Every file I work on is the story of a family finding its bearings again. Here are two real client files from the Moselle archives, presented anonymously: one completed, one still in progress. Each case is clearly labelled.
Case study — Two brothers in the German military recruitment lists: one identification and one documented absence
Completed client file, presented anonymously.
The context
A researcher working on a family history wanted to know whether two brothers, born in the 1860s–1870s in a village near Sarrebourg (Moselle), appeared in the German military recruitment lists of the annexation period (1871–1918).
The scope
- Preparatory recruitment lists (sub-series 12 AL) at the Departmental Archives of Moselle
- Nine years of registers for the district of origin, covering every possible recruitment year for both brothers
- For the second brother, an extension to four other districts, over five periods
The work done
These lists have no index and no reliable alphabetical order: each register was searched page by page, in the archives reading room, under the surname and its spelling variants. Every entry with a similar name was checked against the date and place of birth before being ruled out.
The result
- First brother: probable identification. He appears in the list of his age group, with his draft lottery number and the recruitment board’s decision. Surname, first name, year and place of birth all match; his birth record will allow confirmation.
- Second brother: documented negative search. He does not appear in any of the registers consulted. This absence does not prove that he escaped military service: it points the search towards another place of residence, a departure before conscription, or another register.
- A report was delivered with the references to cite, photographs of the documents and leads for further research.
What this case shows: an absence is proven by covering the sources completely, never by an impression. And every result is given the level of proof it deserves, no more and no less.
Case study — A grandmother born in Metz in 1922, from a family of Polish origin (research in progress)
Real file in progress, presented anonymously.
The context
An American client contacted me to learn more about his grandmother, born in Metz in 1922 into a family of Polish origin. He wants to understand where his family came from and what their life in Moselle was like.
The scope
- Find the 1922 birth record and identify her parents
- Reconstruct the family’s path in Moselle
- Trace the Polish origins back, if the sources allow it
The leads followed
A birth in Metz in 1922 is recorded in the city’s civil registers. The record is now open to the public, and it may carry marginal notes (marriage, death) that are valuable for the next steps. For a Polish family settled in Moselle between the two World Wars, other sources come into play: population censuses, administrative files on foreign residents and, where applicable, naturalisation files.
Where the research stands
The research is in progress. I will complete this case study when the file is finished, stating what the archives made it possible to establish, and what they did not allow me to settle.
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