Category: Microfilm & Manuscripts

Having hired Karl-Michael Sala saved me dollars, efforts, frustration & research time! During 2007-2008, Karl and his wife, Lynell, meticulously researched my ancestral family members from several villages in and around Kreis Rastenburg in Ostpreussen (East Prussia), 1884 – 1741. I provided Karl the name of the ancestral village (Ploetnick) and sufficient data to provide the foundation of the family tree. Karl found them not only in Plötnick, but going back in time, he also ascertained and researched a few other nearby parishes or origin for other ancestral family members!

Karl is adamant about having a firm foundation upon which to work. This is because he has often found cracks or flaws in the research already done by the client. A firm foundation significantly reduces the risk of researching the wrong family, saving time and money.

The ability to obtain records from East Prussia is usually problematic, for many parish registers & churches of Prussia were destroyed during World Wars 1 and 2. In my case, Karl was able to locate microfilmed records right here in the USA for the target European locations. A cost-saving service Karl provides is to verify that records exist and that the family name is truly in the records–before he takes on the project!

Karl and Lynell do more than just provide data for a family tree. The records they locate usually contain other interesting facts that are given to the client. For example, one of my 4th great-grandfather’s, a widower, age 50. an innkeeper, marries my 4th great grandmother, age 23. Their first child was born 2 months later and they had an additional 5 children afterwards. This method of providing data makes the ancestors real–instead of just a series of dates and places. He also provided very detailed images (1:100,000) of pre-WW1 and modern maps showing locations of ancestral family members’ villages.

Karl provides detailed sources for each datum he provides. Foreign language documents written in the old Germanic Handschrift (digital or paper) are highlighted showing the data referred to. This provides documentation that assures even the unschooled client that the data Karl provides is accurate. He also provides names of web sites the client may be interested in perusing more about the history of the area of ancestral origin.

If a client wishes, Karl also takes on the role of research instructor. This allows the client to follow his work and learn the process he goes through. He is happy to share his research knowledge. As a Detroit auto engineer, who is a stickler for details, I am grateful to have learned much from Karl about the research process.