On Friday 08 February 2008 4:42:13 pm Howard Kuhn wrote: > It is not always easy to identity and properly record the country of origin > for our ancestors—especially when they are born near the sometimes fluid > borders of a country.. ::snip:: > If so, we would probably have to follow this little menu (which I frankly > find burdensome): > > Political affiliations of Wadgassen and the modern state of Saarland, > Germany (in broad and general terms): Before 1684, Germany, Holy Roman > Empire > 1684-1780: France; end of Thirty Years War brings French control > 1871-1919: Prussia; end of Franco-Prussian War brings German rule > 1919-1935: France; settlement after World War I reverts land to > French control 1935-1945: Germany; formation of Third Reich; World War II > 1945-1957: France; settlement after World War II brings degree of > French control 1957-2008: Germany; plebiscite actually creates a state > called Saarland, with German control > > To repeat: how do I properly list the country of origin for the > progenitors of Nikolaus and Anton? I suppose I should know the answer, but > I don’t. ::snip:: In general, you want to cite where the records would be found. So if you are reading birth records in German, I think you'll find that the village was in German hands -- if not in Germany itself. When you see the records in French, you'll cite the French village name or wherever the record-creator was -- canton, kries, diocese, etc. For your reading audience, you might also make a note of what the locality is called now. See Evidence! Citation and Analysis for the Family Historian by Elizabeth Shown Mills, or her more recent volume (which I have on order). It is important to cite properly in order to do the necessary analysis of the evidence you have. It isn't a burden -- it frees you. It is absolutely crucial to properly cite localities in the US, since records stay with the original county, but if you go visit graveyards, etc. you will need to modern designation. European records most often are created at the village level, and stay there no matter who runs the area as a whole. Still, properly citing will help lead you to more record sources, if you are lucky. :-) Valorie