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German "Soundex" Conversions
for Ahnenstammkartei Surnames
© copyright 1996 by John D. Movius, all rights
reserved
Latest Update: 1 May 1998 (Links updated)
Note: The Ahnenstammkartei Vorwort states that these conversions are needed for high German
surnames, but Low German Names should be left in there original form. For additional explanation
of this process (and a few clues as to which names are high German and which names are Low
German) please see An Introduction and Register to Die Ahnenstammkartei
des Deutschen Volkes compiled by Thomas Kent Edlund, © copyright 1993 by the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
For a complete explanation of this process in German, please the Vorwort on FHL microfilm
number 1799712 item 3. Note that this German language foreword has been translated by Edlund
and appears on pages xiii through xxiv of the introduction in his An Introduction and Register to
Die Ahnenstammkartei des Deutschen Volkes.
In speaking to Mr. Edlund to further clarify this situation on 3 January 1996, I understand
his opinion is as follows:
- Some of the surname conversion "rules" in the tranlated foreword contradict others.
- Some submissions (over the nearly seven decades it was active) did not always follow the stated
rules for various understandable reasons. It should be remembered that several generations of
archivists that supervised the collection, and both the rules and the submission guidelines are thought
to have been exposed to a certain amount of change over that time.
- Creative and intuitive conversions may be needed to find a given surname in the Der
Ahenstammkartei.
- The bottom line seems to be:
- Search for the surname as coverted by use of the table below.
- If it is not found, search again using the unconverted surname
- If it is stiill not found, get creative and intuitive with regard to other possible spellings that
might have been used.
SUMMARY TABLE OF CONVERSIONS
a = a
ae = a
a u = eu
aeu = eu
ai = ei
ay = ei
bf = f
ch = c
chs = c
ck = c
cs = c
cz = c
ds = z
dsch = z
dt = d
dz = z
dzsch = sch
g = c
gh = c
gs = x
j = i
k = c
ks = x
o = o
oe (Nd.) = u
oi = eu
p = b
pf = f
ph = f
q = q
sl (Nd.) = scl
sm (Nd.) = schm
t = d
ts = sch
tz = z
u = u
ue = u
v = f
w = f
y = i
0 - 0 - 0
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