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WORLD'S GREATEST TOWN/GEO LOCATORS !!!!

I'm going to provide an index here; don't skip the narrative for each link, you'll be making a grievous error! Don't do it!

Germany

INTRODUCTION: Once you locate your town you can find the church archive address and the address for the civil archives by clicking on the Telephones/E-Mail Link, and reading the instructions there. Unless you speak German, be sure to choose the English language version when given that option. The word for churches that needs to go on the first line is KIRCHEN. The name of the town goes on the next line. The name for a town hall (small villages, towns) is GEMEINDEVERWALTUNG. The name for a city hall (small to large cities) is STADTVERWALTUNG. You can also check out the long list of archive addresses we have in the Table of Links under Archives . Be sure you are clear on how to address the envelope, research deposits, and postage, before you write. The E-Mail format is found HERE.
 
Scroll through before you decide which map program, below, that you want to try first! Each produces different maps and is worthy of investigating. Many show the county and zip code. REMEMBER that larger cities have many zip codes. Don't rely on just one if you are looking for an archive address! When these maps are used in combination with http://familysearch.org and the German telephone directory, you usually have a better understanding of the area your ancestor came from, and you may be able to calculate surname frequency in a particular area. You may want to read these insights and pointers before you begin: Determining a Place of Origin . For older maps, see this LINK.

SITE #1: This site includes, by default, Germany and eastern Europe. You have many country options to choose from. It is especially important to those researchers who have the town name in formerly German areas now located in Poland, Russia, France, and elsewhere. The town names are as they appeared before 1960. Type in the German town name and its location will be displayed, even if it is no longer in Germany. After you find your town, click on one of the blue map abbreviations. Try each to see which one you prefer. The town is marked on the map by a red star (caution: might be off by a few kilometers), utilizing MAPQUEST. If you make a note of the coordinates, you can find the spot even if the name changes, and then you can go to the distance-radius calculator, below, to find all towns within 30 miles, great when you are searching for a small place but only know the name of a nearby town.

But be careful! Many, many towns in Germany have the same name! Do you want to search using SOUNDEX, or would precise spelling be more appropriate? Try each of the choices offered!

AND .. If you would like to look up some of the former German towns now located in other countries to see what they are today, Click Here, then take a look at Here, then use your back button to come back to this site. Don't get lost!

SITE #2: Try this EXPEDIA site for modern Germany (includes communities, villages, towns, cities, everywhere on earth). Type in a Stadt (town), and you get the Landkreis (county) as well. You can also choose the name of a state, like Hessen, or search for features, like "Frankenstein Castle" or "Rhein River". You can even insert a German postal zip code (PLZ). The towns and cities shown are as they are named, today. Significant annexations have taken place since 1960, along with lots of name changes for towns, cities, districts (counties), and German states since redistricting and German reunification. Church boundaries in Germany are not the same as political boundaries - but don't let that discourage you. Always write to the church in the town or city you are interested in FIRST. Hopefully, they will forward your letter, or give you a redirect address. If you are researching in eastern Europe, CLICK HERE.

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You can also try any of the choices below. Simply choose a country. On these maps you can find hotels, bed 'n breakfast stops, restaurants, and more! Use the printer function at any of the Multiple Map Choices to print out the maps you need for your travels in Germany. You'll will also find tour guides and places to stay in Hessen by clicking here and scrolling down to the Gold Box, right column.

Multiple Map Choices

SITE #3: Town-County Locator: Find the State, County, and Town. Don't worry about the site being in the German language. Shows states, districts (counties), cities, towns, major and minor highways, inserts the zip code for a city or town and, if you have an address, draws a map of how to get there from the airport, for example, on your next trip. Shows weather, city and town facts, location of hospitals, and more! Go for it!

Or.....

Or.....

Site #4: Town & City names in Germany have changed over the years. This site shows the new name and old town name, and other information. Not all towns in Germany are represented. You can also plug in the zip code instead of the town or city name. Watch out for those towns with the same name! Once on site, click on the German flag logo:

If for any reason the above site is unreachable,

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POSTAL ZIP CODE CONVERTER
Germany's old 4-digit zip codes won't work anymore. 4-digit to 5-digit zip code converter at:

SITE #5:

Geoserv  
This is a computer. It will respond by e-mail after several hours.

SITE #6:
Alphabetical listing of towns, counties, postal zip codes, telephone prefix.

SITE #7: This site will take you to towns, counties, and states. It is in the German language.

SITE #8:
List of German Jewish Cemeteries by state

SITE #9:
Here is a modern route planner. If you know the zip code and town you want to start from, and the zip code and town you want to get to, it works really well:

http://www.falk-online.de/routenplaner/controller_rp.jsp

SITE #10: Downloadable village, town, city, county, district, region identifier for the German empire. Includes countries now on Germany's borders. See our Gold Box FAQ /Q&A link for how to use this site.

70,000 Towns in the former East Germany and east of there: Uwe Krickhan, Site Master, http://www.kartenmeister.com in German, English, and Polish languages, multiple search routines. See also http://www.genealogyunlimited.com/germany.html.

USA Topographical Maps CLICK HERE

Geographical Locator (finds mis-spelled locations) CLICK HERE

I GIVE UP! How will I EVER find the village they
came from? CLICK HERE

Miscellaneous Map Sites:

National Geographic Map Machine http://www.nationalgeographic.com

Centennia map: http://www.clockwk.com

Town Location in the USA http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/gazetteer

Color Land Form Maps http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/states/states.html
Multimap: http://uk.multimap.com/

National Imagery & Mapping Agency http://www.nima.mil
Map Searching   http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/historical/

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