In a message dated 9/14/2004 6:01:16 PM Pacific Standard Time, CZECH-D-request@rootsweb.com writes: I have never accessed the Czech census. Can you provide some insight as to how one accesses any census, what time periods are covered, etc. I am primarily searching in the early1800's and 1700's, but see this as an opportunity to fill in some collateral lines and descendancies that I have not wanted to pay genealogists to complete. Jerry, The Czech census are not all the 'organized' as are the US ones. Census that you can search were taken 1858, 1869, 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910, and 1921 - if I remember correctly. Only other census taken on mass basis was the one done after the 30 years war, and it was not all inclusive of children and nobility - the Soupis Poddanach. Secondly, extant census for each town are located in the Okresni Archiv for each separate district. That is, not all census of each town for each year they were taken exist. In a particular Archiv, you might find several, or none, for a particular town. For some towns there might exist in the Okresni Archiv for that town a book of residents; it is sort of a conglomeration of information gathered over time for each house in the town. It indicates birth, death, marriages for the occupants - they tended to not move over a long timeframe, so it is sort of a short movie over the time the record started to when they stopped - which, for the example I saw, was about just after WWI from sometime just prior to the turn of the century. So going back to 18th and 19th centuries would be great, but there is no guarantee you will find anything for the time frame you are interested in. However, if you do find something, you will find things like if the residents moved between census, or went into military there is a note attached to the old census to indicate that person is no longer a resident there. If a person is in the militarty, but intends on returning, the military regiment is noted. People who are not in town, but considered residents are noted along with their current place. Lots of good info... if you can find them. Anettka