Research Tips
There are various ways to research your family history. However, it is important to note that not all historical records have survived. For instance, the archives of the Red Star Line shipping company, including the passenger lists of those who departed from Antwerp for America, have been lost.
If you are looking for information regarding more recent migration to Belgium, we also provide tips for searching within your family or even across borders. Please keep in mind that government archives containing sensitive personal information are often only made publicly accessible 100 years after the date of record.
Resources in the Museum and Online
On the Upper Deck (the museum's first floor), several research computers are available for visitors. These provide access to four key historical sources to assist you in your search. While these resources can also be consulted at home, the Red Star Line Museum offers full and free access to some of them on-site.Websites
- Ancestry
An excellent starting point for your research. At the Red Star Line Museum, you have full, free access to Ancestry’s extensive database, which contains millions of historical records, including passenger lists. We recommend using the ‘Immigration & Travel’ filter for the best results. Please note: Free access to Ancestry is only available within the Red Star Line Museum; otherwise, a paid account is required. However, Ancestry does offer a 14-day free trial for new users.
- Ellis Island
For passengers who arrived at Ellis Island, New York (from 1892 onwards). Please keep in mind that an account is required to view full details, including the original passenger manifests.
- Familiekunde Vlaanderen
For information specifically regarding Belgian emigrants.
Online Resources
These resources can easily be consulted from the comfort of your own home.
- Family Search
Similar to Ancestry, this site provides access to passenger manifests from all North American ports in the United States and Canada. You can also find documents regarding naturalization (applications for U.S. citizenship), census records, and U.S. military registration cards—all of which offer deeper insight into a person’s life in America.
- The Ellis Island Oral History Project
Here, you can search by name and country of origin for passengers and staff members who traveled to the United States via Ellis Island between 1892 and 1976. The Ellis Island Foundation has been collecting these interviews since the 1970s. You will need to create an account to access the materials. Depending on the record, either a transcript or an audio recording of the interview has been preserved.
Online Manuals
- Het Algemeen Rijksarchief (ARA) The National Archives preserves the individual Foreigner Filesof people who arrived in Belgium between 1836 and 1959. Depending on the date of the file and your relationship to the person in question, access may require written permission.
Offline Resources
Local city and municipal archives may also contain relevant information, such as population registers, residency documents, or residential addresses. For older generations, parish registers (baptism, marriage, and burial records) can be an invaluable source.
Search Tips
- Be Creative with Spelling: Write the name of the person you are looking for in as many ways as possible. American officials at ports of arrival were not always familiar with foreign names and often made spelling errors. Furthermore, many people adopted new names in America; both first and last names may have changed. For example, "Frans" often became "Frank," and "Van den Broeck" might become "Vandenbroeck."
- Searching for Women: If you are looking for a female family member, search for both her maiden name and her husband’s surname. When an entire family sailed to America, the wife was usually recorded under her husband’s last name, even though this was not the custom in Belgium. On passenger manifests, people traveling together are typically listed next to one another.
- Be Specific: Use as much detailed information as possible. If you know a birth year, include it in your search. However, allow for a margin of error, as birth years were not always recorded accurately.
- Search for Nicknames: Consider searching for known nicknames or diminutives.
- Consult Research Publications: Read academic or historical publications about the period in which your ancestors migrated. You may find relevant archival material in the bibliography or list of sources that is accessible in a local archive.
- Find Inspiration in Non-Fiction and Memoirs: Read accounts from your ancestors' contemporaries to get an impression of the government agencies or aid organizations they encountered upon departure and arrival. These organizations may still hold archives.
- Talk to Your Family: Don't be afraid to start a conversation with relatives or close friends who may know more about your ancestors' migration. If you are unsure which questions to ask or if you want to record interviews, explore the training and inspiring practices for oral history on the website of FARO, the Flemish interface centre for cultural heritage.
Themes
Are you looking for information regarding the migration of Belgian and Jewish refugees during the First and Second World Wars? The resources below can help you on your way. If you are looking for more detailed information, our colleagues at Kazerne Dossinwill be happy to assist you.
The Red Star Line Museum wishes you the best of luck with your research!