Tracking down your ancestors’ activities in interwar Latvia can be tricky. The official records are not online. Any birth, marriage or death record needs to be obtained from a registry office, either by going in person (cheapest), ordering through an
Where Could They Be From?
What do you do if you have little to go on when it comes to researching your Latvian ancestors? What if they emigrated in the late 1800s or early 1900s, and the only information that passenger lists or naturalization records
Ž is for Žandarmērija
So now we have come to the end of the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge! I’m happy that I’ve been able to complete the whole challenge. What next, I wonder? So, Ž is for ŽandarmÄ“rija… “žandarmÄ“rija” is the Latvian
S is for Social Estate
As promised during M is for Manorial Estate, now we have S is for Social Estate for the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge! While Manorial Estate was all about the countryside, Social Estate is primarily about the cities. Technically,
R is for Raduraksti
But wait, what about Q? Well, the Latvian alphabet doesn’t have a Q, so R is the next letter of the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge! This is only the first letter I’m skipping, and being as I’ve done
P is for Parish
Let’s continue the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge! The important word of the day is “parish” – and in Latvian, it has a name with a P too – “pagasts”. Now, this refers to civil parishes, rather than religious
O is for Orthography
I know, I know, it has been a long time since I updated on the Family History through the Alphabet challenge. I was already behind when I joined, now I’m even further behind! But no matter. I will catch up
N is for New Style
Almost caught up on the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge! Today we’re talking about dates, dates and more dates – the topic is New Style vs. Old Style! No, we’re not talking about fashions for an evening out, but
G is for Germans
What’s next in the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge? Germans! Germans and the German language have a long history in Latvia. Ever since the first bishops of Bremen came to Latvian territory in the late 12th century to Christianize
C is for Census
Time for the letter C in the Family History Through the Alphabet challenge! C is for Census Census records are key genealogical records in most countries. Latvia is no exception. However, accessing and interpreting Latvian records can be a bit