Part 2 – Genealogical Sources After reading Part 1 of this primer, and the historical context of Latvian emigration, now it is time to move to genealogical sources – the resources that you can use to trace your Latvian ancestry.
Latvian Genealogy Primer – Part 1
Ready to move on to genealogical sources? See Part 2 of this primer here. Part 1 – Historical Context What You Need to Know about Latvia Latvia is a country in northeastern Europe, bordered by Estonia, Russia, Belarus and Lithuania.
Tuesday’s Tip: Look Randomly
Generally speaking, genealogy is a calm and focused pursuit. However, sometimes you need to be random – this is particularly true when trying to find something at the archives. There is a reason for this – the Central Fond Register
Tuesday’s Tip: House Books
A wonderful resource for researching Latvian genealogy is the house book collection at the Latvian State Historical Archives. They are available in fond 2942 for RÄ«ga and in fond 2110 for the rest of Latvia. During the Czarist era, as
Search for Anna Liepa: Update
So last month I posted a “Plan of Attack” for finding more about the origins of my great-grandmother Anna Liepa. So, how has it gone? Not all that well, I’m afraid. The house book for Romanova iela 62/64 did not
Birth Record of KarolÄ«ne Matilde Baburs – December 31, 1867 (O.S.)
Caroline Mathilde, daughter of worker Martin Babbur and his wife Edde born Jansohn. Baptized by Pastor Getter(?) in the church [Church of Jesus, an evangelican Lutheran church south of the Old City of RÄ«ga]. Godparents maiden Caroline Wendt, worker Martin
Death Record of JÄ“kabs Å Ä«rs – October 4, 1923
Click for full image. Image courtesy of a cousin from my LÅ«kins family line. Fishing manager JÄ’KABS ŠĪRS, 61 1/2 years old, born in Aloja, divorced. Died on October 4, 1923, at 10 o’clock in the evening in RÄ«nuži. Buried
Birth Record of Anna Liepa – September 22, 1895
This post is the first in a series that I’ll be making about events in my ancestors’ lives, on the days that the events took place. My reasons for this series are twofold – first of all, it helps me
Getting Out of Riga
RÄ«ga is the capital city of Latvia and the largest city in the Baltics. Since Latvian records are largely unindexed, this means that locating an ancestor in RÄ«ga is like looking for a needle in a haystack. If your ancestors
Paying Attention to Details
It is too easy, especially when reading records that require interpretation of handwriting in an unfamiliar language, to pick out the main details – date of birth and parents – but ignore the details that are “not strictly necessary” –