Monday, April 16, 2007

genealogy in Denmark

Facts about genealogy in Denmark: "f you are descended from a family of peasants - and most Danes are - you should not reckon on being able to trace your ancestors further back than 200-275 years, since the source material will not permit this. You will often come to a dead end before, at least in some of the branches of your family tree. If yours is a family with a permanent family name, it will frequently have acquired it in the first half of the 18th Century, either by adopting the name of the craft pursued by the family members or by adopting the name of the village, where the family originated but no longer lived. If the family name goes further back, it is frequently possible to follow it. In the case of noble families or families of civil servants, one may often be able to go further back via various printed material. The dream of proving descent from King Gorm the Old (fl. about 935) you should not expect to come true, however - but does it really matter so much?"

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