Preparation is key to a sucessful interview. The time to interview may begin the moment you meet the person. You may want to give the interviewee time to think about things. Maybe the person you wanted to interview isn't the right subject. Visit senior centers and talk to the leaders about interviews. You may want to work with your local historical society. There may be no set standard of what you should ask in an interview, since the nature and disposition of people vary. Be prepared for anything, though. Here are a few tips:
- Develop a rapport. Introduce yourself and let the person know who you are or how you are related. DO NOT BRING RECORDING EQUIPMENT AT THIS TIME, but have it nearby in case the time is right. Perhaps this the time to evaluate the person to see if he or she is right for an interview.
- A pre-interview visit helps 'break the ice' and encourages a flow of information. You will be enriched if your attention is undivided.
- DO NOT RUSH THE INTERVIEW! He or she may sense that you care more about an interview than about the interviewee. Do not show a hit-and-run attitude. Build trust and a comfortable relationship.
- Talk and look at photoalbums together. Photos are powerful memory triggers. Have the interwiewee indentify people in the photos.
- You will know the right time to approach the person about an interview, when you feel the memory is in a reflective mood. Always be prepared!
- When the time is right, ask permission to interview that person. Make agreements on a time that would give you and the interviewee the least interruption. Ask if it is permissable to bring recording devices. (You may need to resort pen and paper.)
- Write down prompt questions, in case the interviewee doesn't know what to say.
- Avoid questions that can be answered with just a yes or a no.
- DO NOT INTERRUPT WHAT THE PERSON IS SAYING! Memory problems are common among many seniors. If the person loses a train-of-thought through an interruption, you may never get a second chance to hear the rest of the story. Pay attention, as YOU can also lose your train-of-thought. Let the person talk the entire thought.
PASSENGER LISTS, POLICE RECORDS, AND UNREADABLE LOCALITIES
Stephen Samuel Barthel, Accredited Genealogist Emeritus
Before using passenger lists: The issue of phonetics
In genealogical documents, you will find that names are recorded the way they sounded to the recorder; from one event to another. Polish names vary in United States records. For example, Albert could be Adalbert, or Wojciech. The surname could also have many varied spellings, but phonetically they may be similar or the same. Be flexible in thinking, so that we can find our people in the passenger lists. Even localities can cause problems, due to phonetics.
The prime reason for using passenger lists is to find an ancestor's place of origin. Other reasons follow. You should check memorial cards, obits, biographical sketches in county history books, naturalization, and US church records for a place of origin. Don’t forget to ask relatives! If you know the place of origin, do the research and later revisit passenger lists.
Passenger Arrivals & Departures
Ancestry.com has indexes and lists of passengers from many ports of departure and arrival, including departures from Hamburg, Germany. Since all names are not indexed, you may need to search images of handwritten indexes. The Hamburg indexes are alphabetized by the first letter of the surname. So, all names starting with the letter ‘B’ are listed together, but not further alphabetized. You need to determine the date of immigration by using the naturalization records, as well as other records mentioned in the previous paragraph. Ancestry.com is a commercial site. However, you can still check microfilmed departure and arrival records at family history centers. Microfilm numbers are cataloged under the name of the port city and the topic of Emigration and Immigration. Some family history centers already have the films on indefinite loan. EllisIslandRecords.org and CastleGarden.org are good sources, but the indexing may or may not be correct. Sometimes places of origin are given in the arrival list, depending on the time period of the passenger list and how detailed the recorder was. If you do not obtain a full place of origin, and if the arrival list shows Hamburg, Germany as the port of departure, note the name of the ship and the date it arrived. Subtract perhaps two to three weeks to estimate the time of departure. Search the Hamburg departures (index and list) for the name of the ship that departed Hamburg. The place of origin is given in the departure list. The Bremen departure lists have been destroyed, but an arrival list may possibly give a place of origin. FamilySearch.org lists the microfilm numbers for the port of Hamburg.
The Klüber Collection of the Hamburg Departures
This source lists names from both the Direct and Indirect Lists and covers names from 1850-1871. This index is in full alphabetical order by surname. The names are mostly typed or printed. Even though the ancestor may not have come through the port of Hamburg during that time period, someone else with the same surname may have, thus providing you a clue as to where your ancestor may have come from. For film numbers, search FamilySearch.org for the Library Catalog under the author’s name of Karl Werner.
Hamburg Police Records
If an ancestor stays in Hamburg for a time, a person needs to register with the Police Department. For work in Hamburg, the person would register with the police. If he needed a passport, he could apply through the police. These records are known as Police Records and contain information as to where the ancestor lived previously. These records have been microfilmed and are listed in FamilySearch.org in the Library Catalog as follows:
Germany, Hamburg, Hamburg – found under topic of Emigration and Immigration
Reisepaß-Protokolle, 1851-1929 (Passport applications)
Germany, Hamburg, Hamburg – found under topic of Occupations
Meldeprotokolle für Arbeiter und Dienstboten 1843-1890 (Laborers and servants)
Meldeprotokolle für Gesellen 1850-1867 (Journeymen)
Meldeprotokolle für Gesinde 1834-1843 (Domestic servants)
Meldeprotokolle für Handwerker und Fabrikarbeiter 1837-1868 (Craftsmen and factory workers)
Germany, Hamburg, Hamburg – found under topic of Population
Meldeprotokolle für Fremden, 1868-1889 (Foreigners)