Lifted by the author from Amazon.com

Karl-Michael Sala aka GermanGenealogist.com
Customer Review
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
Since 1979! GermanGenealogist.com = Karl-Michael Sala, June 13, 2003
By Karl M. Sala "Since 1979: GermanGenealogist.com has found THOUSANDS of ancestors on international, esp. GERMAN Family Research CASES!"

This review is from: Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs With Researcher's (Hardcover)
I challenge the one recent lone user who said this review was not helpful to stipulate & write a superior review.

No, I'm not the owner or author, but I sure am a 3-decade user of this book! SINCE 1979, @ the Family History Library in Salt Lake City & @ Family History Centers in the USA & Germany, I have both voluntarily & professionally helped hundreds of patrons & clients solve hundreds of Euro-German cases! Questions? karlmsala@msn.com or call 888-456-7252.

TO CRACK/SOLVE cases, I use not just one, but TWO gazetteers of the entire pre-WW1 German Empire: Meyers Orts= und Verkehrs=lexikon des Deutschen Reichs is a bit superior to the similar Neumanns Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. It has more place-name entries. Therefore, Meyers is THE source used by the cataloging department of the Family History Library (FHL) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, UTah. Don't be dissuaded in any way by the name of the church or whether you are not of the same faith. If you are seeking German parochial records (a/k/a parish registers) in the FHL Catalog, you will need to follow their excellent lead.

NEUMANNS gazetteer has some highly interesting historical notes not found in Meyers. Meyers has some statistical data not found in Neumanns. Meyers also has many more entries & listings.

BOTH can be used to narrow down from which particular location--for example--Marbeck (or was that Marbach or Bad Marbach, Neu Marback, Obermarbech, etc. ad nauseum?) your ancestor originated. Meyers clearly--but not always--has the advantage over Neumanns.

CAVEAT (or what WON'T Meyers {or Neumanns} tell me?): While Meyers (& Neumanns) might indicate whether a particular village had its own Evangelical (Lutheran) or Catholic parish, IF the location was too small to warrant its own parish, neither Meyers nor Neumanns gazetteers will PROVIDE the name of the actual parish. This must be done in actual PROVINCIAL gazetteers. The province name, e.g. Sachsen, CAN be obtained from Meyers. There were a few different Sachsens & their specific gazetteers, but that OFTEN PROBLEMATIC research challenge will not be discussed here. Once the village is found within the provincial gazetteer, then its Evangelical or Lutheran parish microfilm numbers, if any, can be ascertained & ordered with a look-up in the Family History Library Catalog online or on a CD.

...GOT ACCESS to the MICROFICHE, but not the book? WHY $300? For those needing to look up more than just a few places, or those needing to scan the graphics (like me for clients), this source is worth every bit of $300. No serious researcher, research library or Family History Center should be without it, both in microfiche & book form. The book is superior to the fiche because of ease of use & due to its having the two-page maps, which are in color.

NEUMANNS? First, get MEYERS. I got my Neumanns @ a used book store during one of my 7+ research trips behind the Iron Curtain. My Neumanns is 1905 & has 2-page color maps of large towns. I believe color maps are also available in Ray Wright's publication of Meyers. Wright's book also has other great explanatory features & translations not found in the original German-published books.

CONCLUSION: Whatever gazetteer you use, ensure that its publication date pre-dates WW1! Life is short, so DO NOT DELAY! I know you can find the original gazetteer online, but I always need back-up copies! Don't you?

REWARD: If anyone would buy & ship this book for me, I would gladly grant you $400 worth of US, immigration, or Euro-Germanic research! How about you, Ray Wright? Or you, Ancestry.com? Or you, WorldVitalRecords.com & GenealogyBank.com? Hey, Scott Spencer, you know me & what I can do! Or even you, ProGenealogists.com! Life is way too short. Call me today. 888-456-7252 Why no voting buttons? We don't let customers vote on their own reviews, so the voting buttons appear only when you look at reviews submitted by others. Permalink

Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs With Researcher's 0806316314 Raymond Wright Genealogical Publishing Company Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs With Researcher's Books Since 1979! GermanGenealogist.com = Karl-Michael Sala I challenge the one recent lone user who said this review was not helpful to stipulate & write a superior review.

No, I'm not the owner or author, but I sure am a 3-decade user of this book! SINCE 1979, @ the Family History Library in Salt Lake City & @ Family History Centers in the USA & Germany, I have both voluntarily & professionally helped hundreds of patrons & clients solve hundreds of Euro-German cases! Questions? karlmsala@msn.com or call 888-456-7252.

TO CRACK/SOLVE cases, I use not just one, but TWO gazetteers of the entire pre-WW1 German Empire: Meyers Orts= und Verkehrs=lexikon des Deutschen Reichs is a bit superior to the similar Neumanns Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs. It has more place-name entries. Therefore, Meyers is THE source used by the cataloging department of the Family History Library (FHL) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, UTah. Don't be dissuaded in any way by the name of the church or whether you are not of the same faith. If you are seeking German parochial records (a/k/a parish registers) in the FHL Catalog, you will need to follow their excellent lead.

NEUMANNS gazetteer has some highly interesting historical notes not found in Meyers. Meyers has some statistical data not found in Neumanns. Meyers also has many more entries & listings.

BOTH can be used to narrow down from which particular location--for example--Marbeck (or was that Marbach or Bad Marbach, Neu Marback, Obermarbech, etc. ad nauseum?) your ancestor originated. Meyers clearly--but not always--has the advantage over Neumanns.

CAVEAT (or what WON'T Meyers {or Neumanns} tell me?): While Meyers (& Neumanns) might indicate whether a particular village had its own Evangelical (Lutheran) or Catholic parish, IF the location was too small to warrant its own parish, neither Meyers nor Neumanns gazetteers will PROVIDE the name of the actual parish. This must be done in actual PROVINCIAL gazetteers. The province name, e.g. Sachsen, CAN be obtained from Meyers. There were a few different Sachsens & their specific gazetteers, but that OFTEN PROBLEMATIC research challenge will not be discussed here. Once the village is found within the provincial gazetteer, then its Evangelical or Lutheran parish microfilm numbers, if any, can be ascertained & ordered with a look-up in the Family History Library Catalog online or on a CD.

...GOT ACCESS to the MICROFICHE, but not the book? WHY $300? For those needing to look up more than just a few places, or those needing to scan the graphics (like me for clients), this source is worth every bit of $300. No serious researcher, research library or Family History Center should be without it, both in microfiche & book form. The book is superior to the fiche because of ease of use & due to its having the two-page maps, which are in color.

NEUMANNS? First, get MEYERS. I got my Neumanns @ a used book store during one of my 7+ research trips behind the Iron Curtain. My Neumanns is 1905 & has 2-page color maps of large towns. I believe color maps are also available in Ray Wright's publication of Meyers. Wright's book also has other great explanatory features & translations not found in the original German-published books.

CONCLUSION: Whatever gazetteer you use, ensure that its publication date pre-dates WW1! Life is short, so DO NOT DELAY! I know you can find the original gazetteer online, but I always need back-up copies! Don't you?

REWARD: If anyone would buy & ship this book to me, I would gladly grant you $500 worth of US, immigration, or Euro-Germanic research! How about you, Ray Wright? Or you, Ancestry.com? Or you, WorldVitalRecords.com & GenealogyBank.com? Hey, Scott Spencer, you know me & what I can do! Or even you, ProGenealogists.com! Life is way too short. Call me today. 888-456-7252
Karl-Michael Sala "Since 1979: GermanGenealogist .com has found THOUSANDS of ancestors on international, esp. GERMAN Family Research CASES!" June 13, 2003
Overall [Rank, 1-5 with 5 being the greatest or best]: 5

This my Official Comment

Since 1979: Found THOUSANDS of data, documents & images on THOUSANDS of ancestral family members for HUNDREDS of clients! Are you next? If not, send us a referral and even if we seal the deal, you get a 10% research credit or a check!

Lynell & Karl-Michael Sala
410 S Saddle St
Gilbert AZ 85233-6810
http://www.germangenealogist.com/?page_id=2
http://www.Linkedin.com/in/GermanGenealogist
60+ (yes, SIXTY endearing endorsements from clients, colleagues & coaches on Linkedin--& that's just since July 2008--& that's just from folks who happen to be on Linkedin!
602-865-9695 = 888-456-7252 = 480-507-3316
How to Read & Understand Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-Lexikon des Deutschen Reichs