Saturday, September 17, 2011

CzGfB - ok, but why?

Answer to this question is quite simple - there are many people from all around the world who have their root in Bohemia, Moravia and Austrian part of Silesia. Many people left the area of what is today know as the Czech Republic. They left mostly during the 19th century, but there were also people who decided to leave after the WWII.

Their destination was mostly America, more preciously United States. There are thousands of families with Czech roots who are trying to find out more about their ancestors. And as it is already possible to do the research online, I decided to start this blog to help those who want to do the ancestral research by themselves. I'll not hide that I'm a professional genealogist - I'm very proud about this fact because it was job of my dreams since high school.
What can you expect from this blog? How-to's, guidance, help in orientation in Czech archives and much more.

I'd like to post new information at least once a week and I hope I'll be able to do that. First topics will be focused on common things - system of archives, links to them, basic division of registries, religion, handwriting, alphabet and much more.

I'll be happy if you leave me a comment with ideas, questions or any other thoughts that come to your mind. Thanks!

10 comments:

  1. Thank you for doing this website. I'm very excited to start researching. This site will be extremely helpful.

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  2. Welcome to Geneabloggers. I'm looking forward to reading all your posts. All my roots are Czech.

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  3. Hi, thanks for your comments! I hope I'll be able to publish posts really regularly - there are tons of ideas for articles, but there is just limited time... :)
    Blanka

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  4. What a fabulous web site! I've been researching since the Trebon archive went online, and I can walk my way around in the matriky and find the information I need--when everything goes well. But when suddenly someone comes from another parish, or there are other circumstances out of the norm, I wish I had more background knowledge. Already your blog is so useful!

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  5. I am also researching my CZ and SR ancestors. In doing this I have encounterd the problem of how to pay $$ to helpful souls (over there) who are willing to do local research. Is there a solution?

    cvt

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  6. Any ideas as to where I ought to start with an ancestor who was from Nikolsburg and another from a town named Petschau. For the latter, I actually have a hand-painted mug that has the town on it.

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    1. My Martin Gerstner was b 1700 in Petschau, Bohemia, and died there 4 Aug 1777. Wife was Anna Regina.

      His great grandson Henry Gerstner had a marriage certificate in Pittsburgh, PA that had his birthdate and place as b 14 Jul 1842 as Betshcar, Austrian Empire. After many years of searching I kept saying the name over and over phonetically and fianlly guessed at Petscha. Searching the old maps I saw the place as Petchau in Bohemia, now Czech Republic.

      I was always told the family was German. Twenty-three years ago, I hired a genealogist in Vienna to drive to Petschau and he found the Catholic Church records and transcribed them for me.

      My cousin did not believe I was right, so he went to the village, and the church, and saw that it was correct, Petschau was the same as the Americanized phoenic spelling as Bethschar. The Bohemian place was once part of Germany, then part of the Austrian Empire, in WWII part of Czechoslovakia, now part of Czech Republic.

      Now I am hoping to find those church records and more as online files, with the help of this website and more information about Martin 1700-1777 & Anna Regina, son Johann David Gerstner 1729, brother, Johann Valentin Gerster 1731 who m Catharina Haintzmann, their son, Martin 1765-1835 who m Maria Anna Mayer, their son Frank Gerstner 1809 who m Maria Anna Stowasser had 5 children in Petschau, and came to Pittsburgh, PA at mid-century. First wife died and Frank married Eva Purzer and had 8 more children. Frank died abt 1875.

      If anyone knows more about these families, please let me know

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  7. My family name comes from Germany/Bohemia/Czech. Know they ended here in Canada, now maybe I will find out where we came from. G Soucoup

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  8. I am looking for records from Austria/Bohemia area from the 1800's. Are these the records that are currently being put online? Specifically, marriage and death records?

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  9. My great grandfather Frank Sistek, was born in Pilzen, Czechoslovakia 28 May 1867. I trying to validate this information. I am curious if this is possible?

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