Did Germany Exist Before 1871?
Prior to the late 1800s there was no single country called "Germany." There were German people and there was a German language, but they lived in a number of different kingdoms, principalities, duchies, etc.
A region of central Europe called "Germania" was inhabited by several Germanic tribes as early as AD 100. After the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) the modern nation-state system was born. The Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815) reorganized Germany into 39 nation-states. After decades of unrest, the German Empired was created in 1871 under the leadership of Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. A more detailed review of the political structure and history of Germany to give you insight into your ancestors can be found in this article.
The important thing to keep in mind for genealogical research purposes is that each of the nation-states (from the 1640s) had its own local rulers and laws. Each of these was like a country of its own, complete with its own customs, records, record keeping styles, and particularities. As a genealogist research your German ancestry, your first step will be to identify the province of origin. Then, you need to see what type of records, archives, etc., are found for that area. Ideally, your research will uncovered the town of origin.
If you have any difficulty with German genealogy research on your own, please feel free to contact ProGenealogists for help. Our staff of professional German experts will be pleased to offer you a free estimate.
German Political Structure at Unification
Germany's historical organization, or "unification," took place in 1871. The following describes how the new country of Germany was established.
Kingdoms (Königreiche)
- Bavaria
- Prussia
- Saxony
- Wurttemberg
Grand Duchies (Grossherzogtümer) Baden
- Hesse
- Mecklenburg-Schwerin
- Mecklenburg-Strelitz
- Oldenburg
- Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Duchies (Herzogtümer)
- Anhalt
- Brunswick
- Saxe-Altenburg
- Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
- Saxe-Meiningen
- Principalities (Fürstentümer)
- Lippe
- Reuss-Gera or Reuss Younger Line
- Reuss-Greiz or Reuss Elder Line
- Schaumburg-Lippe
- Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
- Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
- Waldeck-Pyrmont
Free Cities (Freie Hansestädte)
- Bremen
- Hamburg
- Lübeck
Germany Currently Has 16 States
- Bavaria
- Baden-Württemberg
- Berlin
- Brandenburg
- Bremen
- Hamburg
- Hesse
- Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
- Lower-Saxony
- North Rhine-Westphalia
- Rhineland-Palatinate
- Saarland
- Saxony
- Saxony-Anhalt
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Thuringia
At ProGenealogists, we understand how complicated the political history of Germany can be. We would love to help you, so please ask for a free estimate!
