Germany Location Field Guidelines
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WikiTree Guidance on Location Fields
Detailed pages: German Territorial Structure in the Course of History
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| Sven, Alexandra and Flo talking about Names, Location and Categories for German Profiles on WikiTree Day 2023  |
NOTE: This page is a work in progress and will be expanded over time.
WikiTree guidelines say "use their convention, not ours". WikiTree's preferred style for location names is to use the name that was used by the people in that place, at the time of the event you're recording. This means using place names in German and using the names that people at the time used, even if those places no longer exist.
This standard is often difficult or even impossible to apply, but it is an ideal that members from all over the world can agree upon. Consequently, the guidelines below are merely suggestions to help members research the proper location name for the place their ancestors lived.
Ideally, we would like to see the German place name used in the location field. For example, when recording the birthplace of someone born in Bavaria, Germany in the 1830s, you would use "Bayern, Deutscher Bund" rather than the English "Bavaria, Germany" or the present day "Bayern, Deutschland".
German place names are particularly difficult to chronicle, as evidenced in this short video: 1000 Years of European Border Changes.
THE BASICS
- MOST IMPORTANTLY: AN ESTIMATED LOCATION IS BETTER THAN NO LOCATION AT ALL. As a general rule, entering a location and marking it uncertain is better than leaving the location field blank. However, in the interest of accuracy, we'd appreciate it if you could try and add the following:
- 1. The FEDERAL name as it was called during that era:
- 1949-today: Deutschland (aka Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
- 1945-1949: Besatzungszone, Gesamtdeutschland
- 1871-1945: Deutsches Reich
- 1867–1870: Norddeutscher Bund (NOTE: some territories were considered sovereign states)
- 1866-1867: State/region name - each territory was considered a sovereign state
- 1815–1866: Deutscher Bund
- 1813-1815: State/region name - each territory was considered a sovereign state
- 1806–1813: Rheinbund (NOTE: some territories were considered sovereign states)
- 962–1806: Heiliges Römisches Reich
- 2. The STATE name
- NOTE: before 1919 there were kingdoms, grand duchies, duchies, principalities, etc. If you don't know or are unsure of the State/Kingdom/Duchy, please add to the text in the Biography section whatever details you have about the location name.
- NOTE: from 1866-1918, much of the German Empire was a part of the Kingdom of Prussia, so you'd add Preußen - i.e., Preußen, Deutsches Reich.
- NOTE: TODAY the 16 German States/Regions are: Baden-Württemberg; Bayern; Berlin (city state); Brandenburg; Bremen (city state); Hamburg (city state); Hessen; Mecklenburg-Vorpommern; Niedersachsen; Nordrhein-Westfalen; Rheinland-Pfalz; Saarland; Sachsen; Sachsen-Anhalt; Schleswig-Holstein and Thüringen. For more information see the main Germany Regions Team page.
- 1. The FEDERAL name as it was called during that era:
- 3. City/Town/Municipality name, if available.
- TIP: If you select Language: "German" in the data fields (between Suffix and Birth Date), the automated FamilySearch place name suggestions will appear in German, if not, they default to your browser's language.
- TIP: You might want to check out the bookmarklet GermanyLocationCleanup.js by Florian Straub. It automatically changes Germany/Deutschland to the right name based on the year stated in the location fields. It also cleans up the suggestions in the drop-down fields to better match our guidelines. The page also explains what bookmarklets are and how it can be installed.
Germany-Specific Guidelines
- 1. If you have all the location info, the format should be as follows (this should also be the format for location field names prior to the 18th century):
- English: Town/Village, State, Country
- German: Ort, Bundesland, Deutschland
- prior to 1806: Town, State, Heiliges Römisches Reich
- 2. OPTIONAL (after 1806):
- English: Town/Village, Municipality, County, State, Country
- German: Ort, Gemeinde, Kreis, Bundesland, Deutschland
- 2a. If the Town and Municipality (Ort and Gemeinde) are the same, only list it ONCE.
- 2b. Please do not add State/Province/Kingdom/Federal additions to location fields, i.e.:
- rather than: Provinz Ostpreußen, Königreich Preußen, Deutsches Reich (Province of East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire)
--> use Ostpreußen, Preußen, Deutsches Reich (East Prussia, Prussia, German Empire) - rather than: Land Schleswig-Holstein, Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Land Schleswig-Holstein, Federal Republic of Germany)
--> use Schleswig-Holstein, Deutschland
- rather than: Provinz Ostpreußen, Königreich Preußen, Deutsches Reich (Province of East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire)
- 2b. Please do not add State/Province/Kingdom/Federal additions to location fields, i.e.:
- 2c. If you're adding other municipal/administrative additions, i.e. Gemeinde and Kreis, please add "Gemeinde XYZ", "Kreis XYZ" to the location field.
WikiTree Guidelines
- If in doubt, collaborate. Post a comment on the profile, ask in the Germany Google Group and/or post to G2G (tagged with Germany and location_fields). Leave detailed research notes if you've spent time researching the location but are still unsure.
- Please remember the following:
- Information in any data field should be supported in the profile's text (with a source, if available)
- Use capitalization as appropriate (i.e.: McClellan instead of Mcclellan)
- It is never appropriate to use ALL CAPS in a data field
- NO punctuation other than commas should be used in location fields
- Again: as a general rule, entering almost any location and marking it uncertain is better than entering no location at all
German Orthography
- The German alphabet consists of the twenty-six letters of the ISO basic Latin alphabet plus four special letters. Whenever possible, try to use following special letters in location fields. The ALT + number codes you can use for each are as follows:
- ß or ALT 225
- ä or ALT 132
- Ä ot ALT 0196
- ö or ALT 148
- Ö or ALT 0214
- ü or ALT 129
- Ü or ALT 0220
The Details: The Country now known as Germany
Rather than adding Germany (or, more appropriately, Deutschland) to a location field, please use the country name that was appropriate during that time. The following includes a brief summary of some of the data held in German Territorial Structure in the Course of History (currently pages are available for 1806-present). See those pages for detailed information. Wikipedia pages and WikiTree categories for each era are also linked below.
Germania (beginning of time-c. 486/7 AD)
- Name to add to location field: Germania.
Frankish Kingdom (486/7-800)/Empire (800-843)
- Name to add to location field: Fränkische Reich.
Kingdom of the East Franks (843–962)
- Name to add to location field: Ostfrankenreich. (Category: Regnum Francorum Orientalium)
Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (962–1806)
- Name to add to location field: Heiliges Römisches Reich. (Category: Imperium Romanum Sacrum)
- Try to add the proper official name of a state when known.
- Examples for location field:
- -
- -
- Examples for location field:
- Additional info: Although the Heiliges Römisches Reich basically consisted of three parts, these kingdom names do not need to appear in the location fields:
- the Regnum Teutonicum (Eng.: German Kingdom; Ger.: Deutsches Reich) or Regnum Teutonicorum (Eng.: Kingdom of the Germans; Ger.: Reich der Deutschen) 843-
- the Regnum Italicum (Eng.: Kingdom of Italy or Imperial Italy; Ger.: Königreich Italien or Reichsitalien) 855-1801
- the Regnum Arelatense (Eng.: Kingdom of Arles/Burgundy; Ger.: Königreich Arelat/Burgund) 933-1378
Confederation of the Rhine (1806–1813) / Individual States (1806/1813-1815)
- Name to add to location field: Rheinbund. (Category)
- Examples for location field (NOTE: Prussia was NOT in the Rheinbund):
- -if the states are part of the Rheinbund: Münster, Westfalen, Rheinbund
- -if not: Berlin, Brandenburg, Preußen
- Examples for location field (NOTE: Prussia was NOT in the Rheinbund):
- Space page for Rheinbund is under construction HERE
German Confederation (1815–1866)
- Name to add to location field: Deutscher Bund (Category)
- Examples for location field (note that there are some areas outside of the Deutscher Bund and areas under administration from foreign states - East Prussia was NOT in the Deutscher Bund):
- - Leezen, Segeberg, Holstein, Dänemark, Deutscher Bund
- - Bodenteich, Uelzen, Hannover, Deutscher Bund
- - Königsberg, Ostpreußen, Preußen (because not part of the Deutscher Bund)
- Examples for location field (note that there are some areas outside of the Deutscher Bund and areas under administration from foreign states - East Prussia was NOT in the Deutscher Bund):
- States in the German Confederation
- Parts of the federal states that did NOT belong to the German Confederation
- Regions that were not part of the German Confederation, but part of the Kingdom of Prussia
- Regions that were not part of the German Confederation, but part of the Austrian Empire
- States that were governed in personal union or real union with member states of the German Confederation
Individual States (1866-1867)
- From the time the German Confederation ended until the North German Confederation was established, all German states were considered sovereign states. Name to add to location field: STATE NAME
- See list of states here: German individual states 1866-1867
North German Confederation (1867–1870)
- Name to add to location field: Norddeutscher Bund.
- Examples for location field (NOTE: some were Prussian provinces)
- - Sachsen, Norddeutscher Bund
- - Heiderfeld, Leezen, Segeberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Preußen, Norddeutscher Bund
- Examples for location field (NOTE: some were Prussian provinces)
- States in the North German Confederation (1867-1870) (Norddeutscher Bund)
- German states that did not belong to the North German Confederation (1867-1870)
- States that dropped out of the process of forming a German state, 1867
German Empire (1871–1945)
- Name to add to location field: Deutsches Reich.
- Examples for location field (NOTE: some were Prussian provinces)
- - Wolfenbüttel, Braunschweig, Deutsches Reich
- - Heiderfeld, Schleswig-Holstein, Preußen, Deutsches Reich
- Examples for location field (NOTE: some were Prussian provinces)
1. German Empire (1871–1918)
- German Empire 1871-1917 (Deutsches Kaiserreich)
- German Protectorates 1884-1918 (Schutzgebiete)
2. German Empire - Weimar Republic (1918–1933)
- Weimarer Republik was the form of government in the second reich of the German Empire.
- Detailed information: German Territorial Structure: 1918-1933
- Regions/territories during this era:
- Deutsches Reich - Weimarer Republik (1918-1933)
- Areas under the League of Nations:
- Saargebiet (Saarland)
- Freie Stadt Danzig (The Free City of Danzig)
- Memelland (part of East Prussia)
- German Colonies
3. German Empire - "Nazi Germany" (1933–1945)
- Großdeutsches Reich (also known as the "Third Reich", German Empire - National Socialist Dictatorship; Deu.: Nationalsozialistische Diktatur).
- Territories during this era:
- Areas incorporated into the German Reich before the beginning of World War II
- Areas incorporated into the German Empire during World War II
- Territories occupied during World War II under German civil administration
- Territories occupied during World War II without autonomy
- Territories occupied during World War II under martial law
Allied-occupied Germany (1945-1949)
- Name to add to location field: Besatzungszone, Gesamtdeutschland.
- Example to use in location field:
- - Leezen, Segeberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Britische Besatzungszone, Gesamtdeutschland
- Example to use in location field:
- Germany as a whole under the rule of the Allies (1945-1949)
- Eastern Territories of the German Empire
Federal Republic of Germany (1949-Present)
- Name to add to location field: Deutschland (or Bundesrepublik Deutschland) (Category). The Federal Republic of Germany is comprised of 16 states. See a chart and more detailed information here: Bundesrepublik Deutschland and here: Regions Team
- Example to use in location field:
- - Heiderfeld, Gemeinde Leezen, Kreis Segeberg, Schleswig-Holstein, Deutschland
- Example to use in location field:
- Other territories existing during this period:
- 1949-1990 - Name to add to location field: Deutsche Demokratische Republik (German Democratic Republic).
- 1947-1956 - Name to add to location field: Saarland.
- Modern-day German place names consist of:
- 1. Town/city (Ort)
- 2. OPTIONAL (add "Gemeinde" before the location name): Municipalities (Gemeinde): list of municipalites: click on "M" in the chart for corresponding State,
- 3. OPTIONAL (add "Kreis" before the location name): Rural/City districts (Kreis, Kreisfreie Stadt): List of 401 districts,
- 3a. Administrative districts (Amt, Samtgemeinde, Verbandsgemeinde and others) - PLEASE OMIT THESE FROM NAME FIELDS
- 4. State (Bundesland): 16 German States,
- 4a. Governmental districts (Regierungsbezirk) - PLEASE OMIT THESE FROM NAME FIELDS
- 3. OPTIONAL (add "Kreis" before the location name): Rural/City districts (Kreis, Kreisfreie Stadt): List of 401 districts,
- 5. Federal: Bundesrepublik Deutschland or Deutschland
Other Resources
- See German Territorial Structure in the Course of History for details about all of the above.
- Germany Project Category Guidelines
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Collaboration
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First: Kurpfalz is the casual version of Kurfürstentum Pfalz. While both terms are correct, but we should try to keep it standardized since not everyone will know it, and if you, lets say, search for profiles of people living in the Kurpfalz you might miss the ones labeled with Kurfürstentum and vice versa.
Second: Mosbach (this might take a while to explain) ... it is correct Obergimpern belonged to the Oberamt Mosbach, but it is not necessary to state that, and in fact it might complicate things. For historically reasons if you do want to have the „Amt“ level in the location you would have to referred to it as „Oberamt Mosbach“ not just Mosbach, since the later is only referring to the town Mosbach and has nothing to to with Obergimpern. Both were ruled be different Lords and in fact the Lord of Obergimpern would have slapped you right in the face if you would have mentioned that he belonged to Mosbach, since technically he was on the same level as even the Elector (Kurfürst) of Pfalz, that is directly under the Holy Roman Emperor. He just happened to also rule over some land (including Obergimpern) that he had as a fief from the Elector. The Elector on the other hand would rightly state that Obergimpern belonged to him and therefore on paper it belonged to his administrative region of „Oberamt Mosbach“, even if it was not in practice ruled by him. You see at some point it is better not to try to figure out the „Amt“ level of the locations over time, since it is hard enough to find the right state. In your case it is rather easy since the Oberamt Mosbach was kept over the centuries. In Saxony we have the problem that the „Ämter“ structure changed more frequently than the state borders, and that's saying something.
But beside that historical reason there is also a practical one to consider. This is something we do in Saxony now. The problem of putting the „Amt“ level in the location is the following: Since the Amt normally is called after the main town in it (like Mosbach), when you later search for people living in the town Mosbach you always will be flooded with everyone that lived in the territory of the „Oberamt“ Mosbach as well. And it is too much to put into the location field. In Saxony we would easily ending up with something like Großsteinbach, Parthenstein, Grimma, Leipzig, Königreich Sachsen, Heiliges Römisches Reich. Having 4 different towns in one location field. Searching for inhabitants of the town Leipzig will be flooding you with everyone who ever lived in one-third of the Kingdom Saxony at that time. So instead we put only Großsteinbach, Königreich Sachsen, Heiliges Römisches Reich in the location field, and put in the profile to the category of Großsteinbach (Parthenstein), Sachsen – which includes the modern structure and the coordinates on the map for that village. So you can easily find it even if you are not familiar with the historical structure. And it keeps the location field free of several place names of towns that actually have nothing to do with the birthplace of the person.
But as I mentioned, I can only speak for Saxony here, even if I think that the search problem will be more prominent later on in future, when there are more profiles in the region, and that the location rules will have to be chanced then to the Saxony model anyways.
Clearly there are practical reasons to ensure that the Oberamt information is made know, but would that be in the biography rather than the Location Field?
Just a question about State Names. Do you use the actual State Name, eg - 'Kurfürstentum Sachsen' or 'Königreich Sachsen' (from 1806-1918) or just 'Sachsen'? I thought the former option was preferred but examples on this page seem to indicate the latter.
Perhaps this needs to be discussed on G2G so all European countries are following the same standard? Or maybe it has already?
Thanks John
We opted to keep these guidelines as simple as possible for several reasons. For example, sometimes, German location names are too lengthy to be accepted in WikiTree's location fields. Also, most non-Germans (like myself) have a very difficult time finding the correct place name for a specific year. We hope that people will use our expanded guidelines linked here: https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:German_territorial_structure_in_the_course_of_history. But, these pages are very complex and written mostly in German.
As it is impossible for the project to check/verify every German place name on WikiTree, we ask that folks try to apply the correct "state" and "federal" names and that they are input the German language. That said, members can choose to add whatever they want to the fields - dbes are not generated at this time or we would be overwhelmed with errors.
If you'd like to address this on G2G and try to establish a standard for all European countries, please feel free to do so. My opinion will remain the same: keep them as simple as possible.
Best regards, Traci
edited by L. König
There are a few wrinkles to iron out. My German ancestors came from Silesia. They travelled with folk from the Prussian province of Posen, which was not a part of the German Confederation. I'm still thinking about an amendment to these guidelines.
edited by Steve Thomas