Ober Saulheim Film Question
I'm new at using Research Groups. Please let me know if this is not the correct place to ask this question.
I'm trying the research my family in Ober Saulheim, Hessen. I've found several films that might be helpful but are not yet digitized and on-line. An example is Film No. 1336519 DGS 102398289. The Notes for the film has this entry: "Not available to non-members of the LDS Church in Europe. " I don't know how to interpret this entry.
Would I be able to view this film if I made a trip to the Family History Library? Would I have to be a LDS church member to view the film?
Best Answer
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I happen to have "inside knowledge" about these records.
In 2018, I asked similiar questions to the ones you've asked about another Evangelical Lutheran parish in Hessen. Eventually, I was told by a very senior manager at FamilySearch that after investigation, it was found that the record custodians/owners (i.e. the Evangelical Lutheran church in Hessen und Nassau) gave permission for their records to be distributed on microfilm, but not in a digital form. This is probably because these records are at the subscription website Archion.de, behind a paywall. Archion is probably the only way you can access these records online, unless they are included in the small collection of German Protestant records on Ancestry.com. You should be able to view the actual physical microfilm at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City- but be sure to ring ahead to confirm. Some local Family History Centers (FHCs) may have copies of this microfilm.
The message about non-LDS members is typical of Protestant German church records. For most regions of Germany, LDS members can access the records online from their home computer, but non-LDS cannot. Hessen is an exception- no FS users, regardless of their religion or geographic location, are allowed to access the digitized records.
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Answers
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@JeffBish We are so glad you have joined our German community - It is a great place to get help and to help others! We have a lot of talented, experienced participants here.
Most of the time, it is best to use "ask a question" - do this by selecting the arrow to the right of "new discussion". Asking a question allows you to accept the answer or let us know you would like more help.
Be sure to review the links at the top of our community page for some great resources. We look forward to hearing from you. We are so glad you are part of this great community!
Thanks for being patient as we sometimes must wait for a response to come from a volunteer with the needed skill set. It is always good if you include the identification number of the person in question in Family Search Family Tree so we can see the bigger picture.
We look forward to your comments and questions.
Enjoy today! Cindy Jarvis
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