Danish Genealogy Blog

Professional Genealogist Lene Kottal's blog about genealogy in Denmark

All posts Vital and Census Records Court Records Military Records Real Property Records and Maps Immigration and Emigration Manorial Records Danish Genealogy Words Miscellaneous Databases and Tools

My Favorite Photograph: The Kottal Family

The photo of the Kottal family is my favorite photo because it sheds a bit of light on a mystery regarding another photo.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

One of My Favorite Genealogy Finds: A Death Record

One of my favorite genealogy finds is the death record for my great-great-grandmother. I had researched the paternal branch of my ancestors for several years before I found it. It was not at all hard to find, so why had I not found it earlier?

by Lene Dræby Kottal

How I was Inspired to do Genealogy!

About 1997, I searched the Yahoo! email directory for my surname Kottal. To my surprise, there were hundreds of hits and not only from Denmark.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

House History is a Part of Family History

A house history can reveal whether the house or farm, where your Danish ancestors lived, still exists, and at which address the place lies today.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

How Many Children Did Your Danish Ancestors Have?

Sometimes we wonder whether we have missed an ancestor's child in the parish registers, because there is an unusually long gap between the births of two siblings. If any of the siblings were born after 1861, there is a way of finding out how many times the mother had given birth, namely in the midwife registers.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

Traces of Poor Ancestors in Online Danish Genealogy Records

Denmark has a long history of providing welfare for those who cannot provide for themselves. Census records often reveal if a person was a pauper. Details about the welfare can be found in the records of the local pauper committee, many of which have been digitized and made available online.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

Danish Military Levying Rolls as Substitutes for Lost Church Books

Record loss does not necessarily mean that we are unable to document the births of our ancestors. Danish military levying rolls can be used to document birth dates and birthplaces when the parish registers were lost, and images of the rolls are available online.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

Danish Genealogy Records Online

An abundance of Danish records is available online. Research into Danish ancestors is therefore still possible in many cases despite the temporary closure of Danish archives due to COVID-19 restrictions. This post contains an overview of some of the records, which are available online for most Denmark localities.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

Theories Are a Part of My Genealogical Research Planning Process

Most family historians formulate theories during the research process, either consciously or subconsciously. I write down any theories as a part of my research plan. Learn why and see an example thereof.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

Danish Cadastral Maps from the Early 1800s List Names of Owners or Tenants

Images of many Danish historical maps are available online. Cadastral maps from the early 1800s list names of owners or tenants and can therefore provide evidence about your ancestors.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

Annotations in an 1818 Military Levying Roll

Some entries in Danish military levying rolls contain many annotations. Meticulous transcription unveiled an abundance of details in a main roll entry from 1818.

by Lene Dræby Kottal

Real Property Clues in Danish Military Levying Rolls

Danish military levying rolls often provide many clues for further research and not only about an ancestor’s military history. This example shows that these records can provide details about acquisition and sale of real property.

by Lene Dræby Kottal