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Looking for your ancestors from the Netherlands? Yvette Hoitink is a professional genealogist in the Netherlands who does research throughout the country. Read about our services, fees, and example projects or read testimonials by clients like you.

If you want to learn more about researching Dutch ancestors, make sure to read the blog.

Featured article

Map of the Week – Leiden, 1574

This week we are looking at a map of Leiden from the  atlas Civitates Orbis Terrarum by Braun and Hogenberg. The map dates from 1574, during the Eighty Years’ War or the Dutch Revolt, whereby the Netherlands fought for independence from the Habsburg Empire, ruled by King Philip II of Spain. 1574 is a key […]

Featured article

Graves of Henk and Mien Hoitink and their son Dinant

5 Alternatives for Non-Public Birth, Marriage, or Death Records

In the Netherlands, vital records do not immediately become public but remain closed for a certain period: Birth records: 100 years Marriage records: 75 years Death records: 50 years. The records become public on 1 January of the year following the embargo period. As I described in a previous post, it may be possible to […]

Map of the week – Waterland, circa 1573

Around 1573, cartographer Christiaan sGroten created an atlas of the Netherlands and Germany for the King of Spain. At this time, the Netherlands were part of the Habsburg empire, headed by King Philip II of Spain. The Dutch Revolt had started several years earlier and the Spanish king needed maps for strategic purposes and commissioned […]

Featured article

Map of the week – Trade map of the Netherlands, 1894

This week we are looking at a map of routes from 1894. Understanding the major connections between cities may help you understand migration patterns. People who travelled along these lines may have met partners in other towns, or found work in a different place. You can zoom in at Gallica. The map indicates different types […]

View of New York with ships in the front

Member of the Editorial Board of the Record

I am excited to announce I have joined the editorial board of the New York Genealogical and Biographical Record. The Record, as it is colloquially known, is a peer-reviewed journal focused on scholarly research into New York families.  The Record has appeared for more than 150 years and is the second oldest genealogical journal in […]

Tip of the week

Quick tip – Access Restrictions For People Born More Than 100 Years Ago

In the Netherlands, privacy laws restrict access to records of people who may still be alive. But this often affects records of people who were born (much) earlier too. A few examples: Death records are only public after 50 years. My great-grandmother was born in 1893 but her death record only became public this year […]

Term of the week

House number 28, with faint number 36 next to it

Dutch term – Omnummeren

Omnummeren means to renumber. In the past, addresses often changed from one census/population register to the next. The houses would be omgenummerd; renumbered. This can make it difficult to find the modern locations of historical addresses. See tips for finding the address where your ancestors lived for some ideas. Some archives have omnummerlijsten (renumber lists) […]