Association for Computer Genealogy

German genealogical society

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The Association for Computer Genealogy (German: Verein für Computergenealogie, abbreviated CompGen) is a German non-profit organization, founded in 1989 in Dortmund, Germany. Initially called the Association for the Promotion of Computer-Aided Genealogical Research, the aim of the association is to "promote scientific research in genealogical related fields". The official webpage is only in German.

As of 2022, CompGen has a global membership of over 4,200 people in cooperation with other German genealogical research organizations.

CompGen operates its own web services, including a database, forums and mailing lists. They also work with other genealogical projects such as GenWiki. Members can publish their results through the association without advertising.[1]

CompGen uses a "Historical Place Directory", a project that creates a location database, useful for family researchers, historians and sociologists.

With the data-entry-system (DES) for historical personal data, the association has created a technical basis for historical crowdsourcing projects. Users can record digitalized printed or handwritten sources into the database.[2]

After an initial recording project during the 100th anniversary of the First World War from 2014 to 2018, CompGen was able to record around 8 million personal data records from official casualty and death listings of German soldiers during the First World War (1914–1918).[3]

The association is now expanding in recording historical address directories, police reports and church registers.

All data and information provided can be used online free of charge, even by non-members.

The association publishes a quarterly magazine, Computergenealogie (CG), subscription to which is included in the membership fee.

In addition, a 200-page booklet "Familienforschung (Ancestry research made easy - computer genealogy for everyone)" is published at irregular intervals.[4]

## References

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1. ^ Database Search Link (in German): https://www.compgen.de/recherchieren/#datenbanken 2.https://www.forbes.com/health/wellness/best-genealogy-websites/
2. ^ Data Entry System (in German): https://des.genealogy.net/
3. ^ World War One Casualty Lists (CompGen) (in German): https://wiki.genealogy.net/Verlustlisten_Erster_Weltkrieg
4. ^ CompGen – offen, vernetzt, geschichtsbegeistert! In: CompGen – unser Verein. 2020\. Verein für Computergenealogie e. V. (CompGen). Auf CompGen.de, retrieved 6 December 2020.

* Thorvaldsen, G.; Fertig, G.; Szoltysek, M. (2019). "Troublesome Riches: GenealogicalData As Sources For Historical Demography In Germany" (PDF). Nominative Data in Demographic Research in the East and the West. Ural Federal University. doi:10.15826/B978-5-7996-2656-3.02.

* Beidler, James M. (2016). Trace your German roots online: a complete guide to German genealogy websites. Cincinnati, Ohio: Family tree books. ISBN 9781440345180. Retrieved 17 April 2025.

* Egger, Magdalena (1 June 2018). "Computergenealogie und Archive - Schnittstellen, Kooperationen oder Gegenpositionen? | EBSCOhost". Scrinium: Zeitschrift des Verbandes Österreichischer Archivarinnen und Archivare (72). Association of Austrian Archivists. ISSN 1012-0327. Retrieved 17 April 2025.

* Naumann, Kai; Neuburger, Andreas (3 September 2024). "User perspectives through cross-connections. The role of archives as part of the German digital research data infrastructure". Journal of Documentation. 80 (5): 1106–1118\. doi:10.1108/JD-04-2022-0081.

## External links

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* Official website