Tips on how to trace your ancestry Start with the people who are alive; those who are dead can wait. This is the golden rule to remember when you begin your research. Firstly, ask relatives who can provide information by speaking to you. Then start searching for other sources. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Other people will often have done research on the same family and drawn family trees. You need to check whether someone has already done this spadework for you. Contact genealogists in Switzerland. The Swiss Society for Genealogical Studies (SSGS) can provide information directly or pass on inquiries to local genealogy societies. www.sgffweb.ch Tracey Jones and Pete Thalmann share this sentiment. It is very important for her to hold on to her Swiss roots and pass that knowledge on to her two daughters, says Jones. “I now know exactly where I come from, and this makes me very proud.” After visiting Switzerland, Thalmann intends to flesh out the family history that he has been writing. The account, already of considerable length, is for future generations to read. “I have six children and eleven grandchildren.” When he read his grandfather’s article for the first time, one thing became clear to him: “Voices from the past are priceless.” name? Pick the wrong gentleman and you mess up the entire family tree. If you are unsure, you will have to look for proof. That takes a lot of patience. Or help from experts like Therese Metzger. Aged 79, Metzger lives in Münsingen near Berne and is a professional genealogist. She does over 30 assignments a year, two thirds of which come from clients abroad. For around 1,000 Swiss francs, she is able to produce lists of people dating back over 200 years. A large proportion of her clients come from the US, she says. “There are people who just want to know where their ancestors lived. Once they know that, they are happy.” Some clients will then travel to the place in question. “To stand in a church and know that an ancestor was baptised there is very moving for them.” Other clients are interested in the detail. One person wanted information about a possible ancestor who lived in the 13th century. “I had to give up.” Being able to look that far into the past is only possible in exceptional cases. Nor is it easy if the client can only give a name that was very common in the past. “Where do I start to look if the ancestor is called Jakob Meier?” Priests with bad handwriting are another problem. Decoding their scribblings is almost impossible. “Purgatory is the least they deserve,” she laughs. Migration drives people to trace their ancestry Metzger used to wonder on occasion why people in countries like the US were so interested in tracing their ancestry. She concluded that the relatively short history of the United States had something to do with it, as did the hugely important role that immigration played in the American story. “I imagine it’s like being an adopted child,” she muses. “They, too, want to know where they have come from.” Münger takes a similar view. Visiting your ancestors’ home country is much more than just a holiday. “Descendants see it as an emotional journey back to their roots.” They will often view the trip as a lifetime goal or a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Genealogist Therese Metzger finds that people who live in a country with a short history that has been marked by immigration are often particularly interested in their own family history. Photo provided Genealogist Kurt Münger keeps receiving more enquiries from people abroad who are taking an interest in their Swiss ancestors. Photo provided Pete Thalmann in Yellowstone National Park, writing poetry. He plans to travel to Eggetsbühl bei Wängi (Thurgau), the home of his great-grandparents. Photo provided Swiss Review / October 2025 / No.4 12 Society
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