Getting Started – Helpful Information
Are you looking for your ancestors?
If so, the Westphalia-Lippe and Rhineland Civil Registry Archives are the right place if your ancestors were born, got married or died in North-Rhine Westphalia.
Getting it right
Start your research by talking to your brothers and sisters, parents or grandparents. Compile all the documents your family has kept over the years and ask your family to tell you the stories of any heirlooms you may have. Quite often, this helps you identify the first few generations. Track down one person after another, and don’t skip any generations, as your results might otherwise be unreliable. Try to check all details against the documents you have.
Once you’ve reached the limits of your family records, you can take the next step and approach the archives.