European Genealogy Cheat Sheets Collection

Find your ancestors in Europe! This collection of quick-reference genealogy guides will help you learn about immigrant ancestors from nearly a dozen modern countries in the United Kingdom, Central Europe and beyond. Each cheat sheet includes key details about the country’s language, history, and geography, plus the most-important genealogy records and websites to research.

Included in this collection:

English Cheat Sheet (8 pages) provides the basics of English genealogy, including:

• Keys to jump-starting your research and helping you learn more about the home land, including a map of England; a guide to the difference between England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom; and information about important political divisions and historical counties

• An historical timeline of English history and statistics about English immigration to the United States, plus lists of common surnames and 19th-century terms
• A comprehensive list of records that will tell you what to expect from each kind of record, plus where you can find these resources
• Research tips for completing deep research dives into your English ancestry

German Genealogy Cheat Sheet (8 pages) quickly delivers the information you need to understand the records of your German ancestors, including:

• German geography guide with a map showing historical borders; names of historical regions and modern German states; German words for administrative divisions; and a guide to German addresses
• Quick guides to key German record groups
• German alphabet chart showing characters in the modern, Fraktur, Sütterlin and Kurrent writing styles
• Language chart showing common words and symbols found in German genealogical records, along with their translations in English
• Translation guide to months, plus cardinal and ordinal numbers
• Resource list of essential websites and books for German genealogy research

Irish Cheat Sheet (8 pages) compiles critical facts, tips and resources into a quick-reference format that will help you research more efficiently and effectively, including:

• Charts explaining Ireland’s administrative divisions, including the counties and provinces of both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland
• A full-page, full-color map showing Ireland’s counties and county seats
• Graphs illustrating Irish immigration to the United States by era
• Chart of the top 20 surnames in Ireland in the late 1800s, when many Irish came to America; includes Irish surname meanings, variations and counties where most prevalent
• Timeline of key moments in Irish history that genealogists need to know
• A guide to using Griffith’s Valuation, one of the most valuable Irish genealogy tools available
• Details on key Irish records at a glance
• Six keys to Irish genealogy success
• Roundup of the best websites, publications and archives for Irish genealogy

Italian Genealogy Cheat Sheet (8 pages) quickly delivers the information you need to understand the records of your Italian ancestors, including:

• Italian geography guide with a map of Italy; names of Italian regions and their capitals; Italian words for administrative divisions and records offices; and how to find your Italian town of origin
• Italian number chart showing both cardinal and ordinal numbers; Italian months of the year and days of the week; and tips for writing to Italian archives
• Language chart showing common terms, vital events and family relationships in Italian genealogical records; and tips for understanding Italian naming tradition
• Historical timeline detailing important genealogical events in Italian history
• Civil, church and military record details that list the record’s Italian name; a description of the record; and what the record contains
• Resource list of essential websites for Italian genealogy research

Polish Genealogy Cheat Sheet (8 pages) quickly delivers the information you need to understand the records of your Polish ancestors, including:

• Full-color map of Poland, plus a list of administrative divisions used throughout Polish history and where the current national and regional archives are housed
• Detailed look at the Partitions of Poland that divided the country for nearly 125 years, with a map displaying which parts of the country were annexed by other nations
• Historical timeline listing the most important moments in Polish history
• Lists of Polish words (with their English translations) that commonly appear in records, including: numbers, days of the week, month names, vital events, family relationships and important genealogical events
• An at-a-glance guide to Polish genealogy records, including vital records and military records
• More resources (such as books, websites, online articles and educational resources) to expand your research

Czech and Slovak Genealogy Cheat Sheet (8 pages), delivers the information you need to understand the records of your Czech and Slovak ancestors, with a quick overview of how to find your Czech and Slovak ancestry and quick guides to the most important aspects of Czech and Slovak geography, language, history and records. Including:

• Overviews of Czech and Slovak geography, including a full-color map of the two countries, Czech and Slovak words for administrative divisions, and the locations of regional record offices
• A historical timeline displaying the most important moments in Czech and Slovak history
• Language charts showing Czech and Slovak words that commonly appear in records, including family relationships, kinds of records, genealogically important events, numbers, days of the week and months of the year
• Quick-glance guide to the most important records in Czech and Slovak research, including immigration records, church and civil vital records, military records and census returns
• Resources such as books, websites and articles to consult when you want to dig deeper into your research

Scottish Genealogy Cheat Sheet (8 pages) provides helpful tips, fast-facts, quick-reference charts, and instructions on how to trace your Scottish family tree, including:

• Key strategies for successful Scottish genealogy research
• Essential information on finding your Scottish ancestors’ civil registration records, church records, censuses, kirk session records, electoral registers and more
• How to find out if your family has a Scottish Tartan
• Common Scottish last names, variant spellings, and the surname meanings
• A timeline of important events in Scottish history
• Geography facts on the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands
• Lists of administrative divisions and historical shires in Scotland, so you’ll be able to determine where to look for your Scottish ancestors’ records
• A map of Scotland’s counties
• Resource listing of Scottish genealogy websites and books

Scandinavian Genealogy Cheat Sheet (8 pages) quickly delivers the information you need to understand the records of your Scandinavian ancestors, including:

• 6 steps to Scandinavian research success
• Scandinavian geography guide with a map showing modern borders and cities of Denmark, Norway and Sweden; names of historical and modern administrative divisions; and notes on major emigration ports and predominant religions
• Language chart showing common words and symbols found in Scandinavian genealogical records, along with their translations in English
• Examples of top Scandinavian records
• Translation guide covering Scandinavian names and alphabets
• Historical Scandinavian timeline
• Resource list of essential websites and books for Scandinavian genealogy research

Once you download the European Genealogy Cheat Sheets, you’ll need a PDF reader, such as the free Adobe Reader software, to open them. Adobe Reader is available for both Macs and Windows computers.