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Discovering Germanic European Roots with DNA and Records

4 MIN READ

by Susan Skilton, Professional Genealogist at Ancestry
21 May 2024

If you know your ancestors came from Germany and you want to trace their origins, it can be hard to know where to begin. The country we now call Germany is only a part of the former Germanic Europe, which has a long history of changing borders and states.

Even if you have the name of a city to start your search, it can be less than helpful. Immigrants to North America often referred to known large cities in Germanic Europe as their birthplaces, since they were easier to describe than less prominent villages or municipalities. The family historian can end up with more questions than answers about their Germanic roots.

Now, though, it’s easier than ever to start this search with the latest AncestryDNA® release of new German and European DNA communities. Your DNA communities, along with access to billions of historical records on Ancestry® can jumpstart your research. In the 266 new Germanic Europe communities, you’ll see your German origins mapped in amazing new detail and be oriented to records for exciting discoveries. 

Discover AncestryDNA® German and Europe Communities

The key to successful family history research in Germanic Europe is identifying the place of origin for your ancestors. Communities can show you a specific location your ancestors may have lived, and give you a starting place for digging into records for your family background.

For example, here are DNA results for a person of German descent. Their DNA communities point them not just to Germany, but to specific areas of the Pomeranian and Mecklenburg regions—areas that have been part of German and Polish territory at different points in history.

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This person has three of the new German communities in their results. The communities indicate ancestors were from the Mecklenburg and northwestern Pomeranian areas. Results like this can help narrow your search for records.

Based on these results, this person can start searching the abundant records Ancestry has from this area, like the Mecklenburg, Germany, Parish Register Transcripts, 1740-1918, or the Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, census. Searching German census records can be extremely powerful, since they include information about whole families, where they lived, and even their religious affiliation. For example, below are records from the 1819 census for Ferdinand Stiller. Mr. Stiller was born in 1813 in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, where he lived all his life, and like most of his neighbors, was of the Protestant faith. The types of details also provide an excellent starting point to searches for additional records, like his baptism record.

Mecklenburg-Schwerin 1819 Census shows a record of Ferdinand Stiller. Records like this can be rich sources of information about your ancestors. Source: Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, Census, 1819, Ancestry

In addition to looking at your own DNA communities, you can also use the DNA compare feature to see what communities you share with your DNA matches. If you focus on matches that share your surname, you might find areas that come up over and over. This can help narrow your search for records and ancestors. 

Get your ancestors’ personal stories by exploring German and European records

In my own family research, DNA communities have been very helpful narrowing my search to specific records. In searching for my husband’s ancestors, his DNA communities pointed me to Central Pomerania—a part of the Pomeranian region that falls in modern-day Poland. I knew he had roots in this area from looking at his DNA matches, but his communities helped me pinpoint the region to look for records.

The Central Pomeranian community is located in an area of modern day Poland, but which was historically part of German Prussia in the early 20th century. The star marks the approximate location of Chojnice, Poland.

The Patzke surname was just a vague part of my husband’s family tree. Using his Pomeranian community’s polygon as a guide, I narrowed my search for records to the town of Konitz (now Chojnice, Poland, marked in the map above). There I was able to find a copy of the civil registration for Franz Patzke’s death filed in the civil district of Konitz, Pomerania.

The civil registration filing for Franz Patske’s death. The record is part of the collection from Eastern Prussian Provinces, most of which are now part of Poland. Source: Eastern Prussian Provinces, Germany [Poland], Selected Civil Vitals, 1874-1945, Ancestry

The record contains so many details, including the date of death, Franz’s birth date and location, and the names of his parents. As if that isn’t enough to add to the Patzke family branch, the record also has the name of Franz’s wife, Paulina (Pestka) Patzke, who signed the document, and the date of Franz’s marriage to Paulina. This type of document quickly expands a family tree, leading to exciting quests for more records.

Uncover even more with new DNA features and historical records

No matter where circumstances, chance, or choice took your German ancestors during their lives, the powerful tools from Ancestry can provide the resources you need to build your family history.

You can see your results for 266 German and European DNA communities with anAncestryDNA® test. If you want to explore more about their lives and journeys, an Ancestry® membership gets you access to billions of valuable research records.

*Some DNA features require an Ancestry membership

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