GENEALOGICAL PROGRAMME

The majority of the SGHS members are genealogists (amateurs, scientific and commercial researchers). The Society supports their education and mutual communication, it tries to create good conditions for their own research.
 

METHODOLOGICAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT (GUIDES, SOFTWARE) The SGHS helps beginners to find their own way in research, it can offer them basic information on research conditions in Slovakia.  Since 1991 once a year, usually in September, the SGHS organizes meetings and seminars for genealogists. The most successful were the seminars "Oral Sources and Methods of Genealogical Research" (Martin, 1995) and the "Summer School of Practical Genealogy" (1996, 1997). A guide which will be published on topics discussed will contain a lot of practical information.  A guide on how to read old manuscripts (Paleographic Reader), prepared by a group of Slovak archivists, was published in 2001.  A number of guidebooks should be followed with the edition of the Genealogical Encyclopedia of Slovakia (GENS), which has been under work since 1997.  In 1997 a group of members created the Slovak version of American genealogical software Brother's Keeper for Windows.

DOCUMENTATION AND RESEARCH PROJECTS (DATABASES, ARCHIVES, LIBRARY) Since 1992 the SGHS has been managing the "Gravestone Inscriptions Transcript" project with the aim to create a computer database with these information.  The SGHS has also carried out a project of genealogical research of the outstanding Slovak Protestant (Evangelical) families of the 19th century.  The SGHS builds its own specialized library and archives. The library contains foreign genealogical periodicals mainly. In the archives one can find the information gathered through the project "Gravestone Inscriptions Transcript" and non-published genealogies. The access to these materials is limited (materials have not been processed yet). One can study them during the opening hours at the Slovak National Library.

PRESENTATION SUPPORT  (COMPETITIONS, PUBLICATIONS) The SGHS encourages genealogists to present results of their research. Every third year the competition "Best Genealogical Works" is organized (1995, 1998, 2001), during which both amateur and professional genealogists' works are reviewed. Awarded works are published on expenses of the Society in the series "Bibliotheca Genealogica Slovaca".  This way in 1997 the "Sága rodu Izákovcov" (Saga of the Izák Family) by J. M. Lehotský, in 2000 the "Ján Francisci Rimavský - genealógia rodu" (Ján Francisci Rimavský - History of the Family) by J. Žilák and in 2002 the „Probstnerovci z Novej Ľubovne a Jakubian (The Probstners from Nová Ľubovňa and Jakubany) by A. Kredatusová were published. The results of scientific research are presented during the symposiums (Najstaršie rody na Slovensku / The Oldest Families in Slovakia, 1994), proceedings of which are published as well.  Space to present the results of genealogical and related studies offers also the Society's newsletter "Genealogicko-heraldický hlas" (Genealogical-Heraldic Voice).