Tip 5, Researching the Journey from Germany to Galicia

Books, some of which are available online on the FamilySearch website, that are valuable for research on emigration from Germany to Galicia are listed below.  Visit our Tip 02 page for help with FamilySearch. 

  1. Kartei der Auswanderer in den Ostgebieten, 1750-1943 (Index cards of German emigrants to eastern Europe) by the Deutsches Ausland-Institut (Stuttgart). It includes Hungary, the Banat region, Galicia, and Poland arranged alphabetically by surname. It provides information regarding place of origin and place of settlement, dates and places of birth, death, and marriage, spouse's name, religion, occupation, number of persons accompanying, documentary references, date of and route of emigration, when registered with officials in Vienna, and some biographical notes. Maiden names are cross-referenced to married names. Available online at any Family History Center (FHC). 

  2. Quellen zur deutschen Siedlungsgeschichte in Südosteuropa (Sources Regarding the History of the German Settlement in Southeastern Europe) by Dr. Franz Wilhelm and Dr. Josef Kallbrunner. Indexes 13,201 surnames from Austrian immigration lists of Danube Swabians, Banat, and Galician Germans. This book is in German, but GGD has some helpful hints for members on our website HERE . It is also available online at the Quellen link above starting at image 371. 

  3. Auswanderungen aus Rheinpfalz und Saarland im 18. Jahrhundert by Werner Hacker. (Emigration from the Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland regions of Germany in 1800's). Names of emigrants are transcribed and listed alphabetically along with their documentary sources. Info includes name, destination, place of origin, occupation, and those accompanying. Emigration is traced primarily to North America, the former Kingdom of Prussia, the Austro-Hungarian empire (especially Galicia), and Russia. (includes index) Book ISBN 3-8062-04870X. No microfilm of this book. You will need to obtain it through a Public Library inter-library loan.

  4. Vor 200 Jahren aus der Pfalz nach Galizien und in die Bukowina. Authors Ernst Hobler and Rudolf Mohr. Published: Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt: herausgegeben vom Hilfskomitee der Galiziendeutschen, 1982. "Historical documentation of the migration from the Palatinate to Galicia and Bukowina, Austria." Not microfilmed. Needs to be obtained through a Public Library inter-library loan.  Members can see a poor English translation lock icon if they wish to see if it warrants them obtaining a German copy.

  5. Geschichte der Deutschen in den Karpathenländern. "History of German settlements in Eastern Europe, principally near the Carpathian Mountains. Includes the former Austrian principalities of Galicia and Bukowina, now in Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Ukraine; Romania and Hungary". Volume 3, Geschichte der Deutschen in Galizien, Ungarn, der Bukowina und Romanien siet etwa 1770 bis zue Gegenwart. Author: Kaindl, Raimund Friedrich. With Index. This is available online at FamilySearch, Title No. 585309_03. Book is in German and viewable online at the above FamilySearch link. A translation into English of the 77 page portions pertaining to Galicia was done by A. Reip, and is found on GGD website under the "Members Only" section.

  6. 135,000 Gewannen das Vaterland: die Heimkehr der Deutschen aus Wolhynien, Galizien und dem Narewgebiet. "The return of 135,000 Germans from Volhynia, Galicia and the Narew River area in 1939". Sommer, Helmut. Not available online. Available by ordering microfilm #1183617 item #10 only at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City.

  7. Von der Pfalz zum Dunajetz: Schicksal der Auswanderer aus dem Rheingau über 200 Jahre. "A two century history of Palatinate emigrants to the Dunajetz river area Neu Sandez of Galicia, and their return to West Germany following WW 2." Walloschke, Roland. Not microfilmed. Can be obtained through a Public Library inter-library loan.

  8. Ansiedlerakten, 1782-1805. Author Wien (Niederöster-reich). Hofkammer. "Card file and documents relating to settlers from Germany, Bohemia and Moravia to Galicia and Bukovina during the 18th & 19th century. See Ansiedler nach Galizien 1782-1805 Kartei online starting at microfilm #1326450 Items 2 & 3. Dave Gorz, our past president, has written up a guide to their use.
    • A – Böhme: film 1326450 Items 2-3
    • Böhme - D H – Hepting: film 1326451
    • Herad - Hexel E – Grono: film 1326452
    • Gross - Günge Hieb – Knott: film 1326453
    • Kob – Matzner: film 1326481
    • Mauer – P: film 1326482
    • Q - Sz Scha – Schmid: film 1326483
    • Schmidt - St T – Wazner: film 1326484
    • Weber – Z: film 1326485 Item 1

    • (Viewable online at the link above with more references to Fasz numbers and dates.)

  9. Kartei der Ansiedlungsorte, 1750—1943. Deutsches Ausland-Institut (Stuttgart)  "Index cards, the first group arranged alphabetically by village, which is cross-referenced to names of individual emigrants. Includes village name, jurisdictional unit, and province with "see" references to names of immigrants. The second group is arranged alphabetically by province or country, and by surnames. Places of settlement include the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russia, Poland and Italy. Available online at any Family History Center (FHC).
    • Nach Ansiedlungsorten: Adast-Grabatz: film 1568385 items 3 & 4
    • Grabatz-Niepolomice: film 1568386
    • Niepolomice-Zymnewoda: film 1568438

    • Nach Provinzen und Familiennammen: Banat-Westgalizien: film 1568439 item 1-2

  10. Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, provide place name and ethnic nature (Bohemian-German, Palatine) of settlement, acreage of property, number (and sometimes names) of family members, and place or origin. Galicia belonged to Austria-Hungary from 1772-1919; it is now divided between Poland and the Ukraine in the former Soviet Union.  The microfilms are only available online at any Family History Center (FHC). 
    • Adolf – Schuster film 1568875 item #3, 4
    • Schuster, E-Zöwe Ohne Ortsangaben: Bunger-Zimmer

    • Nachträge: Schweitzer-Stahl: film 1569027, item #1  

  11. Zentrale Sippenkartei, 1750-1943 – Deutsches Ausland-Institute (Stuttgart) is main author. More authors: Coblenz (Rheinland) Bundesarchiv.  Brigham Young University (BYU) provides a search for these records at this website.
    Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, which provide information on date and place of birth, death, and marriage; names of spouse, parents, children (with their birth and death dates); and occupation for Germans who settled abroad, chiefly in the Austro- Hungarian Empire.
      • Abel - Briel film 1568369 Items 4-5.
      • Briel - Greb film 1568370
      • Greb-Kiuer film 1568371
      • Klain - Oswald film 1568372
      • Pach - Theisz film 1568373

      • Thelinger - Zolner film 1568385 Items 1-2.

    The microfilms are only viewable at a FHC, but the above link takes you to a searchable database that seems to cover the same records and gives good details.

  12. Auswanderungen aus hessischen Territorien nach Südosteuropa im 18 . u. 19. Jh 
    Author: von Anton Reimann. "Emigration from Hessen, Germany to southeastern Europe (primarily Hungary and Austria) in the 18th & 19th centuries". With Index. View microfilm #1573227, item #1 at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City

  13. Einwandererkartei, 1939-1945 and  Deutschland. Einwandererzentralstelle 
    An index of approximately 2.9 million cards to pedigrees recorded by the EWZ (Einwanderungszentralstelle) (Immigration Control Center) of German immigrants returning from Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and France. E (Einwanderung) or emigration cards were filled out for every immigrant 15 and above and G (Gesundheit) or health cards for those over age 6. The cards list name, place and date of birth, religion, marital status, education, profession, professional training, citizenship, and all relatives in the same group of immigrants. The cards are arranged in alphabetical order based on name pronunciation rather than spelling. The collection is known as EWZ57. It serves as an index to the Pedigrees EWZ58 (Stammblätter). Use the case number from the card to locate the pedigree (see Stammblätter, 1939-1945 / Deutschland. Einwanderzentralstelle), which are filed in case number order.

    These films start with #1797322 and end with #2098683. The index includes numerous pages and is too lengthy to include herein. A very few of these names have been extracted and can be found online and are known as the "Resettlement Films": These are found on the GGD website: 1939 Resettlement Records database

  14. Passports of citizens recorded at Vienna, Niederösterreich, Austria. This listing is too lengthy to itemize. FHL Films start with 845582 and continue through 845885 and can be viewed at a FHC.

  15. Kartei der deutschen Dörfer in Rußland einschließlich Ostgalizien, 1750-1943
    Index cards of German settlements in Russia and East Galicia (originally in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now divided between Poland and the Ukraine and the Soviet Union). Provides information about the original name, official name, German equivalents; state, provincial, and other jurisdictions, land where settlers came from, predominate religion, ethnic composition of population, size of area, year of its founding, schools, place of worship, year of erection, other facilities, and documentary sources. Viewable at a FHC.
    • Akkulskij – Natalja film 1538831 Items 2-3

    • Natalja – Zyczynek film 1538832 item 1

  16. Auswandererkartei mit Familienangehörigen, 1750-1943  by Deutsches Ausland-Institut (Stuttgart) 
    17. Index cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, for German emigrants and their family members. Provides information on nicknames, given names, and variant forms of surnames; ancestral home, earlier and later lands of allegiance, places and dates of birth and death, religious persuasion, date of emigration, earlier and later places of settlement, original occupation and later activity, name of spouse, places and dates of birth and death, place of marriage, occupation and later activity; names, places and dates of birth and death for children, places of residence, names of spouses. Viewable at a FHC.
    • Aarts – Bauer, Johann film 1538832 Item 2-3
    • Bauer, Johann – Bott film 1538833
    • Bott – Ditke film 1538834
    • Dditke – Flick film 1538968
    • Flick – Gowers film 15338969
    • Grabe – Heinze film 1538970
    • Heinz – Hypschen film 1538971
    • Ibach – Klunitz film 1538972
    • Knaak – Loos film 1538978
    • Loos – Nyk film 1539128
    • Obelhauser – Roll film 1539129
    • Roll – Schnurr film 1539130
    • Schober – Strobel film 1539131
    • Strobel – Weihrich film 1539132

    • Weis – Zwirtes film 1539136, item 1-3

  17. Kartei der Herkunftsorte, 1750-1943. Deutsches Ausland Institut (Stuttgart). Index cards, arranged alphabetically by place of origin, of German immigrants. Includes home town, jurisdictional unit, province, state and "see" reference to person’s name.
    • Aschen – Ezenhofen film 1568439 item 3-4
    • Fakweiler –Nussweiler film 1568440

    • Ob Achen – Zwiefalter Herrschaft film 1568486

  18. Zentralkartei der Deutschen Wanderung, 1750-1843. Deutsches Ausland Institut (Stuttgart).  "Index cards, arranged in order of surname, providing info about occupation, places of origin, birth and death dates, place of emigration, and other genealogical info. Destinations include the US, Austro-Hungary, and elsewhere." Viewable at a FHC.
    • Abdermann – Durst film 1568250
    • Durst – Keller, Paul film 1568251
    • Keller, Paul – Ox film 1568252
    • Paar – Stoss film 1568368

    • Strader – Zwonars film 1568369 item 1-3

  19. Pfälzer-Palatines: Beiträge zur pfälzischen Ein – und Auswanderung sowie zur Volkskunde und Mundartforschung der Pfalz under der Zielländer pfälzischer Auswanderer im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert.

    Migration to and from the Palatinate in the 18th- 19th century. Book not microfilmed. Scherer, Karl. Pfälzer Can be ordered through a Public Library interlibrary loan.

  20. Where to look for hard-to-find German-speaking ancestors in Eastern Europe. Index to 16,372 surnames.
    Author: Bruce Brandt. Includes surnames and references to 5 sources where they may be found in Galicia, Austria, Hungary, the Banat, and the Batschka.

  21. "Eighteenth Century Register of Emigrants from Southwest Germany" (To America and other countries). Author: Werner Hacker. ISBN 3 – 8062-0487 – X. Book not filmed. Will need to be ordered through an interlibrary loan.

  22. Das Kolonisationswerk Josefs II in Galizien If you want to trace your ancestor in Galicia or back to Germany, I would suggest looking at Das Kolonisationswerk Josefs II in Galizien (The Colonization Programs of Josephs II in Galicia, Austria) by Ludwig Schneider. Schneider's book lists 3,404 heads of household names of settlers. It gives much detail of the history, reasons for emigration, organization, recruitment, village descriptions and, most importantly, lists of German settlersin two surveys 1790s and 1820.  This book is arguably the best reference for emigration from Germany to the Galician province of Austria. However, it is written in old German script and can be hard to read. See the description of this book and where you can view it at our Books page, the 4th book on the page.

  23. Abschriften der im Galiziendeutschen Heimatarchiv befindlichen Einwohner-Listen deutscher Siedlungen in Galizien, 1974 by Ernst Hexel. This short book lists the inhabitants of each village and often the town in Germany where they came from.  Visit our Early Setttler List from Hexel page for links to each village. 

    Once you know your ancestor's village in Germany you can start looking for family books or church parish records in Germany to extend your family tree, you can go to Tip 4, Researching your Family in Germany.

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