How to Research Your Danish Family History
In recent years, many websites have debuted that are devoted to genealogy, the study of family history. This development, combined with the extensive public records that many countries have kept and often date back hundreds of years, has made it easier than ever to track family origins. If you believe your family has roots in Denmark, there are a several easy ways to find information about your family history.
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Instructions
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Look through any old photo albums, letters or other family heirlooms that could shed light on your heritage. The backside of old photos will typically have names and dates written on them. Birth certificates will contain parents' names, and marriage certificates also will include the names of relatives. Also, talking to older relatives will help you find out more information about your family. When you have some names and historical dates, go online to a genealogy website. Most genealogy sites can connect you with public databases from several countries, including Denmark. These databases will typically contain documents such as census records, birth and death records.
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Narrow your search down to one or two names. Tracking your genealogy will involve going through a lot of records, so it can sometimes be overwhelming. If you want to avoid becoming disorganized, follow one name and its history until you reach a dead end. By focusing on one person, you will not only make things easier on yourself, but you also will find new leads that you can check in on later.
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Research emigration records to see when your ancestors arrived in the United States. The Danish Emigration Registry keeps records of individuals who emigrated to other countries between 1868 and 1939. For a charge of $50, the Danish Emigration Registry will give you access to a database of names, ages and country of destination. Remember that the spellings of names may have changed upon arrival in the United States as many immigrants wished to Americanize or simplify their names.
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Tips & Warnings
Diagram your family tree.
When you interview relatives, bring along an audio recorder and a camera. The audio recorder will be useful for reviewing the interview later, and the camera can be used to take pictures of old photos and documents that other relatives want to keep.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit denmark flag button image by Andrey Zyk from Fotolia.com
