Germanic Genealogy Society

 The Germanic Genealogy Society is a valuable source of Germanic information.  I encourage you to investigate this source.

Atlantic Bridge to Germany. 1974-1997, 2003-2005. GGS Library Call Numbers: 929.30943 H14a (v. 1- 10), 929.343 H434p 2005 (Pomerania), 929.30943 At631H 2004 (Baden), 929.30943 At631H 2003 (Alsace-Lorraine). Atlantic Bridge to Germany is a series of volumes containing detailed maps of the German states. The first 10 volumes were written by Charles M. Hall while the most recent 3 volumes (Alsace-Lorraine, Baden, and Pomerania) are expanded and updated versions prepared by Linda M. Herrick and Wendy K. Uncapher. All three of the provinces in the new editions were included in Hall’s series but in less detail. The volumes in the original series each covered 1-3 German states, depending on their size. For each volume, Hall wrote an introduction briefly covering the history of the region. He also included some information on special topics in genealogy for the region such as discussion on patronymics or farm names in the regions where they were common. The bulk of each volume consists of the maps. They are based on the Karte des Deutschen Reiches from 1877-1919 at a scale of 1:100,000 so they include even the smallest hamlets and topographical features. The detailed index lists the place names covered in each volume, along with Kreis, map page, parent parish, and information on the availability and dates of church and civil records. Only three updated volumes have been published to date, covering Alsace-Lorraine, Baden, and Pomerania. These new volumes contain much more extensive introductory material than the original volumes. The opening chapters provides detailed information on the history, governmental histories, lifestyles, religions, and population of each region. The authors also discuss resources for genealogical research such as archives, church and civil records, censuses, and more. The remainder of each volume follows the pattern set in the original series. If your ancestors came from one of these three regions, it is well worth checking out the updated volume. This series is an excellent companion to Hansen’s Map Guide series (detailed review by Donna Turbes available at https://ggsmn.org/upload/files/library/BookOfTheMonth/MapGuideGermanParishRegisters.pdf), which identifies parish boundaries and location of church records for Germany but does not include detailed maps. A note about the Map Guide series: They have completed their volumes on German provinces and have started publishing volumes on major German cities and areas outside of Germany (currently Luxembourg and Switzerland). Original series: v. 1. Baden-Wuerttemberg.--v. 2. Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz (The Palatinate).--v. 3. Bavaria (Bayern).--v. 4. Saarland, Alsace-Lorraine, Switzerland. --v. 5. Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Bremen -- v. 6. Mecklenburg -- v. 7. Nordrhein-Westfalen (Northrhine-Westphalia) -- v. 8. Prussia -- v. 9. Saxony/Sachsen -- v. 10. Hannover.