Luse Research

24/09/2025

Dear all,

I have some unexpected news to share. As of yesterday, FamilySearch has restricted online access to a number of key Latvian archive records online— including passports, passport books, and the 1935 & 1941 censuses. This change was made due to Latvian law, which protects personal data for 100 years. We knew it would happen at some point but then it happened right away yesterday...just before my course had to be started:(

Unfortunately, without access to these materials, it’s not possible to run the practical part of my course Tracing Latvian Ancestry: Step by Step. For this reason, I have to cancel the course for now.

I know this is disappointing — especially since many of us rely on the Interwar period records (1920–1940) to connect the dots in family history. Church books (up to 1914) and revision lists are still available online, but you need those interwar period documents to be able to search in the earlier period.

(You can still acess the documents on site in Latvian Historical archive or on Familysearch centres outside Latvia.)

I’ll keep monitoring the situation, and if there are changes or if I redesign the course in a new format, I’ll share the news.

23/09/2025

Any other mistakes you would add from your experience?

22/09/2025

How it all started for me…

I have to admit: my first adventure in the archives didn’t begin with my own family. No, it all started with a film. A documentary by the German filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim.

And it wasn’t genealogical research in the usual sense. It was more like hunting for a needle in a haystack. Rosa was born in Riga in 1942, in the middle of the German occupation. He was adopted soon after. His foster parents? Germans who only lived in Latvia for a couple of years. His real parents? Nobody knew anything.

At that time, I had no experience with archives. None at all. But I did have the German language to help me through Nazi-period documents… and I had time. A lot of time.

So I started digging. Document after document. Piles of paper, lists of names, tiny notes in the margins. And then, after months of searching, there it was. The needle. A single page where Rosa’s adoptive parents requested help for their foster child. And in that request — one crucial detail: Rosa’s real surname.

That one small piece of paper changed everything. It revealed the tragic fate of Rosa’s biological mother.

And it led to something one could never have imagined: Rosa met his still-living aunt in Germany… and, eventually, made the film "Two Mothers".

If you’ve ever had a taste for detective stories, you’ll understand exactly why I was hooked from that moment on.

That single piece of paper didn’t just solve a mystery — it opened the door to a lifelong passion.

Hooked too? 🕵️‍♀️
Join my course and let’s dive into the archives together: https://www.luse-research.com/waitlist-trace-your-latvian-ancestry

20/09/2025

Your great-grandparents left you clues about your family history. Unfortunately, none of them came with a user manual.

That’s why I’ve created a free 3-part masterclass: “Where to Begin with Latvian Genealogy (and Why a Roadmap Matters).”

Over three short videos, I’ll show you:
✔️ What information to look for in family photos, letters, and documents
✔️ How to find your ancestors in international records like refugee cards, ship lists, and naturalization files
✔️ Why Latvian parish records are so tricky — and how a clear roadmap saves you from dead ends

The first video is out Sept 25, with the next two following shortly after.

Join the waitlist — you’ll get access to the free 3-part masterclass + updates when the full course opens.
(https://www.luse-research.com/waitlist-trace-your-latvian-ancestry)

19/09/2025

Couple of days ago, someone reached out asking if I could trace their Latvian family for them.

I suggested instead of booking me, they could join my upcoming 10-week course and learn how to do it themselves.

Their answer was:
“But I don’t have the skills.”

But that’s exactly why I created this course!

You don’t need to arrive with research skills, Latvian language, or much experience. You just need curiosity, patience and a few family details to begin.

Over 10 weeks, I’ll guide you step by step:

- How to use the right platforms and archives

- Where to start searching online

- How to make sense of records, even if you don't know Latvian, German or Russian

By the end, you’ll not only have found new pieces of your family’s story — you’ll also have the confidence and skills to keep going.

👉 Next week, I’ll release a free 3-part video training that will show you how to get started. Join the waitlist to get access (comments).

16/09/2025

Preparing the new course platform... This time, we will not use Facebook as during the spring. I know that some of you didn't want to be on FB (though most of you found the information exactly here, on Facebook). So, this time we will have a platform to use for the course videos and community forum.

Love preparing a new course🙂

15/09/2025

Aizrāvusies ar jaunā kursa radīšanu piemirsu painformēt par jaunāko bloga ierakstu - atgādinājumu laiku pa laikam ieskatīties Ciltskoku krātuvē!

14/09/2025

A new course is on the way! Last spring I ran a free 4-week course for Latvian genealogy. It was great fun and I met many enthusiastic family history researchers!

Some participants had wonderful discoveries. Others struggled.
I think one of the reasons was that the time was too short and all the information came too fast.

That's why, I am offering a new course - expanded over 10 weeks. October 9 - December 18, 2025.

We will go step by step, and you will have more time to process, practice and get results.

Join the waitlist now (link in comments) and get all the details first -pluse special bonuses when the course launches.

05/09/2025

Nāciet rīt uz performanci!

29/06/2025

Kādas manas atziņas un ieteikumi pēc vienas dzimtas grāmatas pabeigšanas - lasiet blogā!

20/06/2025