German Immigrants In American Church Records
Dr. Minert and a team of researchers at BYU are currently involved in a project wherein they read and extract Americans' German vital records from historic local church vital records. These church records often pinpoint German origins in the "old country." Places and dates of birth, marriage, and previous residence in Germany are commonly found in these records. Dr. Minert estimates that 65-76 percent of historic local church records give an immigrant's exact place of birth. Entries found in the volumes include people born in Switzerland, Austria, and Luxembourg.
