The first rule of German research is to write to the church in the town, in your case Ratzeburg and Segeberg. You find their addresses using http://members.cox.net/hessen/telephones.htm . You need to know their faith (Catholic or Evangelical). Be sure to evaluate the entire page. For books I turn first to http://google.com and type in a few search terms. :-) Don ----- Original Message ----- From: "Levy, Justin" <Justin.Levy@Jacobs.com> Does anybody know where birth, marriage and death records for the town, not the principality, for that period might be stored? Or does anybody know a library