2014 Eastern European Family History Conference

The following is from Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS).

Registration opens for Eastern European Family History Conference

Registration is now open for the 2014 Eastern European Family History Conference to be held in Salt Lake City, August 12-15, 2014.

Hosted by the Foundation for East European Family History Studies (FEEFHS), the conference will feature courses on Russian, German, Polish, and Jewish research, Germans of Russia, and the Austrian Empire, which includes modern-day Austria, the Czech Republic, and parts of surrounding countries.  Other presentations will focus on research essentials, specialty records, preparation for on-site research, and advanced techniques. 

Featuring nationally recognized speakers, the conference program is structured to provide a strong foundation for those new to Eastern European genealogical research as well as more advanced information for the seasoned researcher.  Pre-conference workshops “Finding the Village of Origin,” “Learning Cyrillic,” and “Ask the Experts,” provide opportunity for additional instruction and assisted research specific to individual needs.  While all researchers are welcome, this program is most appropriate for those with a working knowledge of basic family history research principles and some research experience.

The program will open with a networking reception featuring Eastern European hors d’oeuvres, time to network with others researching in similar areas, and an entertaining presentation, “Homeland Lost,” by Rachael Patterson.  Her historical non-fiction series (pending publication) follows a family of ethnic German colonists from Russian territory in war-torn Europe through exile, expropriation, conscription, and imprisonment, border wars and pogroms to their final settlement in Canada.

Gerald Schmidt, a former member of the San Francisco Police Department CSI Unit and recipient of the Crime Scene Investigator of the Year Award, will give the closing keynote address, “Family History Research – the CSI Connection.”

The complete schedule, speaker biographies, travel information, and registration information are available at feefhsworkshop.org. 

FEEFHS was founded in 1992 to provide access to genealogical resources and educational programs relating to Eastern European family history research. Additional information may be found at feefhs.org.