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Show X 4MM 4 t i 4 ' By DOUGLAS D. PALMER Records in Romania are the finest in Europe; , they are in perfect shape. This was the comment of Fred II. Barth, research specialist for the Genealogical Society, who returned to Salt Lake City Oct. 10 after a trip to five continent. on the countries European Mr. Barth, whose trip wa s very productive in terms of the discovery of new records and their availabilityT said the attitude of records officials toward the Church and its research program is generally good. He was bora in Romania and converted to the Church in 1953 in Stuttgart, Germany. He has been an employe of the Society since 1962. He is a member of the Colonial Hills Second Ward, Hillside Stake in Salt Lake City. In addition to visiting Romania, the research specialist visited in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Switzerland to locate new records for possible use by 51-da- y the Society. said that good records control in Romania has been possible because of the establishment of a national archive, centrally directed with headquarters in Bucharest. Romania has never been involved in a major war in which valuable records were destroyed. "Records there cant be moved without permission of the director of the state archive. All parish registers have been removed from churches in the country during thj last 15 years and deposited in regional archives," Mr. Barth said. In Bucharest he met with two archive directors who showed Interest in the Churchs microfilming program. Records in the Vienna City Archives of individu- als who came from Moravia and Bohemia up until the end ef the 19th century contain all needed infor- (nation to Identify an ancestor, Mr. Barth noted. In the State Archives in Bern, Switzerland, he inspected the immigrant Passport Control Books from 1843 to the late 1800s. The books contain permits, the name, profession, date and place of birth and reason for the passport of individuals moving to the United States or to various places in Europe. The Genealogical Society is interested in seeing that these passport control books are Indexed. If they are Indexed it should alj Swiss research.c Officials at the archive in Bern have agreed to do the indexing and to send the society a copy. Mr. Barth estimated that there may be about 5,000 names on the records, but the books give only the name of heads of families. Mr. Barth In Hamburg, Germany, the Society is microfilming the passenger lists from 1850 to the present of the Port of Hamburg. Placed hi chronological order, the records are important for American-Germa- n research. A German genealogist is indexing the records. Located at the mouth of the Elbe River on the North Sea, Hamburg is one of three major ports from which immigrants sailed to the United States during the 19th century. Passenger lists were kept for the second major port at Bremen, Germany, but were destroyed during World War H. No lists are available for the port at Le Havre, France. The Society has nearly completed filming parish registers in Hungary," Mr. Barth reported. In the State Archives in Budapest, the researcher also saw wills, land transcription records, nobility letters, land transfer contracts, royal books, pedigree charts and other genealogical material. These record collections are valuable but will probably not be microfilmed until they are put in better order, he added. In the State Archives in Stuttgart, Germany, , Genealogical Society mlcrofilmers are filming the immigration records of the State of Wuerttenberg which start before 1800 and extend through the 19th century. The immigration records, located in 'the Royal Castle of Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart, are placed on 550 feet of shelving. RCH WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 23, 1967 Dr. Ivan Borsa, Hungarian National Archives, left; Frank Smith, microfilm sent from Europe. . and Fred H. Barth inspect HUNGARIAN ARCHIVIST Praises Church Project V Microfilming of records is becoming more extensive throughout the world every year, and the Genealogical Societys worldwide project is undoubtedly the largest, a Hungarian official said during a visit to the Genealogical Society this month. Dr. Ivan Borsa, deputy general director of the Hungarian National Archives, visited with Elder Theodore M. Burton and other officials of the Society to confer on possible use of records in his country. Fred H. Barth, who recently visited with Dr Borsa In Budapest, Hungary, while on a trip to five European countries, introduced the Utah visitor to points of interest in Salt Lake City and was his interpreter. Mr. Barth is a research specialist for the Society in Germanic-Slav- k countries. During his Utah visit, Dr. Borsa was conducted on a tour of the Granite Mountain Records Vault by Richard Koehler, supervisor of processing and storage. Excited with the huge records storage facility, Dr. Borsa said other Hungarian archivists would be most pleased if they could see the vault A native of Budapest, Dr. Borsa has been an archivist for 27 years in various records deposl- tories in Hungary. He commended the Church on Its microfilming proj- ects and attempt to preserve records. He said that unfavorable reaction to the Churchs microfilming program in some areas of Europe is due to a lade of real understanding about the program. He expressed the opinion, however, that within the future more avenues will be opened up to the Church in this area of records preservation. i&:: .. The Hungarian National Archives makes for itself 1 million microfilm exposures each year. These records filmed in Hungary cover" a time period of the 17th and 18th centuries, Dr. Borsa said. The Genealogical Society may purchase copies of some of the records. The Hungarian National Archives is currently microfilming the parish records up to the end of the 19th century for the Genealogical Sodety. Dr. Borsas trip to Salt Lake followed the Convention of the International Association of Microfilmers in Washington, D.C. In addition to his visit to Genealogical Society facilities, Dr. Borsa toured Temple Square, This Is the Place Monument, Welfare Square and the State Capitol oI Hbar C. Kimball by Orvm P. LH Whitney. Published by Booker ett Publishing, Salt Lake City. W OO The biography of Heber C. Kimball an apostle and the Father and Founder of the British was written by Orson F. Mission, Whitney, also an apostle as well as a poet and philosopher. The first edition was released in 1888, a second edition following in 1945 and a third edition now just off the press. It is now by the Kimball Family with the sincere hope that it may Inspire faith in all who read it and especially that it may touch a trader cord in the lives of all the posterity of Heber C. Kim ball causing them to follow the way of life which was his guide." He was spoken of as one of die greatest men of this age; as the peacemaker by the Prophet Jo- - $ NEW BOOKS IN THE CHURCH seph Smith; as one of the greatest missionaries of modern days; as a prophet, perhaps second only to Joseph Smith, himself; as one of as much integrity as any man who ever lived upon the earth; as one of the few who remained ever loyal to the Prcmhet and his people through difficult times. These tributes came to him not by chance. He lived a life of of devotion, of sacrifice, of hardship and of adherence to a great cause. l, The author, in Introducing his work as a preface in the first edition, says: In the execution of my task, I have feltv strongly moved upon by the spirit of my grands ire, and verily believe that his presence though unseen, has hovered near 1 me. This book is written from the Saint standpoint of the Latter-da- y It makes no apology for the honest expression of views, which, however false or fanatical they may seem to others, are in the opinion of the author only such as ought to be entertained by every sincere believer and defender of the faith . . . The life of a man like Heber C. Kimball with its lessons of faith and humility, of virtue, courage and devotion, cannot fail, if prayerfully read, to do something in this ty.yyg AVM |