Chicago Genealogy - Chicago German-American Organizations, Books, and Archives

For a list of other posts on Chicago genealogy resources, click here.


Today I'm finishing up my list of resources for finding your German-American ancestors in Chicago with this list of organizations, special collections, and monographs that can help.

University of Illinois at Chicago Special Collections Department

The German Aid Society Records

http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/specialcoll/services/rjd/findingaids/GASf.html

Established in 1854 to render assistance to immigrants. Collection contains names of immigrants in daily logs and on applications for assistance. Collection also includes membership rosters and financial contributions

Note: Appointment required for on-site research. If you are unable to visit in person, hire a professional genealogist to go for you. The library is not staffed to handle individual research. For more information: http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/specialcoll/

German Genealogy Society – Illinois Chapter

The Illinois Chapter of Palatines to America exists to provide help researching German-speaking and Illinois ancestors. They publish the Illinois German-Americana newsletters six times a year. Included in the newsletters is information on sites for research throughout Illinois, information published by other organizations about Illinois data and research, information about Germany, and current updates on Web sites. Member inquiries may be included in the Illinois Chapter newsletter. Visit http://www.palam.org/chapters.php?chapter=2

Research Assistance: To request research by Pal Am members here and visit message/inquiry board here.

Germanic Genealogy – The Newberry Library

Overview for German research here:

http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/germanic.html

The Newberry also provides a list of contract researchers who can pursue detailed requests in Chicago resources:

http://www.newberry.org/genealogy/researchers.pdf

DANK Haus German American Cultural Center

http://www.dankhaus.com/library.php

The DANK Chicago Library contains numerous German and German-American volumes, including works no longer available Germany. This unparalleled collection is an asset to the German-American Community as a whole. DANK Chicago is working to catalog these valuable books, creating a welcoming environment for scholars and students to benefit from our Library.


The DANK Chicago Museum features German-American history, traditions, artifacts and profiles of prominent German-Americans. Currently used as an educational tool for schools, DANK Chicago plans to improve and expand the Museum, developing instructive, culturally relevant exhibits and educational, hands-on activities. Current exhibitions include:


• A focus on German-American History in Chicago 


• Artifacts and photos from several German-American organizations, including DANK Chicago, the Germania Club, Rheinischer Verein and German-American choirs. 


• Showcase of German-language newspapers, restaurants and personalities here in Chicago

Monographs

Cutler, Irving. Chicago: Metropolis of the Mid-Continent. Carbondale: Southern Illinois Univ. Press, 2006.

Check availability here:

http://www.worldcat.org/title/chicago-metropolis-of-the-mid-continent/oclc/238803515

German Workers in Chicago: A Documentary History of Working-Class Culture from 1850 to World War I

(Working Class in American History series Hartmut Keil and John Jentz, eds.

Check availability here:

http://www.worldcat.org/title/german-workers-in-chicago-a-documentary-history-of-working-class-culture-from-1850-to-world-war-i/ OCLC/15589748&referer=brief_results