Esther Bauer, PH.D

Get in Touch

Translations & Transcriptions

Rates

Translation and transcription of all German script & old German handwriting, old German print, German Fraktur script & print, German Gothic script & print, Suetterlin, Kurrent script & print. Translation and transcription of all Genealogy records, including Church records, Civil records, Jewish records, handwritten and typed letters, diaries, legal documents including wills, court records, government files, emigration records, books, book excerpts, as well as philosophical & religious texts. Ancestry, family history and genealogy research based on all original German records. Research includes copies of original family records, translation or your family records, and detailed research report.

Expertise

Referrals

Home

Research

About

Translation and transcription of all German script & old German handwriting, old German print, German Fraktur script & print, German Gothic script & print, Suetterlin, Kurrent script & print. Translation and transcription of all Genealogy records, including Church records, Civil records, Jewish records, handwritten and typed letters, diaries, legal documents including wills, court records, government files, emigration records, books, book excerpts, as well as philosophical & religious texts. Ancestry, family history and genealogy research based on all original German records. Research includes copies of original family records, translation or your family records, and detailed research report.

Specializing in

Services and How to Get Started

How to Get Started

Read more...

Translation & Transcription of all old handwritten or printed Old German Records.

Old German Translations & Transcriptions

Ancestry, family history & genealogy research based on original German records.

German Geneaology Research & Academic Research

Email all the information you know about your immigrant ancestor/s. You are always welcome to determine your preferred number of research hours, or the budget limit you feel comfortable with. 

Email all the information you know about your immigrant ancestor/s. I shall review your information and availability of records, and if, or how, I can help further your research. You are always welcome to determine your preferred number of research hours, or the budget limit you feel comfortable with. 

Translation & Transcription of all old handwritten or printed Old German Records, documents, diaries, letters, government files, emigration files, books, philosophical & religious texts. You are welcome to send digitals of your documents for a free estimate

Ancestry, family history & genealogy research based on original German records. Research includes copies of original family records, translation of your family records & detailed Research Report

Available at Amazon

History of German Jewish Surnames

Thüringen Thuringia Research

Research

Thüringen Thuringia Research

I highly recommend Dr. Esther Bauer. She brought substance and clarity to my genealogy research. My relatives came from Waldenbuch, Germany and the surrounding area. Originally, I had worked unsuccessfully with referrals from Ancestry.com. My goal was to locate a Jewish relative in my family tree. I found Esther on a web search. Her background seemed ideal for what I needed; an academic with personal and professional expertise. Her research was exemplary and communication outstanding. I looked forward to her reports. They were timely, interesting and easy to understand. She included photos and historical references that added to my understanding of the culture of the area and time. When I had questions, Esther patiently answered them. Her insight and direction gave me a greater understanding and confidence of who my family was and how they lived. I found her fees to be very reasonable. I doubt anyone would be as competent, thorough and energetically compassionate as Esther Bauer.Kathleen Hastings Bethesda, MD

Satisfied Clients

←

→

Write your comments here Translation of church records, depending on size and legibility US $ 15.00 to 20.00 German civil birth & death records (without annotations) US $ 25.00 German civil marriage records (2 pages) (without annotations) US $ 50.00 For all other documents, free estimates are available on request US $ 80.00 per hour Transcriptions require less time than translations estimates on request Translations are presented in the same format as the original record, and depending of preference in PDF, and/or WORD format. US $ 80.00 per hour Research US $ 80.00 per hour

Fees and Flatrates

For research on location, archival fees and mileage may apply. You are welcome to choose your preferred limit of research hours, or preferred budget limit.

About

Bilingual, fluent German and English speaker, University educated in Europe and the US. Exceptional expertise in deciphering old German script from the 1500s on.  Thorough knowledge of German dialects, culture, customs & traditions German history, German Jewish history, Christian and Jewish philosophy & religion. Superb English as well as German writing skills.

Bilingual, fluent German and English speaker, University educated in Europe and the US. Exceptional expertise in deciphering old German script from the 1500s on.  Thorough knowledge of German dialects, culture, customs & traditions German history, German Jewish history,  Christian and Jewish philosophy & religion. Superb English as well as German writing skills.

Back

Thüringen – Thuringia is one of the federal states of Germany, bordering Lower Saxony, Saxony Anhalt, Saxony, Bavaria, and Hesse. My associate in Thuringia is a professional genealogy researcher and expert in Old German script, as well as consultant to Thuringian Church and Parish Archives. Although many of the church books in Thuringia have been microfilmed, and a number of them are accessible digitally, we are able to access church books and church records that are not available on microfilm, or online, and help you with all of your genealogy needs. If you would like to employ our research services in Thüringen contact me.

Thüringen – Thuringia Genealogy Research

Back...

Towns in Thuringia (this list does not include villages): Altenburg, Apolda, Arnstadt, Artern, Auma, Bad Berka, Bad Blankenburg, Bad Colberg – Heldburg, Bad Frankenhausen, Bad Köstritz, Bad Langensalza, Bad Liebenstein, Bad Lobenstein,Bad Salzungen, Bad Sulza,Bad Tennstedt, Berga/Elster, Berka/Werra, Blankenhain, Bleicherode, Brotterode, Bürgel, Buttelstedt, Buttstädt, Camburg, Clingen,Creuzburg, Dingelstädt, Dornburg/Saale, Ebeleben, Eisenach, Eisenberg, Eisfeld,Ellrich, Erfurt, Friedrichroda, Gebesee, Gefell, Gehren, Geisa, Gera, Gößnitz, Gotha,Gräfenthal, Greiz, Greußen, Großbreitenbach, Großenehrich, Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Heldrungen, Heringen/Helme, Hermsdorf, Hildburghausen, Hirschberg, Hohenleuben, Ilmenau, Jena, Kahla, Kaltennordheim, Kindelbrück, Kölleda,Königsee, Kranichfeld, Langewiesen, Lauscha, Lehesten, Leinefelde – Worbis, Leutenberg, Lucka, Magdala, Meiningen, Meuselwitz, Mühlhausen/Thüringen,Münchenbernsdorf, Neuhaus am Rennweg, Neumark, Neustadt an der Orla,Nordhausen, Oberhof, Oberweißbach, Ohrdruf, Orlamünde, Plaue, Pößneck, Ranis,Rastenberg, Remda – Teichel, Römhild, Ronneburg, Roßleben, Rudolstadt, Ruhla, Saalburg – Ebersdorf, Saalfeld/Saale, Schalkau, Schkölen, Schleiz, Schleusingen, Schlotheim, Schmalkalden, Schmölln, Sömmerda, Sondershausen, Sonneberg, Stadtilm, Stadtlengsfeld, Stadtroda, Steinach, Steinbach – Hallenberg, Suhl,Tambach – Dietharz, Tanna, Themar, Treffurt, Triptis, Ummerstadt, Vacha, Waltershausen, Wasungen, Weida, Weimar, Weißensee, Wiehe, Wurzbach, Zella – Mehlis, Zeulenroda – Triebes, Ziegenrück

History of German Jewish Surnames

I often receive inquiries by novice genealogy researchers who have discovered their surname, or their ancestor’s surname, in Holocaust databases, and therefore assume that they may have Jewish ancestry.

Is my Surname Jewish?

German and Austrian Jews were subject to many restrictions in Germany until the early 1800s. In January 1782 Emperor Joseph II. of Austria enacted a new law, called the Edict of Tolerance. Its main goal was integrate his Jewish subjects fully into the economic life of the nation, and he therefore granted them access to public education for the first time, including higher education. At the same time he declared the “Jewish language and writing” as abolished: all trade books, official documents and official certificates were to be written in German from then on. On July 1787 yet another new ruling was published: each Jew in German lands was required to either adopt (or if they already had one, to maintain) a German surname. Names derived from the Hebrew were no longer permitted, and had to be legally changed. Families with already established surnames were permitted to keep them, provided they were not Hebrew names. Given names were to be “Germanized” as well, and names that were “unknown in the German language” were no longer permitted. The selection was quite limited: the Hebrew translator in Bohemia, for example, submitted a list of about 2000 names, but only 156 of those were considered acceptable by the authorities. All other names were forbidden, and their use was punishable by fines. Although citizenship was now finally granted to Jews in Austria, they still did not receive full equal rights, since not all professions were opened to them. Gradually, one German Sovereign after another joined ranks. King Frederick William of Prussia declared in his Edict of 11 March 1812 “the Jews to be his national subjects and citizens”. However not all of Prussia’s territories were included, and so there were still a number of Prussian Jews in 1848 without any citizenship rights. For those Jews who had received citizenship rights, employment at State offices remained inaccessible, and so was lecturing at universities. Before the 1800s most German Jews who lived in cities had already either a fixed surname, or a double name (examples for such double names: Amsel Abraham, Löw Baruch, Ascher Simon). In documents on the German country side, Jews were often recorded solely by their given name (examples: Abraham, David, Jakob, Seligmann). In older documents one may also find references to “Jacob Jude”, “Isaac Jude”, “Abraham Jude”, Jude simply meaning “Jacob Jew”, “Isaac Jew”, “Abraham Jew”. During the Emancipation, some government officials misunderstood the legislation, and demanded that previously “appropriate” surnames should be changed as well. A number of such examples can be found in the Duchy of Baden: In the District Administration of Lörrach (Rötteln), even the “acceptable” surnames Bloch and Braunschweig were changed. There had been 14 families with the Bloch surname, and 7 by the surname of Braunschweig. None of them kept their old surname. The Braunschweigs changed their names to: Beck, Braun, Dornacher, Graf, and Keller. The Blochs adopted the following family names: Dietersheimer, Dornacher, Dreher, Geißmann/Geißmar, Kaufmann, Kirchheimer, Mock, and Weil. A number of those official name change lists still exist in Germany, as well as other documents that can help clarify what a family’s surname was before the official name change, and reveal if they actually changed their surname or were able to hold on to the family’s original name. Birth registrations in Naugard, Prussia, for example, list a certain Nathan Friedländer with the added remark: “by the name Silberstein”. Some records show him as Nathan Friedländer Silberstein, while he only appears as Silberstein after 1821. Between 1800 and the 1820s many “double names” can be found in documents – they reveal the family’s surname before the name change. That said, in a few cases the families had adopted a new surname they didn’t care for after a while, so they changed again. Older Jewish genealogy records written in Hebrew are quite rare, and it is unclear if they were lost or destroyed after new regulations took effect, and every German Jewish community was required to keep their Jewish records in the German language, or how many were lost and burned during the Nazi Era. However Jewish records written in German, were kept in duplicate or triplicate, and many have survived. In most cases Jewish families in Germany are easily be traced to the 1800s, or even further into the past. Please note: Jewish families were required change their names everywhere in Germany. Subsequently many a family who were not related to each other, chose the exact same surnames. As with all other genealogy research, it is advisable to never draw any conclusions before ancestors have been traced back carefully, generation by generation, based on their birth, marriage, and death records.

Jewish Surname Changes in Germany and Austria

German and Austrian Jews were subject to many restrictions in Germany until the early 1800s. In January 1782 Emperor Joseph II. of Austria enacted a new law, called the Edict of Tolerance. Its main goal was integrate his Jewish subjects fully into the economic life of the nation, and he therefore granted them access to public education for the first time, including higher education. At the same time he declared the “Jewish language and writing” as abolished: all trade books, official documents and official certificates were to be written in German from then on. On July 1787 yet another new ruling was published: each Jew in German lands was required to either adopt (or if they already had one, to maintain) a German surname. Names derived from the Hebrew were no longer permitted, and had to be legally changed. Families with already established surnames were permitted to keep them, provided they were not Hebrew names. Given names were to be “Germanized” as well, and names that were “unknown in the German language” were no longer permitted. The selection was quite limited: the Hebrew translator in Bohemia, for example, submitted a list of about 2000 names, but only 156 of those were considered acceptable by the authorities. All other names were forbidden, and their use was punishable by fines. Although citizenship was now finally granted to Jews in Austria, they still did not receive full equal rights, since not all professions were opened to them. Gradually, one German Sovereign after another joined ranks. King Frederick William of Prussia declared in his Edict of 11 March 1812 “the Jews to be his national subjects and citizens”. However not all of Prussia’s territories were included, and so there were still a number of Prussian Jews in 1848 without any citizenship rights. For those Jews who had received citizenship rights, employment at State offices remained inaccessible, and so was lecturing at universities. Before the 1800s most German Jews who lived in cities had already either a fixed surname, or a double name (examples for such double names: Amsel Abraham, Löw Baruch, Ascher Simon). In documents on the German country side, Jews were often recorded solely by their given name (examples: Abraham, David, Jakob, Seligmann). In older documents one may also find references to “Jacob Jude”, “Isaac Jude”, “Abraham Jude”, Jude simply meaning “Jacob Jew”, “Isaac Jew”, “Abraham Jew”. During the Emancipation, some government officials misunderstood the legislation, and demanded that previously “appropriate” surnames should be changed as well. A number of such examples can be found in the Duchy of Baden: In the District Administration of Lörrach (Rötteln), even the “acceptable” surnames Bloch and Braunschweig were changed. There had been 14 families with the Bloch surname, and 7 by the surname of Braunschweig. None of them kept their old surname. The Braunschweigs changed their names to: Beck, Braun, Dornacher, Graf, and Keller. The Blochs adopted the following family names: Dietersheimer, Dornacher, Dreher, Geißmann/Geißmar, Kaufmann, Kirchheimer, Mock, and Weil. A number of those official name change lists still exist in Germany, as well as other documents that can help clarify what a family’s surname was before the official name change, and reveal if they actually changed their surname or were able to hold on to the family’s original name. Birth registrations in Naugard, Prussia, for example, list a certain Nathan Friedländer with the added remark: “by the name Silberstein”. Some records show him as Nathan Friedländer Silberstein, while he only appears as Silberstein after 1821. Between 1800 and the 1820s many “double names” can be found in documents – they reveal the family’s surname before the name change. That said, in a few cases the families had adopted a new surname they didn’t care for after a while, so they changed again. Older Jewish genealogy records written in Hebrew are quite rare, and it is unclear if they were lost or destroyed after new regulations took effect, and every German Jewish community was required to keep their Jewish records in the German language, or how many were lost and burned during the Nazi Era. However Jewish records written in German, were kept in duplicate or triplicate, and many have survived. In most cases Jewish families in Germany are easily be traced to the 1800s, or even further into the past. Please note: Jewish families were required change their names everywhere in Germany. Subsequently many a family who were not related to each other, chose the exact same surnames. As with all other genealogy research, it is advisable to never draw any conclusions before ancestors have been traced back carefully, generation by generation, based on their birth, marriage, and death records.

Dr. Esther Bauer has translated a number of texts for me. She has also reviewed translations I have done. There is no question that she is an expert in this area and anyone looking for reliable German to English translations, of any sort of material, will be very pleased by Dr. Bauer's work.Marc B. Shapiro Weinberg Chair in Judaic Studies University of Scranton

Dr. Esther Bauer has been invaluable in my German research for the past five years. Without her detailed translations, I would not have been able to develop such a deep and well documented family history. I’ve used Esther to translate Lutheran and Catholic German script from the mid-1500s to the 19thcentury. Her detailed understanding of the German language, historical religious nuances, local vernacular and historical context have made her translations indispensable. I have and will continue to recommend her to any genealogist that has German ancestry.Mike Wedell V.P Muscatine County Genealogical Society Muscatine, Iowa

Esther Bauer PHD has been translating and doing research for me fornearly 11 years . What started off as a simple project quickly developed into complex in depth research, numerous reports, and voluminoustranslations. All along our journey together, Esther has been a ‘star’. Aside from her clear ability to translate old German records , she was efficient, timely, and professional in every way. As the years passed, I benefitted from her profound historical knowledge and her impeccable grasp of punctuation. Esther has always been helpful in every way and is dedicated to what she does. I have enjoyed every moment of working with her without exception. I can only give her my highest recommendation.Elaine Petersen West Palm Beach, FL

Esther Bauer transcribed handwritten German gothic correspondence about lectures to do with science in the late 18th and early 19th century. For me it made the difference between recognizing a few words and grasping the meaning of the text. I had tried some digital programs that can read gothic German handwriting, but the problem was that I still had to learn to recognize the letters which is a real challenge. The topic (science) was not the standard fare of documents related to family trees, but Esther learned quickly. The work was done professionally. I would ask her again without hesitation. Dr. Jitse M. van der Meer, Ph.D., M.A. Professor of Biology and History & Philosophy of Science (emeritus) Redeemer University December 12, 2022

It has been my very great pleasure to know Dr. Bauer for four years now, and she has proven to be a genealogical researcher whose work far exceeds any reasonable expectation. Not only has she helped me think through very complicated puzzles in my family’s deep histories in numerous regions, but she has also reliably and quickly transcribed and translated documents and has patiently and expertly corrected my transcriptions and translations. Her depth of knowledge of the historical and social contexts of genealogical records is truly a marvel! Moreover, her diligence and care have resulted in unexpectedly interesting discoveries that, in turn, led to many genealogical “brick walls” being successfully breached. I cannot count the number of fascinating insights that she has provided. Dr. Bauer is no mere translator – she is a scholar of the highest order and character.Dr. Ronald C. Schirmer, Professor of Anthropology Ronald C. Schirmer, Ph.D. Professor Director, Archeology Division, Museum of Anthropology Co-Director, EARTH Systems Lab Department of Anthropology College of Humanities & Social Sciences Minnesota State University Mankato

For the last decade, I have trusted Dr. Esther Bauer to transcribe and translate hundreds of old German, French and Latin documents written as early as the 1500’s. She is the consummate professional. Her ability to understand even the most challenging handwritten documents and provide local context is truly impressive — I don’t know where my family history journey would be without her.Greg Gerstner Summit, NJ

Esther Bauer is a magnificent translator and has the capabilities of reading Sütterlin, the script of so many early German documents. In addition, as she has a PhD in German history she is able to explain the significance of the history of documents as well as provide translations. This is no small feat given the fact that present day Germany was composed of many, many duchies prior to 1870. She adheres to deadlines and working with her is a pleasure.Nancy Keuffel Bloomfield Hills, MI

The best testimonial I can provide for Esther Bauer and the translations she has provided in German, German script (and even a few records in French) is that she is the only professional German translator I have used since I began in genealogy in 2008; now 15 years running. Steve Goodrich

Whenever I have to deal with 19th century German handwritten documents, Esther is our first choice. Her work is impeccable and meticulous, she is capable of deciphering texts that would otherwise be inaccessible to our investigations. In addition, she is always extremely friendly and has the job done in record time. It is a pleasure to deal with her and, professionally, it is a luxury to have her collaboration. Carlos de la Torre Ciudad Real (SPAIN)

Occasionally, in the world of genealogy, the Forces are aligned when we are faced with a persistent problem, and it's resolved unexpectedly, with a completely satisfactory outcome. Such has been the case for me as I searched several months for a genealogy researcher who is fluent in English and German, able to translate old German scripts, understands the nuances of genealogy, focused on accuracy, and specializes in the states of Germany where my ancestors lived. It has all come together so nicely and at an affordable cost when I hired Dr. Esther Bauer to research my families in Germany. Her brilliance is often her persistent nature to locate sources of information that might knock down a significant brick wall and better understand what happened to an ancestor. Her knowledge of German history and culture has proven to be paramount for interpreting records and understanding the context of an ancestor's life. She wholeheartedly respects the science of genealogy, my needs as her client, and all through the lens of patience and a very pleasant style of email communication. I highly recommend her. Donald Kunz, Seattle

Whether you need Old German Translations or Transcriptions of any kind, Genealogy Translations or Genealogy Transcriptions, I can be of assistance to you.

Old German Translations

Contact

Old German Translations

Whether you need Old German Translations or Transcriptions of any kind, Genealogy Translations or Genealogy Transcriptions, I can be of assistance to you.

Thüringen – Thuringia is one of the federal states of Germany, bordering Lower Saxony, Saxony Anhalt, Saxony, Bavaria, and Hesse. My associate in Thuringia is a professional genealogy researcher and expert in Old German script, as well as consultant to Thuringian Church and Parish Archives. Although many of the church books in Thuringia have been microfilmed, and a number of them are accessible digitally, we are able to access church books and church records that are not available on microfilm, or online, and help you with all of your genealogy needs. If you would like to employ our research services in Thüringen contact me.

German and Austrian Jews were subject to many restrictions in Germany until the early 1800s. In January 1782 Emperor Joseph II. of Austria enacted a new law, called the Edict of Tolerance. Its main goal was integrate his Jewish subjects fully into the economic life of the nation, and he therefore granted them access to public education for the first time, including higher education. At the same time he declared the “Jewish language and writing” as abolished: all trade books, official documents and official certificates were to be written in German from then on. On July 1787 yet another new ruling was published: each Jew in German lands was required to either adopt (or if they already had one, to maintain) a German surname. Names derived from the Hebrew were no longer permitted, and had to be legally changed. Families with already established surnames were permitted to keep them, provided they were not Hebrew names. Given names were to be “Germanized” as well, and names that were “unknown in the German language” were no longer permitted. The selection was quite limited: the Hebrew translator in Bohemia, for example, submitted a list of about 2000 names, but only 156 of those were considered acceptable by the authorities. All other names were forbidden, and their use was punishable by fines. Although citizenship was now finally granted to Jews in Austria, they still did not receive full equal rights, since not all professions were opened to them. Gradually, one German Sovereign after another joined ranks. King Frederick William of Prussia declared in his Edict of 11 March 1812 “the Jews to be his national subjects and citizens”. However not all of Prussia’s territories were included, and so there were still a number of Prussian Jews in 1848 without any citizenship rights. For those Jews who had received citizenship rights, employment at State offices remained inaccessible, and so was lecturing at universities. Before the 1800s most German Jews who lived in cities had already either a fixed surname, or a double name (examples for such double names: Amsel Abraham, Löw Baruch, Ascher Simon). In documents on the German country side, Jews were often recorded solely by their given name (examples: Abraham, David, Jakob, Seligmann). In older documents one may also find references to “Jacob Jude”, “Isaac Jude”, “Abraham Jude”, Jude simply meaning “Jacob Jew”, “Isaac Jew”, “Abraham Jew”. During the Emancipation, some government officials misunderstood the legislation, and demanded that previously “appropriate” surnames should be changed as well. A number of such examples can be found in the Duchy of Baden: In the District Administration of Lörrach (Rötteln), even the “acceptable” surnames Bloch and Braunschweig were changed. There had been 14 families with the Bloch surname, and 7 by the surname of Braunschweig. None of them kept their old surname. The Braunschweigs changed their names to: Beck, Braun, Dornacher, Graf, and Keller. The Blochs adopted the following family names: Dietersheimer, Dornacher, Dreher, Geißmann/Geißmar, Kaufmann, Kirchheimer, Mock, and Weil. A number of those official name change lists still exist in Germany, as well as other documents that can help clarify what a family’s surname was before the official name change, and reveal if they actually changed their surname or were able to hold on to the family’s original name. Birth registrations in Naugard, Prussia, for example, list a certain Nathan Friedländer with the added remark: “by the name Silberstein”. Some records show him as Nathan Friedländer Silberstein, while he only appears as Silberstein after 1821. Between 1800 and the 1820s many “double names” can be found in documents – they reveal the family’s surname before the name change. That said, in a few cases the families had adopted a new surname they didn’t care for after a while, so they changed again. Older Jewish genealogy records written in Hebrew are quite rare, and it is unclear if they were lost or destroyed after new regulations took effect, and every German Jewish community was required to keep their Jewish records in the German language, or how many were lost and burned during the Nazi Era. However Jewish records written in German, were kept in duplicate or triplicate, and many have survived. In most cases Jewish families in Germany are easily be traced to the 1800s, or even further into the past. Please note: Jewish families were required change their names everywhere in Germany. Subsequently many a family who were not related to each other, chose the exact same surnames. As with all other genealogy research, it is advisable to never draw any conclusions before ancestors have been traced back carefully, generation by generation, based on their birth, marriage, and death records.

German and Austrian Jews were subject to many restrictions in Germany until the early 1800s. In January 1782 Emperor Joseph II. of Austria enacted a new law, called the Edict of Tolerance. Its main goal was integrate his Jewish subjects fully into the economic life of the nation, and he therefore granted them access to public education for the first time, including higher education. At the same time he declared the “Jewish language and writing” as abolished: all trade books, official documents and official certificates were to be written in German from then on. On July 1787 yet another new ruling was published: each Jew in German lands was required to either adopt (or if they already had one, to maintain) a German surname. Names derived from the Hebrew were no longer permitted, and had to be legally changed. Families with already established surnames were permitted to keep them, provided they were not Hebrew names. Given names were to be “Germanized” as well, and names that were “unknown in the German language” were no longer permitted. The selection was quite limited: the Hebrew translator in Bohemia, for example, submitted a list of about 2000 names, but only 156 of those were considered acceptable by the authorities. All other names were forbidden, and their use was punishable by fines. Although citizenship was now finally granted to Jews in Austria, they still did not receive full equal rights, since not all professions were opened to them. Gradually, one German Sovereign after another joined ranks. King Frederick William of Prussia declared in his Edict of 11 March 1812 “the Jews to be his national subjects and citizens”. However not all of Prussia’s territories were included, and so there were still a number of Prussian Jews in 1848 without any citizenship rights. For those Jews who had received citizenship rights, employment at State offices remained inaccessible, and so was lecturing at universities. Before the 1800s most German Jews who lived in cities had already either a fixed surname, or a double name (examples for such double names: Amsel Abraham, Löw Baruch, Ascher Simon). In documents on the German country side, Jews were often recorded solely by their given name (examples: Abraham, David, Jakob, Seligmann). In older documents one may also find references to “Jacob Jude”, “Isaac Jude”, “Abraham Jude”, Jude simply meaning “Jacob Jew”, “Isaac Jew”, “Abraham Jew”. During the Emancipation, some government officials misunderstood the legislation, and demanded that previously “appropriate” surnames should be changed as well. A number of such examples can be found in the Duchy of Baden: In the District Administration of Lörrach (Rötteln), even the “acceptable” surnames Bloch and Braunschweig were changed. There had been 14 families with the Bloch surname, and 7 by the surname of Braunschweig. None of them kept their old surname. The Braunschweigs changed their names to: Beck, Braun, Dornacher, Graf, and Keller. The Blochs adopted the following family names: Dietersheimer, Dornacher, Dreher, Geißmann/Geißmar, Kaufmann, Kirchheimer, Mock, and Weil. A number of those official name change lists still exist in Germany, as well as other documents that can help clarify what a family’s surname was before the official name change, and reveal if they actually changed their surname or were able to hold on to the family’s original name. Birth registrations in Naugard, Prussia, for example, list a certain Nathan Friedländer with the added remark: “by the name Silberstein”. Some records show him as Nathan Friedländer Silberstein, while he only appears as Silberstein after 1821. Between 1800 and the 1820s many “double names” can be found in documents – they reveal the family’s surname before the name change. That said, in a few cases the families had adopted a new surname they didn’t care for after a while, so they changed again. Older Jewish genealogy records written in Hebrew are quite rare, and it is unclear if they were lost or destroyed after new regulations took effect, and every German Jewish community was required to keep their Jewish records in the German language, or how many were lost and burned during the Nazi Era. However Jewish records written in German, were kept in duplicate or triplicate, and many have survived. In most cases Jewish families in Germany are easily be traced to the 1800s, or even further into the past. Please note: Jewish families were required change their names everywhere in Germany. Subsequently many a family who were not related to each other, chose the exact same surnames. As with all other genealogy research, it is advisable to never draw any conclusions before ancestors have been traced back carefully, generation by generation, based on their birth, marriage, and death records.

German and Austrian Jews were subject to many restrictions in Germany until the early 1800s. In January 1782 Emperor Joseph II. of Austria enacted a new law, called the Edict of Tolerance. Its main goal was integrate his Jewish subjects fully into the economic life of the nation, and he therefore granted them access to public education for the first time, including higher education. At the same time he declared the “Jewish language and writing” as abolished: all trade books, official documents and official certificates were to be written in German from then on. On July 1787 yet another new ruling was published: each Jew in German lands was required to either adopt (or if they already had one, to maintain) a German surname. Names derived from the Hebrew were no longer permitted, and had to be legally changed. Families with already established surnames were permitted to keep them, provided they were not Hebrew names. Given names were to be “Germanized” as well, and names that were “unknown in the German language” were no longer permitted. The selection was quite limited: the Hebrew translator in Bohemia, for example, submitted a list of about 2000 names, but only 156 of those were considered acceptable by the authorities. All other names were forbidden, and their use was punishable by fines. Although citizenship was now finally granted to Jews in Austria, they still did not receive full equal rights, since not all professions were opened to them. Gradually, one German Sovereign after another joined ranks. King Frederick William of Prussia declared in his Edict of 11 March 1812 “the Jews to be his national subjects and citizens”. However not all of Prussia’s territories were included, and so there were still a number of Prussian Jews in 1848 without any citizenship rights. For those Jews who had received citizenship rights, employment at State offices remained inaccessible, and so was lecturing at universities. Before the 1800s most German Jews who lived in cities had already either a fixed surname, or a double name (examples for such double names: Amsel Abraham, Löw Baruch, Ascher Simon). In documents on the German country side, Jews were often recorded solely by their given name (examples: Abraham, David, Jakob, Seligmann). In older documents one may also find references to “Jacob Jude”, “Isaac Jude”, “Abraham Jude”, Jude simply meaning “Jacob Jew”, “Isaac Jew”, “Abraham Jew”. During the Emancipation, some government officials misunderstood the legislation, and demanded that previously “appropriate” surnames should be changed as well. A number of such examples can be found in the Duchy of Baden: In the District Administration of Lörrach (Rötteln), even the “acceptable” surnames Bloch and Braunschweig were changed. There had been 14 families with the Bloch surname, and 7 by the surname of Braunschweig. None of them kept their old surname. The Braunschweigs changed their names to: Beck, Braun, Dornacher, Graf, and Keller. The Blochs adopted the following family names: Dietersheimer, Dornacher, Dreher, Geißmann/Geißmar, Kaufmann, Kirchheimer, Mock, and Weil. A number of those official name change lists still exist in Germany, as well as other documents that can help clarify what a family’s surname was before the official name change, and reveal if they actually changed their surname or were able to hold on to the family’s original name. Birth registrations in Naugard, Prussia, for example, list a certain Nathan Friedländer with the added remark: “by the name Silberstein”. Some records show him as Nathan Friedländer Silberstein, while he only appears as Silberstein after 1821. Between 1800 and the 1820s many “double names” can be found in documents – they reveal the family’s surname before the name change. That said, in a few cases the families had adopted a new surname they didn’t care for after a while, so they changed again. Older Jewish genealogy records written in Hebrew are quite rare, and it is unclear if they were lost or destroyed after new regulations took effect, and every German Jewish community was required to keep their Jewish records in the German language, or how many were lost and burned during the Nazi Era. However Jewish records written in German, were kept in duplicate or triplicate, and many have survived. In most cases Jewish families in Germany are easily be traced to the 1800s, or even further into the past. Please note: Jewish families were required change their names everywhere in Germany. Subsequently many a family who were not related to each other, chose the exact same surnames. As with all other genealogy research, it is advisable to never draw any conclusions before ancestors have been traced back carefully, generation by generation, based on their birth, marriage, and death records.