Ancestral research in Salzburg: The boom of the root search is unbroken!

Ancestral research in Salzburg: The boom of the root search is unbroken!

Interest in one's own descent has increased significantly in recent years, especially since the digitization of historical matrics. According to Thomas Mitterecker, the head of the archive of the Archdiocese of Salzburg, the number of inquiries from around 1,200 per year has risen to over one million online accesses, as Salzburg.orf.at . This enables people worldwide to conveniently research their family history from home. Digitization has made ancestral research accessible to many, not only for pensioners, but also for younger generations who want to carry out research on their ancestors.

motivations behind the family research

The reasons for this growing interest are diverse. There are often questions about their own roots, for example with the Salzburg student Sebastian Mitterbauer, who wanted to learn more about his grandparents who died early. Kerstin Hederer and Robert Kluger also emphasizes this need for identity and origin in their book "Tips for Family Research in Austria". The couple Helmut and Esta Hinterseer have invested in their family research for over 40 years and even traced back to 1745. They report on the challenges of having sifted out almost 100 church records in order to find reliable information.

The motivation for ancestral research is also evident in technological developments. The archive not only offers support in research, but also access to modern aids such as the Transcribus platform, which helps with the decipher of old writings. Mitterecker emphasizes that these opportunities make it easier to access extensive historical data. Many people now use online courses and social media to exchange ideas about family history, which strengthens the community spirit among the researchers, reported eds.at .