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Sample Letters to a Church

If your system has difficulty handling diacritical marks, please see these ASCII text versions of the letters.

If you have received a genealogical letter in a language you do not read, you may wish to make use of TRANSserv.

Read our site FAQ about sending money to Europe with your letter. Should you need them, up to date interactive currency tables are available.

• Croatian
• English
• French
• German
• Hungarian
• Italian
• Romanian
• Serbian

Croatian

Instructions:

1. After the word "pretku", fill in the name of your ancestor, after "roden", his birth date, and after "u", his place of birth.
2. Enclose the equivalent of $15 (or if in the United States, a money order and 2 International Reply Coupons from your post office). See Sending Money Overseas.
3. Address envelope to
   ???
   Town
   Croatia
4. Note that Serbo-Croatian has some diacritic marks which are not present in English. In particular, note the use of the following representations below. When you write your letter, you should modify the copy as follows:
   • c/ represents c with an acute (i.e. slanting up) accent
   • cV represents c with an inverted circumflex above it (hacek)
   • sV represents s with an inverted circumflex above it (hacek)
   • ZV represents A with an inverted circumflex above it (hacek)
   • zV represents z with an inverted circumflex above it (hacek)
   • d+ represents d which is crossed like a "t" in English (eth?)
5. Note that this letter is framed as if written by a man. If a woman sends this letter, all words ending in capital O should be changed to end in -la (i.e. "zamoliO" becomes "zamilila").
6. Finally, if you wish to ask about a female rather than a male ancestor, please write "rod+ena" rather than "rod+en".

ZVeljec/i popuniti neke praznine u historiji svoje obitelji, trazVim informacije o svom pretku ________, rod+en ________ u _________ .

ZamoliO bih Vas lijepo poslati mi kompletan izvod iz matricVne knjige (obiteljske knjige) koji se ticVe visVe imenovanog.

Ako je moguc/e poslati i izvode koji se ticVu roditelja visVe imenovanog, koji su navodno zVivjeli u istom mjestu, doknadno bih Vam zahvaliO.

SValjem Vam ________ za trosVkove. Ako ima visVe trosVkova, obavestite me, molim Vas.

SrdacVno VasV,
Your name

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English

Letter:
Date

Dear Pastor,

In order to complete my family history, I would need information about my ancestor _________, born _______________ in ______________.

May I kindly ask you to send me a complete extract of the birth record from the parish register for the above named.

Should it be possible to send me extracts of the birth, marriage or death records for his parents, who are supposed to have lived in the same town, I would be most grateful for this help.

I am enclosing $15 to cover the necessary fees. Should you incur additional expenses, please let me know.

Thank you in advance for your aid.

Respectfully yours,

Your name
Address

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French

Instructions:
Note: In France, apart from very special circumstances, there is no point in asking any information from a pastor. The easiest place to write for birth, marriage and death records is at the registry office (mayor's office).

1. After the word "ancêtre" fill in the name of your ancestor, after "né(e)" his birth date in the format DD/MM/YYYY, after "à", his place of birth.
2. Enclose the equivalent of $15 and two International Reply Coupons from your post office.
3. The letter is written as if by a man. Female writers could add an "e" after the word "reconnaissant".
4. Address the envelope to
   Monsieur le curé
   Street Number
   Postal Code Town
   Country

Monsieur le curé,

Afin de compléter mon histoire familiale, je suis à la recherche d'informations concernant mon ancêtre ____________ , né(e) le __________ à __________ .

Je vous prie de bien vouloir me faire parvenir une copie intégrale de son acte de naissance.

Je vous serais très reconnaissant, si vous pourriez joindre les copies intégrales des actes de naissance, de mariage et de décès des ses parents. Je présume qu'ils avaient vécu dans la même ville. Je joins 40 Francs pour couvrir les frais. Dans le cas d'un cou^t supplémentaire, veuillez m'avertir.

Je vous remerci beaucoup pour votre aide et vous prie d'agréer, Monsieur le curé, mes meilleurs salutations.

Your signature

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German

Instructions:

1. After the word "über", fill in the name of your ancestor, after "geboren", his birth date, and after "in", his place of birth.
2. Enclose the equivalent of $15 (or if in the United States, a money order or foreign bank draft and 2 International Reply Coupons from your post office). See Sending Money Overseas.
3. Address envelope to
   An das Evangelische (or Katholische) Pfarramt
   ZIP Code Town
   Country

Sehr geehrter Herr Pfarrer!

Zur Vervollständigung meiner Familiengeschichte benötige ich nähere Angaben über ____________ geboren _________________ in ___________.

Ich bitte Sie freundlichst um Übersendung eines vollständigen Auszuges über diesen Vorfahren aus dem Geburtenregister der Pfarrei.

Sollte es Ihnen möglich sein, mir zusätzlich Auszüge über Geburt, Heirat oder Tod seiner Eltern anzufertigen, die am selben Ort gewohnt haben sollen, so wäre ich Ihnen auch für diese Bemühungen sehr dankbar.

Ich lege Ihnen $15 zur Begleichung anfallender Gebühren bei. Sollten Ihnen weitere Auslagen entstehen, so bitte ich Sie, mir dies mitzuteilen.

Fuer Ihre Hilfe danke ich Ihnen herzlich im voraus.

Mit vorzüglicher Hochachtung.

Your name
Your address

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Hungarian

Instructions:

1. Enclose the equivalent of $15 (or if in the United States, a money order and 2 International Reply Coupons from your post office). See Sending Money Overseas.
2. Address envelope to
   ???
   Town
   HUNGARY
3. The salutation given is for a Roman Catholic pastor. If you are writing to a Reformed Church, use "Tisztelt Lelkész Úr!" instead.

Tisztelt Plébános Úr!

Szeretném családom történetét kiegészíteni, ezért szükségem lenne néhány közelebbi adatra ôsömrôl: _________ [name of ancestor], születésének ideje _________ [birthdate yyyymmdd], születésének helye _________ [birthplace].

Kérném még ezen kívül, hogy egy-egy kivonatot a születési, keresztelési, házassági és halotti anyakönyvbôl küldeni szíveskedjen. Ha a szülôk ugyanott laktak, akkor esetleg az ô anyakönyvi kivonataikat is szeretném megkapni.

A költségek kiegyenlítésére levelemben küldök 15 dollárnak megfelelô összeget. Ha ez az összeg nem elegendô, kérem írja meg.

Nagyon köszönöm segítségét.

Üdvözlettel:

Your signature

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Italian

Instructions:

1. After the word "su", fill in the name of your ancestor, after "nato/a a", his birth date, and after "a", his place of birth.
2. Enclose the equivalent of $15 (or if in the United States, a money order or foreign bank draft and 2 International Reply Coupons from your post office).

Egregio Signor Parroco,

Per completare la mia storia di famiglia mi servirebbero dati più su ____________________, nato/a ____________________ a ____________________ .
La pregherei di farmi pervenire una copia dell'atto integrale di questo mio antenato dal Registro dei Battesimi della Parrocchia.
Le sarei molto riconoscente se potesse in inoltre allegare le copie integrali degli atti di battesimo, di matrimonio o di morte dei suoi genitori i quali devono aver vissuto nello stesso luogo.
Allego alla presente $15 per la copertura di eventuali spese; se ci dovessero essere spese supplementari La prego do comunicarmelo.
Ringraziando anticipatamente per il suo prezioso aiuto colgo l'occasione per porgere cordiali saluti.

Name Address

Your signature

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Romanian

Instructions:

1. After the word "nume", fill in the name of your ancestor, after "data de", his birth date, and after "localitatea", his place of birth.
2. Enclose the equivalent of $15 (or if in the United States, a money order and 2 International Reply Coupons from your post office). See Sending Money Overseas.
3. Address envelope to
   ???
   Town
   ROMANIA
   
4. Note that Romanian has some diacritic marks which are not present in English. In particular, note the use of the following representations below. When you write your letter, you should modify the copy as follows:
   • a\/ represents a with an inverted circumflex above it
   • s, represents s with a comma drawn over its base
   • t, represents t with a comma drawn over its base

Stimate parinte,

În scopul de a-mi completa arborele genealogic, va\/ rog respectuos sa\/-mi furnizat,i informat,ii disponibile in parohia dumneavoastra\/ despre stra\/mosul meu pe nume __________ na\/scut pe data de __________ în localitatea ____________ .

Va\/ rog frumos sa\/-mi trimitet,i o copie completa\/ a înregistra\/rii de nas,tere din registrul parohiei pentru persoana sus ment,ionata\/.

Iar, daca\/ este posibil, va\/ rog sa\/-mi trimitet,i copii s,i dupa\/ înregistra\/rile de nas,tere, ca\/sa\/torie s,i deces ale pa\/rint,ilor persoanei sus ment,ionate, care se presupune ca\/ au tra\/it în aceeas,i localitate. V-as, ra\/mâne recunosca\/tor pentru acest ajutor.

Va\/ rog sa\/ acceptat,i suma de $15, inclusa\/ in plic, pentru acoperirea cheltuielilor necesare. Daca\/ vet,i considera ca\/ suma este insuficienta\/ va\/ rog sa\/ ma\/ anunt,at,i.

Mult,umesc anticipat pentru ajutor!

Va\/ rog sa\/ primit,i intrega mea considerat,ie,

Your Name

Your Address

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Serbian

Instructions:

1. After the word "pretku", fill in the name of your ancestor, after "roden", his birth date, and after "u", his place of birth.
2. Enclose the equivalent of $15 (or if in the United States, a money order and 2 International Reply Coupons from your post office). See Sending Money Overseas.
3. Address envelope to
   ???
   Town
   Serbia
4. Note that Serbo-Croatian has some diacritic marks which are not present in English. In particular, note the use of the following representations below. When you write your letter, you should modify the copy as follows:
   • c/ represents c with an acute (i.e. slanting up) accent
   • cV represents c with an inverted circumflex above it (hacek)
   • sV represents s with an inverted circumflex above it (hacek)
   • ZV represents A with an inverted circumflex above it (hacek)
   • zV represents z with an inverted circumflex above it (hacek)
   • d+ represents d which is crossed like a "t" in English (eth?)
5. Note that this letter is framed as if written by a man. If a woman sends this letter, all words ending in capital O should be changed to end in -la (i.e. "zamoliO" becomes "zamilila").
6. Finally, if you wish to ask about a female rather than a male ancestor, please write "rod+ena" rather than "rod+en".

ZVelec/i da popunim neke praznine u istoriji svoje porodice, trazVim informacije o svom pretku _________, rod+en ___________ u ___________ .

Ja bih Vas zamoliO da mi posValjete kompletan izvod iz matricVne knjige koji se ticVe visVe imenovanog.

Ako je moguc/e da mi posValjete i izvode koji se ticVu roditelja visVe imenovanog, koji su navodno zViveli u istom mestu, doknadno bih Vam zahvaliO.

SValjem Vam __________ za trosVkove. Ako ima visVe trosVkova, molim Vas da me obavestite.

SrdacVno VasV,

Your signature

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