Friday Find: Deutche Digitale Biblithek

Thanks to the Digital Public Library of America’s blog post I found the German Digital Library. The goal of the library is “to offer everyone unrestricted access to Germany’s cultural and scientific heritage, that is, access to millions of books, archived items, images, sculptures, pieces of music and other sound documents, as well as films and scores, from all over Germany.”1 Rather than providing only online access to the collection of one institution, these items will be from archives, libraries, museums, etc. from across Germany. The digital library will serve as a central access point, providing easy access to artifacts that demonstrate Germany’s unique heritage and knowledge.

The site is in beta, so obviously it’s incomplete, but I was able to quickly and easily find sources for my ancestral town simply by typing “Rußheim” in the search engine. Among the search results were church books from the early 1800s— the “Rußheim, evangelische Gemeinde: Standesbuch.” I was able—I think—to locate a record for my 4th cousin 5 times removed, Johan Friedrich Hacker. I don’t speak German and I have difficulty in reading the German script, but I was able to recognize key words, including “mother,” “father,” and the names associated with each.

I get a thrill in viewing original records, even if it’s only by remote through an online digital version. This record was written down 181 years ago with pen and ink and paper in a bound book and now I can view it from across an ocean without leaving my house! Rather extraordinary.

Take a look through the site and let me know what you find!

Footnotes

  1. Deutsche Digital Bibliothek, “About Us,” (http://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/content/about : accessed 11 Dec 2012).

Cite This Page:

, "Friday Find: Deutche Digitale Biblithek," A Pennsylvania Dutch Genealogy, the genealogy & family research site of Kris Hocker, modified 14 Dec 2012 (https://www.krishocker.com/friday-find-deutche-digitale-biblithek/ : accessed 23 Dec 2024).

Content copyright © 2012 Kris Hocker. Please do not copy without prior permission, attribution, and link back to this page.

One Reply to “Friday Find: Deutche Digitale Biblithek”

  1. Hi Kris,
    thanks for giving the beta version of the DDB a spin: good to hear you found it useful! We really enjoy reading how people actually “use” the portal, and your story is a great example. We will constantly be adding new content and features, so do check back from time to time!
    All the best
    Wilhelm

    DDB Press

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