XIV. International Colloquium of Genealogy
22–25 October 2025 in Gotha, Thuringia, Germany
Supported by the City of Gotha
Theme: "The Roots of Gotha, and their connections with the world – Center of nobel and non-nobel genealogies"
Program

Gotha as the Centre of Noble and Non-Nobel Genealogy
Gotha, centre de la généalogie aristocratique, et roturière
Venue: Large Auditorium, House I, Bildungszentrum der Thüringer Landesverwaltung, Bahnhofstr. 3, 99867 Gotha

Wednesday, 22 October 2025
08:00 Welcome desk open
08:50 Welcome to Gotha!
09:00–09:30 Dr. Lupold v. Lehsten: Chronology, genealogy, diplomatic almanacs "for use and pleasure" – how the "Gotha" was created (ENG)
09:30–10:00 Dr. Olaf Simons: Der Gotha-Zettelkasten – Kann man eine ganze Stadt an ihrer historischen Datenlage zusammenarbeiten lassen? (D)
10:00–10:30 Prof. Egbert Seidel: Italienische Einwanderung als Hauptquelle des Kultur- und Wissenstransfer im Mittelalter und frühen Neuzeit (D)
10:30–11:00 Miriam Provence: Le fonds de Saxe aux Archives départementales de l’Aube : les papiers du prince Xavier de Saxe (1730–1806) (F)
11:00–11:15 break
11:15–11:45 Hannah Boeddeker: A representation of noble families? The "Gotha" and the "Genealogische Taschenbücher" in the 19th and early 20th century (ENG)
11:45–12:15 Dr. Mihai-Bogdan Atanasin/Dr. Tudor-Radu Tiron: Successors of the voivodes in the Almanac of Gotha: princes Bassaraba de Brancovan – a model of integration of a prominent Romanian family into the European noble elite
12:15–12:45 Dr. Thomas Aigner: Reinventing the Past: Archives on the Journey from Parchment to Time Machines (ENG)
12:45–13:15 Valérie Arnold-Gautier: Une vision française et féminine de la généalogie en France depuis les quarante dernières années et ce qui se projette avec l'intelligence artificielle, les transcriptions des actes automatiques et les projets des associations françaises comme Filiatech (F)
13:15–14:00 Lunch break (canteen of the House IV)
14:00 Walk up to the castle Friedenstein, meeting point „bridge“
14:30–16:30 devided groups exchanging, one hour each
1) Forschungsbibliothek (research library) in the castle: „Exhibition: Nobility Power State. The Gotha Almanach 1763 – 1944“, glass door, 2nd floor
2) and to the Forschungszentrum (research centre), Schlossberg 2, Gotha
17:00–18:00 Guided tour through the city of Gotha

Thursday, 23 October 2025
08:00  Welcome desk open
09:00–09:30 José Carlos Soares Machado: The Princes of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and the Portuguese Royal Family: Genealogical Overwiew (ENG)
09:30–10:00 Mario Colin: Das Haus Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha und Bragança in Brasilien (D)
10:00–10:30 Dr. Klaus Kohrt: "How to Research your Pomeranion Ancestors" (ENG)
10:30–11:00 Dr. Kenneth W. Heger: "Using Cultural Collections in America to Make Connections in Europe" (ENG)
11:00–11:15 break
11:15–11:45  Dr. Attila István Szekeres: The Transylvanian Princes of the Báthory Family and the Gotha Almanach (ENG)
11:45–12:15  Adam Zurek: Was wussten die Fürsten des Heiligen Römischen Reiches (bis Mitte des 18. Jahrhunderts) über ihre piastischen und gediminischen (insbesondere jagiellonischen) Vorfahren? (D)
12:15–12:45 N.N.: "Letters by German emigrants between 1820 – 1990 at the Research Library in Gotha" (ENG)
13:00–14:00 Lunch break (canteen); AIG meeting in Mayors House (by individual invitation) 
14:00 walk up to the castle Friedenstein
14:30–16:00 „Books – Knowledge – Change.“ Guided tour through the historic showrooms with some highlights of the collection, Spiegelsaal (Hall of Mirrors), 2nd floor, glass door opposite entry to the museum
16:30 Sightseeing
19:00 Reception by the Lord Mayor Knut Kreuch, Citzens Hall, Mayors House, Hauptmarkt 1, Gotha

Friday, 24 October 2025
08:00  Welcome desk open
08:45 meeting at the entrance of the Landesarchiv Thüringen – Staatsarchiv Gotha (State Archives Gotha), Julius-Perthes-Str. 5, 99867 Gotha
09:00–11:00 Tour at the State Archives of Gotha with Director Lutz Schilling
11:30–12:00 Benjamin Günther: "Do we still work – or is the job done by technology? Potentials for the future of genealogical research" (EN)
12:00–12:30 Thomas Hengst: FamilySearch Globale Initiative DTI – Digitise. Transform. Inspire. (ENG)
12:30–13:00 Prof. Georg Fertig: Gatterer, Lorenz, Junkers: Three turns in the history of genealogy (or: why computer genealogy is much more than private ancestral research) (ENG)
13:00–13:45 break     
13:45–14:30 Barbara Schmidt: “The Future of Genealogy: Community and Connection in the Virtual Sphere” (ENG)
14:30–15:00 Christian Kirchner: Auswanderung und Einwanderung - regionale und Nationale Datenbanken zur Klärung von Ursprung und Verbleib unserer Vorfahren und Verwandten (D)
15:00–15:15 break
15:15–16:30 Panel: The Future of Genealogy – Visions and Challenges (ENG)                                       
Christophe Drugy, Président Fédération Francaise de Généalogie (FFG)
Prof. Georg Fertig, University of Halle/Saale
Thomas Hengst, FamilySearch International, Frankfurt/Main
Benjamin Günther, managing director of Synium Software GmbH
Barbara Schmidt, President Intern. German Genealogy Partnership (IGGP)
José Carlos Soares Machado, President Associação Portuguese de Genealogia
16:30 Closing of the XIV International Colloquium for Genealogy (AIG)
18:00 Ceremony “1250 Years of Gotha“, along with the presentation of the international award “Der Friedenstein” (individual invitations needed) Kulturhaus Gotha, Ekhofplatz 3, 99867 Gotha

Saturday, 25 October 2025
12:50 Historical Parade 1250 Years of Gotha (whole day) open houses in museums etc. in the whole city

For contact: Dirk Weissleder, weissleder@geneacademie.org

Gotha, in the center of Germany, is called “Capital City of Genealogy“. Due to its 1250th anniversary in 2025 we invite experts of the genealogical world to come to the Thurigian city with great importance not only for German, but for European history. The theme of the international experts` meeting is “The Roots of Gotha, and their connections with the world – Center of nobel and non-nobel genealogies“. The XIV. International Colloquium of Genealogy will be held at the Thüringer Fachhochschule für öffentliche Verwaltung, Bahnhofstr. 12, 99867 Gotha, and will be part of the celebration week of the City of Gotha, end of October 2025.
The organizers will ask in a Call for Papers (starting at the beginning of 2025) for lectures in different languages as English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian on relations to Gotha in their genealogical topics, countries, and connections of European royal families. There will be a special lecture on “The Gotha – oldest almanach of nobel genealogies“
Please download the Colloquium Regulations and Agenda in English.
Veuillez télécharger le règlement et le calendrier du colloque en français.
Por favor, descargue las regulaciones del Coloquio y la agenda en español.
1250 Jahre Gotha
Folder Gotha