About the European Genealogical Center and research methods

The European Genealogical Center is an international agency that brings together professionals specializing in the exploration of family histories. We focus on the study of ancestral heritage, working with documentary and cartographic records, analyzing diverse sources, and conducting onomastic research while applying different approaches. The principal methods used by our team allow us to trace ancestry, identify kinship ties, and provide a detailed account of a person’s biography, taking into consideration the wider social and cultural context. We conduct genealogical research across numerous European countries, including Western, Central, Southern, and Eastern Europe, as well as the territory of modern-day Russia. Our researchers work with original-language documents and carefully consider denominational and cultural traditions, which ensures precision and depth. In addition to research departments, we also maintain web development, graphic design, and editorial units, where the results are formatted and presented.

about the company and genealogical methods

Our team takes a meticulous and highly responsible approach to every request. At the initial stage, we perform a thorough and detailed analysis of the client’s preliminary information: the names of ancestors, places of birth, and years of life. The more information is provided, the more accurately we can assess the prospects of reconstructing a complete and authentic family tree. When necessary, details about relatives are clarified and interviews with informants are carried out. Next, we evaluate the preservation of archives, estimate the feasibility of the search, calculate the final cost of services, and prepare a commercial proposal. Once all details are approved and payment is received, the search begins. It is conducted in various archives, where civil registry documents, parish records, and population censuses are studied. In cases where materials were lost due to the wars of the 20th century or natural disasters, records from other archives are used. This allows us to establish family connections and reconstruct information about a family, despite the absence of primary sources.

About the structure of the EGC

Our agency employs specialists educated at leading European universities for whom genealogy has become a professional vocation and a personal passion. Each expert specializes in a particular region, is trained in working with local sources, and possesses a profound understanding of the historical and cultural context. Alongside genealogists, our team includes linguists, ethnologists, scholars of historical anthropology, onomastics, paleography, and source studies, as well as editors and designers.

The European Genealogical Center does not have a single central office. This structure reflects the international scope of our work: employees operate remotely from different parts of Europe, remaining close to archives, museums, and research facilities. For greater efficiency, the center is divided into several regional departments. This arrangement allows us to cover a broad geographical range and interact with clients more effectively, always considering the places where their ancestors lived.

Our team regularly visits regional and state archives, local history museums, and sites of historical significance. Field research, the collection of oral testimonies, and conversations with local residents remain vital components of family studies. This approach combines documentary materials with the living memory of generations, producing in-depth and trustworthy narratives of family history.

Alexander Konnykh

Director of the European Genealogical Center

Departments of the European Genealogical Center

Department of Western European Studies

Assists in tracing ancestors in Belgium, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Spain, and Portugal.

Department of Central European Studies

Conducts genealogical research in Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Scandinavia.

Department of Southern European Studies

Focuses on searches in Italy, Malta, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Bulgaria, Romania, and Greece.

Department of Eastern European Studies

Specializes in reconstructing family histories in Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland.

Department of Southern European Studies

Department of Eastern European Studies

Department of Central European Studies

Department of Western European Studies

Advantages of the European Genealogical Center

Experience and Expertise

Many years of practice in genealogy and archival research. More than 1 000 family histories reconstructed.
Confidentiality

Your personal information is fully protected. We comply with all privacy standards when handling personal data.
Quality

We guarantee a consistently high standard of service.
Global and Unique

Our company is the first pan-European genealogical agency.
Exclusive

For the first time in the genealogy market, we offer the option to present research results as a dedicated website.
Affordable and Flexible Pricing

We provide optimal pricing for genealogical services, taking into account search geography, archive accessibility, and the scope of work.

Learn more about our services

Methods of genealogical research

The foundation of reliable genealogy lies in a well-developed methodological framework. At the EGC, we apply time-tested scholarly approaches, proprietary techniques, and specialized literature that have proven effective. This enables us to work with incomplete sources and still reconstruct ancestral lines when direct evidence is lacking. The aim of our research is not only to establish kinship ties but also to trace the development of families across time, placing their lives within social and historical contexts. Our methods involve a comprehensive analysis, from examining documents and assessing their reliability to cross-referencing data from different archives. This allows us to form not a loose set of isolated facts, but a substantiated and holistic account of a family’s past. Reconstruction of kinship begins with identifying the immediate family unit: father and mother, followed by siblings, spouses, and children. While working with archival records across different years, we gather information on cousins, nephews, and other extended relatives. This makes it possible to trace both ancestors and descendants of each person, follow generations, life events, and social connections, and identify progenitors who laid the foundations of a family’s history.

The Genealogical Method of Research

A central approach is the historical-genealogical method. It combines principles of historicism, chronological problem analysis, and the biographical approach. The method is applied to identify kinship, construct family trees, and analyze the role of families within a historical framework. It allows us to create large-scale family charts and confirm facts with legal relevance.

Micro- and Macro-Historical Approaches

For a comprehensive picture, we combine the micro-historical method—focusing on small communities, individual biographies, and family lines—with the macro-historical method, which places them into broader socio-economic and demographic contexts. Clients therefore receive not just names and dates, but reconstructions of their ancestors' historical environment.

Diachronic, Systematic, and Deductive Approaches

When working with sources, we employ the diachronic method to track changes over time, as well as systematic analysis, which considers the family as part of larger social structures. In cases where documents are missing or incomplete, we use deductive reasoning based on logical comparison of data to reconstruct genealogies.

Historical Anthropology

The method of historical anthropology reveals individuals and families through everyday practices and social relations. This approach brings archival materials to life, showing how ancestors actually lived.

Work with Sources

The study of a family begins with defining the object of research and identifying relevant records. We conduct a deep analysis of documents, check their preservation status, and account for the administrative and religious nuances of different regions.

Archival and Field Work

We work not only with the largest national archives but also with regional collections, local museums, and oral testimonies. Field expeditions and interviews with informants complement archival materials, making research more complete and nuanced.

Collaboration with Us

If you are a professional historian with archival experience in any European country, have successful experience in genealogical research (personal or commercial), and would like to join our team, please send your CV to: european.genealogical.center@gmail.com