Sacramento German Genealogy Society (SGGS)

01/23/2026

Have you checked out the January issue of Der Bote/The Messenger? Der Bote is the free monthly newsletter of SGGS, providing society updates, genealogy news, and often a fun article concerning German family history. Just the first page is shown here; download the full edition from our website at https://sggs.us/mo_newsletter.php.

01/19/2026

SGGS invites you to our *free* live webinar on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 10 a.m. (PT) / 1 p.m. (ET)! We are excited to have German genealogist Andrea Bentschneider present “German Immigration in the 19th Century: Part 1 - The Emigrant Experience.”

Based in Hamburg, Germany, Bentschneider is a leading figure in German genealogy, renowned for her expertise since founding "Beyond History" in 2004. She has appeared on international shows such as "Who Do You Think You Are?" and "Finding Your Roots," and is a frequent contributor to German radio and television programs. Her company specializes in genealogy, world war documentation, Jewish family history, and citizenship applications.

We look forward to having you join us! Register for the webinar on our website on https://sggs.us.

01/12/2026

Though a bit delayed, the December 2025 issue of Der Bote/The Messenger, the free monthly newsletter of SGGS, is now available on our website. Remember, just the first page is shown here; the full edition, as well as past issues can be found at https://sggs.us/mo_newsletter.php.

01/07/2026

1892 Karte der deutschen Mundarten [Map of German dialects].

File: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Brockhaus_1892_Deutsche_Mundarten.jpg.

01/01/2026

Guten Rutsch from SGGS! Guten Rutsch [good slide] is a common German New Year’s greeting, commonly understood as wishing someone a good slide into the new year!

12/31/2025

Our last Worte der Woche of the year! Happy New Year 🎆 ✨🎇

12/24/2025

SGGS wishes you a merry and bright Christmas! We thank all our friends, followers, members, and volunteers for making us a part of your genealogy endeavors!

12/24/2025

Neben Plätzchen und Geschenken gehört für viele zu Weihnachten auch der geschmückte Tannenbaum dazu. Doch wieso stellen wir uns eigentlich Bäume ins Haus?

Wie auch bei vielen anderen Traditionen ist der Ursprung unklar. Angenommen wird, dass er auf heidnische Bräuche zurückgeht, galten doch immergrüne Pflanzen bereits in der Antike als symbolträchtiger Schmuck bei Feierlichkeiten. Wie es dazu kam, dass diese Tradition ins Christentum überschwappte – darüber ranken sich einige Mythen. Ebenso wie über den tatsächlich ersten überlieferten Christbaum. Diesen wollen gleich mehrere Länder für sich beanspruchen, allen voran Lettland. Historiker indes attestieren dem ersten Weihnachtsbaum sogar deutsche Wurzeln. Sie berufen sich auf Aufzeichnungen aus dem Jahre 1419, in denen in Freiburg ein mit Lebkuchen, Nüssen und Äpfeln behängter Weihnachtsbaum erwähnt wird.

Ganz gleich, wo er seinen Ursprung hat – das Archion Team wünscht allen ein frohes Weihnachtsfest, erholsame Feiertage und einen guten Start ins neue Jahr!

12/23/2025

Silent night, holy night… 🎶
Did you know that "Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht") comes from Austria? 🌟🎄

It was first performed on Christmas Eve in 1818 in the town of Oberndorf – a charming village that is just a 25-minute train ride from Salzburg! The song made its journey from a modest church in the countryside to being sung in hundreds of languages across the globe.

That’s the true spirit of Christmas – connecting us all through a single, peaceful melody. 💞

📸 SalzburgerLand Tourismus / Michael Grössinger

12/23/2025

12/22/2025

This glowing giant has been a Christmas landmark in a small German town for over 30 years. ✨

The world’s largest Christmas candle isn’t made of wax - it’s a beautifully decorated medieval tower, rising above charming half-timbered houses and the historic market square of Schlitz in Hesse🎄

12/20/2025

German Stollen and the Saxon King Who Changed Christmas Baking

Few Christmas breads carry as much history as German Stollen. Dense, rich, and dusted in powdered sugar, Stollen is more than a holiday dessert. It is a symbol of endurance, faith, and one of the most fascinating food stories of medieval Europe. Its origins lie in Saxony, where winter fasting rules once dictated what could and could not be baked during Advent.

In the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church enforced strict Advent fasting laws. Bakers were forbidden from using butter, eggs, or milk during the weeks leading up to Christmas. As a result, early Stollen was a dry, heavy loaf made only with flour, water, yeast, and oil. It was nourishing but joyless, a far cry from the festive bread we know today. Even so, it became a staple of the season, shaped long and narrow to resemble the swaddled Christ child.

Everything changed in the late fifteenth century when Elector Ernst of Saxony and his brother Duke Albrecht petitioned the Pope for permission to use butter in their Christmas bread. Butter was abundant in their region, and they argued that the fasting restrictions were unnecessary hardship. In 1491, Pope Innocent VIII issued the famous “Butter Letter,” granting special permission for Saxon bakers to use butter in Stollen. What had once been a plain bread transformed into something truly celebratory.

As Stollen evolved, so did its prestige. By the eighteenth century, it had become a symbol of Saxon pride and royal favor. In Dresden, the tradition reached its peak under Augustus the Strong, the Saxon king known for his love of spectacle and excess. He hosted enormous baking competitions and festivals where massive Stollen loaves were presented to the court. One legendary Stollen reportedly weighed over a ton and required a specially crafted knife just to cut it.

The bread itself continued to grow richer. Butter replaced oil, dried fruits and candied citrus were added, and eventually marzipan became a prized filling. The final touch, a heavy coating of powdered sugar, symbolized the snowy landscape of a German winter and reinforced the image of the Christ child wrapped in white cloth. Each element carried meaning, blending religious symbolism with regional abundance.

Today, Dresden Stollen is protected by law, with strict rules governing how it must be made. What began as a humble fasting bread is now one of Europe’s most iconic Christmas foods. Its story is one of persistence, political negotiation, and celebration through baking. Every slice carries centuries of tradition, from medieval monasteries to Saxon kings competing to bake the greatest loaf of all.

Learn more at eatshistory.com