibliothek (1989)(for 1985) and continued.

Westfalia:

Beiträge zur geschichtlichen Landeskunde Westfalens in ausgewählten
Zeitschriften (in Westfälische Forschungen, vol.) 38 (1988)(for
1985-1986) and continued.
See also Rhineland.

Württemberg:

Bibliographie der württembergischen Geschichte. 11 vols. (1895-1974)
(including older writings).
Landesbibliographie von Baden-Württemberg vol. 1 (Stuttgart: Kohlhammer
1978)(for 1973-1974), vol. 8 (ibid. 1991)(for 1987) and continued.
Otto Beuttenmüller, Bibliographie der gedruckten württembergischen
bürgerlichen Familiengeschichten Schrifttumsberichte zur Genealogie
vol. 2 no. 8-10 (1970-1972).

This listing is incomplete, especially concerning older series and
titles. In addition, many regional historical societies publish overall
indexes to their magazines. A listing of these societies, their maga-
zines and the indexes is found in the following booklet:
Walter Heinemeyer (comp.), Gesamtverein der deutschen Geschichts- und
Altertumsvereine, Mitgliederverzeichnis, 2nd. ed. 1986 (Köln, Ulm:
Gesamtverein der deutschen Geschichts- und Altertumsvereine, 1986).

It is a matter of experience whether it is easier to search for some
publication on an ancestral family or to start with original sources,
such as parish registers.