FEEFHS 2026: Preliminary Class Selection
Reception presentation
Online Newspapers for Eastern Europe (by Milan Pohontsch)
Digital resources for historical East European newspapers are comparatively scarce. This presentation surveys the available sources and outlines methods for searching them efficiently.
Banquet presentation
Language Learning for Genealogists: How It’s Different and Why it Matters (by Taieno Kaiser)
Language learning for genealogical purposes is very different from language learning for and in a modern context, but there is little acknowledgement of the differences and far fewer resources for genealogical language learning. I will discuss the overlap between language learning in a modern context and genealogical language learning, what the differences are, why it matters for the process of learning and practice, and what to do about the dearth of resources. Note: the banquet is not included in the regular registration fee but an add-on because a dinner will be served shortly before the presentation.
Polish track (8 classes)
State of records access in Poland (by Greg Nelson)
[Summary will follow]
Visiting a Polish Archive (by Daniel Jones)
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Language Shifts in Russian Empire Records: Focus on the Polish Partition (by Marissa Gardner)
This class explores language changes in genealogical records created in the Russian Empire, with a special focus on the Polish territories under Russian rule. Participants will learn why record language shifted between Polish and Russian at various times, how clerks implemented or resisted these changes, and what linguistic clues help identify the transition points. The session includes examples of Polish-language and Russian-language metryki, hybrid records written during transitional years, and strategies for understanding name variants, terminology changes, and administrative formulas. Attendees will gain confidence in recognizing and interpreting records across shifting linguistic and political environments.
Chain Migration from Poland (by Daniel Jones)
[Summary will follow]
Finding Online Records for Poland (by Joe Everett)
A survey of websites with significant collections of digital images of records from Poland with tips for finding records. The presentation will include records from the territories of modern Poland as well as the 2nd Polish Republic, with an emphasis on birth, marriage, and death records.
Reading Polish Records in Russian (Thom Edlund)
A deeper dive into reading Polish records in Russian, with practice in deciphering example birth, marriage, and death records.
20th Century Polish Military Burials and Cemeteries World-Wide (by Kathleen Kirkpatrick)
Polish War Cemeteries are in Europe from WWI, the Polish-Soviet war, and WWII. Many Polish burials are found at www.CWGC.org in the listings of World War II military burials. Polish burials are in cemeteries of the armies in which they fought. Not all burials in military cemeteries are military. Most military cemeteries have monuments listing the missing as well as burials of the unknown. Some military burials are in civilian cemeteries. Chart of world-wide burial locations with handout. Photos of Polish burials in several cemeteries in Europe are included. Advises on military and burial sources online and onsite.
Polish Resettlement Camps during and after WWII (by Kathleen Kirkpatrick)
From the fall of France, Polish military and their families started arriving in the UK. By 1953, over 250,000 Polish born people were living in the UK. They were helped with the Polish Resettlement Corps which provided training for employment and integration into life in the UK, run by the War Office. This evolved with the Polish Resettlement Act, run by the Assistance Board. Initially, they lived in 256 former military camps for British, Canadian, and American troops. While eligible for UK citizenship, some choose to live in other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the US.
Russian empire / USSR track (9 classes)
Russian Empire Research Methodology (by Thom Edlund)
[Summary will follow]
Revision Lists and 1897 Census (by Thom Edlund)
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Mandatory Conscription in 1850s Russian Empire And Its Societal Impacts (by Lara Diamond)
In the 1850s, the Russian Empire's implementation of mandatory conscription dramatically reshaped the lives of many families, especially within marginalized communities. This talk will examine the devastating impact conscription had on a Jewish family living altered their future generations. In the Empire, utilizing a series of court cases, heartfelt petitions and other documentation, highlighting how it fractured familial bonds, disrupted lives, and deeply affected the community as a whole. By focusing on the experiences of one family, we will explore the emotional and social toll of forced military service, shedding light on how it altered their future generations.
Finding Places in the Russian Empire: Essential Gazetteers and Tools (by Marissa Gardner)
This class introduces researchers to the essential tools for locating towns and parishes in the former Russian Empire, with a focus on Skorowidz 1934, the Spiski locality lists, and the RGN index. Participants will learn how to identify historical administrative jurisdictions, understand locality hierarchies, and trace places across changing borders and languages. The session includes step-by-step instruction, demonstrations of each gazetteer, and case studies showing how to determine where genealogical records were created. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for resolving variant spellings, navigating administrative shifts, and confidently finding localities in Russian Empire research.
Holocaust and WWII Research: 1940s Research Resources in Eastern Europe (by Lara Diamond)
This presentation will cover a variety of resources to learn about family members' fates before and immediately after WWII, along with examples. Included repositories include Yad Vashem, Arolsen Archives, Pamyat Naroda, Books of Sorrow, USHMM and more. WWII caused murder and displacement of millions throughout Europe. Discover resources—online and not—to research family who survived or were killed during this era.
Using Jewish-Specific Sites for non-Jewish Eastern European Research (by Lara Diamond)
Jewish-specific sites such as JewishGen, JRI-Poland and Gesher Galicia can be very powerful for genealogical research--including for those researching non-Jewish ancestry from Eastern and Central Europe. Learn about the breadth and depth of information available on these sites and how they can aid in your research, potentially identifying town information, traditional genealogical information such as vital records or census-type records and more.
The Accused Ancestors: Building a Family Tree from NKVD Arrest Records (by Carolyn Schott)
Soviet NKVD arrest records from the 1930s are an often overlooked, but remarkably detailed, genealogical source. This presentation explores how arrest records for members of the Billigmeier family living near Odesa—along with those of identified co-conspirators—yielded rich family history data for an ethnic German community in Ukraine. We will examine the information these records typically contain and how to discover NKVD arrest records for your own family.
Unfiltered: Ukraine’s Soviet Filtration Records Online (by Patrick Monson)
During WWII, Anastasia Badera was sent to work in Germany, along with thousands of other “Ostarbeiters.” A Ukrainian woman from Vinnytsia, she fell in love there with an Italian man, Giuseppe Romano. As she and others returned or were returned to Soviet-controlled territories, they underwent a thorough investigation or “filtration” process by the KGB. Like many others, Anastasia provided officials with extensive background information, including a brief autobiography and photographs. In a bid to preserve as much of Ukraine’s archival heritage as possible, FamilySearch has digitized over 100 million images, in 31 archives, since 2021. Anastasia’s file is one of more than 300,000 such filtration files. In my presentation, I will briefly describe FamilySearch’s efforts to capture these images. I will then present interesting examples of stories and photographs from the collection, such as Ukrainians recounting attempts to flee from the invading German army but being surrounded; a maid servant spending time in a penitentiary due to “tension with the family”; and others. I will conclude with a brief overview of the filtration records and how to search them. The filtration records provide heart-wrenching details on the lives of ordinary people who endured horrific trials. Many of those who went through the filtration process were sent to labor camps or other penitentiaries, never to return. At the same time, the records paint vivid portraits of what life was like in Ukraine and Europe before, during, and after the war. And importantly for genealogy, the records provide detailed biological and genealogical information, including birth places, residence, occupation, and family relations. This growing collection provides a rich resource for research on many aspects of Ukraine’s history and heritage.
WWI and WWII Memorial Databases (by Joe Everett)
[Summary will follow]
Austro-Hungarian track (13 classes)
Genteam.at: Website for research in Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Slovakia (by Fritz Juengling)
[Summary will follow]
Stop Looking for Surnames and Break Through Brick Walls (by Bill Tarkulich)
Describes a strategy and method for searching ancestral records that often overcomes many dead-ends. The strategy leverages archive record organization, indirect methods and “hidden” yet accessible information simply not presented by information source. A surname search often provides random and unrelated results and dead-ends. Most contemporary tools fail to take advantage of extended information. This presentation describes a method of indirect research using related information common to the research subject to peruse archival sources. A key element of this strategy is the identification of the ancestral village.
Note: Attendance at the earlier hands-on Break Through workshop is highly recommended. [On Tuesday, August 7, which is an add on to the regular conference]
Hungarian Surnames Decoded: What Your Ancestral Name Reveals for Genealogists (by Rhonda M. Copher)
This 50-minute presentation introduces family historians to Hungarian surname research using authoritative Hungarian onomastic scholarship. Attendees will learn the four major surname categories: patronymic, occupational, nickname, and toponymic/ethnic. They'll discover why roughly 7-8% of Hungarian bear surnames derive from ethnic group names. The session covers spelling variants across borders and time periods, plus the Magyarization movement's impact on approximately 300,000 surname changes. We also establish realistic expectations about what surnames can and cannot prove about ancestry. Participants leave with practical search strategies, key scholarly resources, and the analytical framework needed to interpret their ancestral surnames in Hungarian records.
Beginning Slovak Genealogy (by Lisa A. Alzo)
This session will provide an overview of how to begin the Slovak genealogy research process using both traditional and online sources and provide an overview of how to organize your research. Key strategies for identifying your ancestral village, locating and interpreting vital records, using FamilySearch and subscription databases, contacting Slovak archives and tips for overcoming the most common research pitfalls will be discussed.
German Migration into Southeast Europe in the 18th Century (by Baerbel Johnson)
During the 18th Century, Southeastern Europe was a popular destination for Germans who felt the need to seek a better life elsewhere. This overview discusses the historical background as well as settlement patterns and regions. Migration patterns can sometimes be associated with certain groups, making it easier to determine German places of origin.
Where to Search: Record Location in Hungarian Genealogy - Between Displaced Records and Structured Communities (by Dorottya Szabo)
Genealogical research in Hungary is often based on understanding where people were registered rather than where they actually lived. Even small distances between residence and registration locations can make research difficult or misleading. This presentation examines two distinct historical contexts.
1. In early modern Hungary, Protestants were subject to religious restrictions: baptisms, marriages, and deaths were recorded at designated articular locations or entered into Catholic registers, often outside their communities.
2. In contrast, the Jász and Kun communities functioned as self-governing groups with strong local administrative structures, producing concentrated and coherent records. The session offers practical strategies for navigating place-specific research challenges.
Czech Cadastral Maps (by Mckenna Behrmann Cooper)
An overview of how to access and navigate Czech cadastral maps online. These hyper-local maps show specific houses and plots of land for each village, including details such as the type of material the houses were made of and house numbers. The plots of land on the map sketches also list names of the farmers for each plot from when the map was drawn.
Map Resources for Eastern European Research (by Mckenna Behrmann Cooper)
An overview of online parish maps showing locations of parishes for Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, Czechia, Croatia, Romania and Poland. These maps can substitute for harder-to-use gazetteers. Clicking on a parish will also often link to online records. We'll go over how to access and use the resources on each of these maps.
Reading the Habsburg Map (by Annette Unrau)
Habsburg administrative geography defeats researchers before they open a single record. Crownlands, komitats, and jurisdictional layers don't align with modern borders — a village listed as "Hungary" in 1900 may be Slovak, Romanian, or Ukrainian today. Mapire's georeferenced military surveys (1st–3rd) locate villages that no longer exist, match German and Magyar placename variants, and reveal parish jurisdictions. This session builds geographic and archival literacy as the essential foundation for every downstream collection. Live demo navigates OeStA finding aids and regional Landesarchive alongside Mapire overlays, establishing the research framework all subsequent talks assume.
Czech research (by Charlotte Champenois)
[Summary will follow]
Austro-Hungarian Empire Census, and Where Those are Today (by Annette Unrau)
[Summary will follow]
Croatian and Slovenian Genealogy: A Comprehensive Guide to Online and Offline Records (by Ethan Hatch)
This class will give researchers a summary of how to search for and interpret records from online and offline repositories for their Croatian and Slovenian ancestors. Online resources covered will include lists of useful family history websites, archival websites, and public genealogy blogs. Offline resources will include Hungarian and Austrian gazetteers, lists of Croatian archives, and useful tips for contacting record repositories, whether state-run or more private, in Croatia and Slovenia. An overview of how to read church records and civil registration from the Austro-Hungarian Empire will be covered as well.
Advanced Slovakian research [exact title TBD] (by Suzanne Trotter)
[Summary will follow]
Germans from Eastern Europe track (3 classes)
How the EWZ Records Can Enhance Your Family Story (by Cynthia Jacobson)
The EWZ records have family history that may not be available elsewhere. This presentation will:
Focus on the history of Baltic resettlement patterns.
Explain the five components of the EWZ records and the two best sources to locate them.
Explain the importance of the A Alt [Reich] designation versus the O Ost [East] designation with examples.
Provide examples of the unique information from records and the results.
Acknowledge how FEEFHS has helped me as a researcher with examples.
Provide a list of the best sources.
On the Long Road to the East (by Dave Obee)
Many German families did not move directly from Germany to a new home in Eastern Europe; and that can cause problems for today's researchers. A family might have spent a decade or a generation in one spot, then moving to another, and then another. This session deals with some of the challenges we face in dealing with this ancestors, and looks at some of the background reasons for the multiple moves.
[Class title TBD] (by Dave Obee)
[Summary will follow]
Jewish track (6 classes)
Immigration Challenges with the Russian Volunteer Fleet between Libau – Rotterdam – New York (by Suzanne L. Hoffman)
The Russian Volunteer Fleet operated with 13 ships out of Libau, Latvia. As an eastern port, and closest to the Pale of Settlement, it was a choice for those immigrants who did not want to use the eastern passage through Germany. In a very short period of time, it became apparent that this route was a source of illegal immigrants, those infected with disease, and bribery scandals that rocked the American immigration legal system. We will look at a couple of incidents and the impact on the immigration laws between 1906 and 1931 directly due to the Russia Volunteer Fleet.
Leveraging the Power of J-Roots for Jewish Russian Empire Research (by Lara Diamond)
J-Roots is a Russian language Jewish genealogy portal that is a trove of genealogical information. This talk will demonstrate how an English speaker can navigate this site and demonstrate the types of successes that can be had on J-Roots, which can include identifying family records both online and in archives, indexes of records that cannot be found anywhere else, and experts (many on-the-ground in Eastern Europe) to assist you in identifying next steps for researching family from a particular area.
Investigating Latvian Jewish Vital Records from the Latvian State Historical Archives (by James L. Tanner)
This presentation highlights a database of over 100,000 Jewish vital records from the Latvian State Historical Archives, translated and expanded by Christine Usdin and the Latvia Research Division. Covering births, marriages, divorces, and deaths mainly from 1854–1909 (with some records from 1838–1921), it references about 400,000 individuals. The resource helps preserve Latvian Jewish history and includes archival links to original digitized documents on FamilySearch and Raduraksti.
Off the Beaten Track in Lithuania (by Janette Silverman)
Travel to Lithuania is always a wonderful experience. There is lots to see and do – Lithuania had a vibrant Jewish community, was regarded as a preeminent center of learning and Jewish life. Vilnius and Kaunas, the two largest cities in the country provide a glimpse into the vast spectrum of what Lithuanian Jewish life was like. Even in those two cities, there are many hidden gems. When we leave the big cities, there is even more that most people miss on their trips. Join me for a discussion of those hidden gems. This session is based on my own exploration of Jewish life in Lithuania.
A Hebrew Crash Course: Reading Jewish Gravestones (by Banai Feldstein)
There are extra clues on many Jewish gravestones, especially when they contain Hebrew text. But if you can't read Hebrew, it's harder to know what the stones say. Banai will try to teach you to read some of the Hebrew alphabet, especially geared towards finding the additional useful data often found on Jewish gravestones.
It's What They Answered To: Understanding Ashkenazic Jewish Names (by Emily H. Garber)
Name changes, both in adopted countries and in the old world, make determining Ashkenazic (central and eastern European) Jewish names a genealogical puzzle. One cannot take research back to the old country until one has identified forenames and last names. This presentation will introduce some of the basic clues for recognizing the same person recorded under a variety of names.
Baltic track (4 classes)
Introduction to Lithuanian Genealogical Research [Part 1] (by Lina Kuzminskaite)
In this two-part series, the participants will learn the basics of Lithuanian genealogical research. The first part of the class will focus on the key events in Lithuanian history that shaped how the territory of present-day Lithuania changed over time. The presentation will address the differences between three historical regions in the nineteenth century (Russian occupied Lithuania, Klaipėda Region, and Užnemunė Region) and their research specifics, including religion, language, names, and calendars.
Introduction to Lithuanian Genealogical Research [Part 2] (by Lina Kuzminskaite)
Building upon the historical foundations of Part I, this session transitions from context to practice. This class will discuss the primary record types used in Lithuanian genealogical research and explain how these records are organized and where they are kept. The class will highlight key online repositories specific to Lithuanian genealogy and teach how to navigate them efficiently. Lastly, the presentation will discuss the logistics of onsite research at the Lithuanian archives.
Lutheran Parish Registers and Confessional Records in the Baltic Provinces (by Alina Khuda)
In Estonia and Latvia especially, Lutheran church books form the backbone of genealogical reconstruction from the seventeenth through early twentieth centuries. Baptism, marriage, burial, and confirmation registers often include detailed notes on parentage, farm names, and social status. Because these regions were under Swedish and later Russian rule, record-keeping was relatively consistent and literacy levels were high. Researchers must account for multiple languages—German, Latin, Russian, Estonian, and Latvian—across time. Cross-referencing parish registers with confirmation lists and communion rolls can help track family movement between estates and identify relationships not explicit in vital entries.
Basic Baltic Research (by Patrick Monson)
Teutonic Knights, imperial powers, and pagan peasants all converge in this small but geopolitically sensitive region. This presentation will introduce basic Baltic history and geography, including the use of gazetteers and maps. This will be followed by an overview of major repositories and catalogs, such as FamilySearch, state archives, and online databases. Much of the presentation will discuss primary record types: metrical books, confessant lists, censuses, revision lists, family lists, civil registration, and less common record types.
German track (11 classes)
The Genealogical Value of German Guild Records (by Fritz Juengling)
[Summary will follow]
Beginning German Research: Websites and More (by Fritz Juengling)
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Getting Across the Pond with German Emigration Records (by Stephen Wendt)
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Reading German Script for Genealogy Research - with confidence! (by Sarah Day)
One of the challenges of German Genealogy is reading the German handwriting. Even for a modern reader of German due to the differences in script and alphabet it can be a challenge. This class hopes to provide an overview to the two main scripts used with the German language and the alphabet/letters most commonly found on genealogical documents so family historians may decipher them. It will also present the most commonly found words and phrases and strategies for dealing with challenges.
Big City Research in the German Empire (by Baerbel Johnson)
This class presents sources and research helps that can assist in finding ancestors in larger towns and cities, including: City directories, Citizenship records, Census-type records, Moving in- and out records, Mandatory population registration, Immigration/ emigration records, Jewish records, Newspapers, Maps, Town financial and administrative records, Guides to civil registration districts and parish boundaries. The presentation will include examples of these record types from cities in various parts of the German Empire, along with research suggestions. Many sources are available online; others may be accessed through archives.
Digital Libraries - a Goldmine for German Genealogists (by Baerbel Johnson)
An increasing number of archives and libraries are making out-of-copyright material available online. Learn how to access digitized resources such as gazetteers, maps, historical, genealogical, and biographical publications, address books, official newspapers, and descriptive works.
How to research in Prussia-Poland [part 1] (by Jalyse Ortiz)
Are your ancestors from Prussia-Poland? Come learn about the various gazetteers and websites that are unique to the area. Knowing all the resources that are available helps ensure that nothing is overlooked. The records you are looking for might be online and you just don’t know it.
How to research in Prussia-Poland [part 2] (by Jalyse Ortiz)
Are your ancestors from Prussia-Poland? Come learn about the various gazetteers and websites that are unique to the area. Knowing all the resources that are available helps ensure that nothing is overlooked. The records you are looking for might be online and you just don’t know it.
German Civil Registration (by Charlotte Champenois)
Civil German registry existed since the Napoleonic Wars but was discontiued in may parts of Germany until January 1876. This class explains the different types of civil registry records, what they contain, and where to find them.
The Role of Convents and Monasteries in the 15th-19th Centuries and How They Affected our Ancestors (by Milan Pohontsch)
This presentation explores the profound influence of monasteries and convents on everyday life in Central Europe from the Middle Ages through the end of feudalism. Topics include the origins and cause of serfdom, the legal and economic framework of the German Empire, and the social consequences for peasants tied to monastic estates. Attendees will learn how monasteries functioned as economic powerhouses, exercised judicial authority, and shaped the lives of those who lived and worked on their lands—often quite differently from peasants under noble rule. The session offers valuable historical context for anyone researching family roots in this period.
Navigating German Localities with Gazetteers and Historical Maps (by Marissa Gardner)
This class teaches researchers how to use essential tools for identifying German localities and their parish and civil jurisdictions, focusing on MeyersGaz.org and Kevan Hansen’s Map Guide to German Parish Registers. Participants will learn how to interpret gazetteer entries, understand jurisdictional layers, handle name variants, and connect localities to the correct Protestant or Catholic parish. The session includes demonstrations of MeyersGaz map overlays, examples from the Hansen map guides, and case studies that walk through locating records for specific towns. Attendees will gain practical skills for navigating German administrative geography and finding where genealogical records were created.
General track (6 classes)
Statistical Analysis for Your DNA Matches (by Sarah Day)
DNA is a tool utilized by genealogists on a regular basis now for family history. This class dives into the math tools that can be used by the average family historian to take their DNA and matches to the next level and see how accurate their matching is and see if it makes sense given the other data. It also explores how the math changes if they belong to a pedigree collapse or endogamous community. It is practical strategies to apply to DNA matches to help better understand what is going on and potentially help solve family history mysteries.
Using AI Ethically for Genealogical Research (by James L. Tanner)
This presentation will outline the parameters for integrating AI into genealogy without compromising historical truth or the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS). The presentation suggests that researchers must evolve into "forensic auditors" who govern AI interpretations rather than acting solely as data gatherers. The outline proposes an "AI Source Reliability Scale" (Grades 1–5) to verify evidence and avoid "hallucinations" that can cause an "Echo Chamber Effect" of bad data. Finally, the presentation emphasizes the best practices, including the Master Prompt Structure, professional transparency, and adherence to The Coalition for Responsible AI in Genealogy (CRAIGEN.org) principles for responsible research.
Do You Have Someone Famous in Your Family? The Circus Spurgats (by Cynthia Jacobson)
This presentation will:
Introduce the family story and initial research steps.
Explain how attending a FEEFHS conference helped me prove this family story.
Focus on the multitude of strategies three researchers from three countries (US, Belgium, and Denmark) and two continents, as well as records in three languages (English, German, and Danish) helped verify this family story.
Explain the importance of reexamining earlier research and revisiting important archives, Circus World Museum, and Harvard University.
Discuss collateral lines.
Provide examples of onsite and online information from various records, next steps, and results.
All Was Not Lost: Researching Relatives in Europe During World War II (by Emily H. Garber)
The Holocaust during World War II in Europe has the dubious distinction of being the most documented atrocity of its kind. All researchers, regardless of faith, may find links to relatives in Europe who were victimized by the German National Socialists (Nazis) and their collaborators. Jewish people were specifically targeted. But victims also included homosexuals, Catholics, Roma and Shinti, blacks and mixed-race individuals, political enemies, prisoners of war, and people with physical or mental disabilities. This presentation will identify online databases and archival collections that should be accessed if any of your relatives were in Europe during this time.
Historical Context for Eastern European Family History (by Sarah Day)
Context is key. Understanding the history of the region can provide clues to our ancestors lives that nothing else can. It can help explain the choices they made and where the records ended up. This class provides an overview of the history of Eastern Europe along with resources to learn more so genealogists can better understand the wider historical narrative of their ancestors lives and be more effective researchers.
Belonging & Benefitting: Ethnic Organizations, Mutual Aid Societies, Immigrant Banks, and Landsmanshaftn (by Joanne M. Sher)
Membership in an ethnic organization or landsmanshaftn not only connected immigrants from the same country, region, or religion but often provided benefits to the individual and/or their family. Mutual aid societies were a source of relief aid, loans, and death benefits while immigrant banks provided a way to purchase passenger tickets to bring family members to America. Records from all of these sources will help provide more information about an immigrant ancestor as well as aid in cluster research and village of origin identification.