Your Swedish Roots: A Step by Step Handbook

Get a start on your Swedish family history with Your Swedish Roots, a step-by-step handbook to help guide you in researching your Swedish ancestors. First, learn general information about Sweden, Swedish naming practices, and the Swedish language. These basics will help you research names of ancestors and search through Swedish records with greater ease. Next, learn what Swedish records are available, where to find them, and how to use them. Swedish church records will be one of the most value to you, as they are very complete and well preserved. Finally, follow sample cases on particular Swedish families to learn helpful research steps for your own family history. As you learn about your Swedish ancestry, you will experience the rewarding feelings that come from seeking out and discovering your ancestors.

Today millions of Swedish-Americans are researching their family history. Until now a comprehensive, step by step genealogical handbook for Swedish research has not been available in the English language. Your Swedish Roots — A Step by Step Handbook fills that gap.

An American searching for his or her Swedish roots has many advantages, as well as some challenges. Since Sweden has not been at war for close to 200 years, Swedish sources and archives are very extensive and complete. The records are in good order and are easy to find. In fact, the most commonly used church records are now even available on the Internet. Guidance for how to access and use these resources is found in this book.

Even with the abundance of records, family historians must first know some basic facts to be able to interpret these old documents. Your Swedish Roots provides this background information and walks the researcher through the steps necessary to have success. Another challenge is a combination of the language—not many Americans speak Swedish—and the antique script that so many creators of original documents used. A special emphasis has been given to translating and interpreting individual documents to help researchers who may have little or no background in the Swedish language or in reading script.

Spectacular research results in Swedish genealogy are possible only if you know where to find the records, and how to use them when you do. This book is the ultimate, step by step guide.