Our Shared Virtual Family History Book
Helping multiple families and organization!
Over the years, we have worked to create a central repository for our family history, with the goal of sharing it with all generations, regardless of location. This template includes contributions from many family members and friends, each adding their unique perspective.
We are excited to extend this resource beyond our immediate family by sharing the Next Generation Software website with the Gottschee Heritage and Genealogy Society and with German citizens who are exploring their family roots. Our hope is that this platform becomes a valuable tool for anyone interested in preserving and connecting with their heritage.
What is Next Generation Software?
Next Generation Software (TNG) is a powerful, web-based genealogy platform designed to organize, display, and share family history in an interactive way. It allows multiple family trees to coexist while maintaining privacy for each contributor. With features like dynamic charts, media integration, and collaborative tools, TNG makes it easy for families and communities to keep their genealogical records accurate, accessible, and up to date. As you'll notice, we reverted back to a previous template that offers greater flexibility while still supporting multiple family databases. If you’ve been in contact with us to view your family’s history here, simply log in—only your family tree will display.
This initiative represents our effort to compile a family history book that remains ever-relevant and continually updated. It is my hope that all generations, as well as members of the Gottschee community and German genealogy enthusiasts, will actively participate in this project, ensuring that the information we share is always current.
As time allows, I plan to continue expanding this template with additional content. If you are interested in contributing—whether you’re part of our family, the Gottschee Heritage and Genealogy Society, or a German citizen researching your lineage—please reach out to me at your earliest convenience. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Additionally, please use the Contact Us form below to share any updates or new information with us.
If you notice any inaccuracies or outdated details, kindly click the "Suggest" button. This will open a pop-up window where you can submit the correct information. For security purposes, I will review and update the data once received.
The Next Generation Software, the operating system this site is based on, was last upgraded February 14, 2025 to version 15.0. Our family history pages come from many researchers and online sources like Ancestry, My Heritage and Family Search and was last uploaded September 7, 2025.
We do have Guest access available but it does not show public information on living people. Just log in as Guest and use the name of our ancestorial home in Germany as its password. If you read this page, your should figure it out!
Genealogy offers numerous benefits, starting with the deep sense of connection it provides to one's roots. By tracing family history, individuals gain insight into the lives, struggles, and achievements of their ancestors, fostering a greater understanding of how the past has shaped the present. It also offers an opportunity to preserve family stories, traditions, and cultural heritage for future generations, ensuring that important legacies are not lost. Additionally, genealogy can uncover patterns and connections that reveal important aspects of identity, such as shared traits, origins, and experiences. It can also be a source of personal pride, as individuals come to realize the resilience and accomplishments of their forebears. Ultimately, genealogy serves as both a reflection of who we are and a roadmap to where we come from, grounding us in our history while helping us navigate the future.
Please see below our family contributed pages and some informative pages on the homes of our ancestors.
Evelyn sat in her small, cozy study, the dim light of the afternoon sun streaming through the window. Her fingers traced the edges of an old photograph, one of the few she had left of her grandparents. The faces in the photo were faded, but the warmth of their smiles still shone through. She had always been curious about her family's past, but it wasn’t until recently that the yearning to know more had become an obsession.
She had spent months digging through old documents, letters, and archives. What began as a casual hobby had quickly evolved into a deep passion. She had uncovered stories of her ancestors—brave pioneers who had crossed oceans and mountains, skilled craftsmen who had built entire towns, and wise matriarchs whose strength held families together through hardship. Each discovery felt like a gift, a piece of the puzzle that formed the narrative of her existence.
One evening, Evelyn sat down to share what she had learned with her teenage daughter, Emma. As they flipped through the family tree she had painstakingly constructed, Emma marveled at the names and dates, the long-forgotten tales of courage, sacrifice, and resilience.
"Mom, why does it matter so much?" Emma asked, her voice filled with curiosity. "Why does it matter where we come from?"
Evelyn paused, considering the question. She had spent so many hours immersed in the details, but she had never fully articulated the reason behind her search.
"Because, Emma," Evelyn began, her voice steady, "our family’s story is our foundation. It connects us to something bigger than ourselves. It shows us where we've been, and in doing so, it helps us understand where we are going."
She smiled gently, brushing a strand of hair from Emma's face. "Genealogy isn’t just about names and dates. It’s about understanding the choices that were made long before we were born, and how those choices shaped the world we live in today. It’s about knowing that our ancestors faced struggles just like we do, and they overcame them. It’s about feeling pride in where we come from, and knowing that their strength lives on in us."
Emma looked at the family tree again, her gaze thoughtful. "I guess it’s like we’re all part of a bigger story," she said quietly.
"Exactly," Evelyn replied, her heart swelling with pride. "Each generation adds its chapter, but we can’t fully appreciate our own without understanding the chapters that came before us."
As the sun began to set, Evelyn and Emma continued to explore the branches of their family tree together. And for Evelyn, that evening marked the beginning of a new chapter in her own life—a realization that, through genealogy, she wasn’t just tracing names and dates. She was discovering the deep, unbroken thread of her heritage that connected her to the past, to her family, and to a legacy that would endure for generations to come.
The story highlights how understanding one's genealogy offers a deeper sense of belonging, identity, and pride, while also illustrating the value of connecting to family history.
We make every effort to document our research. If you have something you would like to add, please contact us.
