A good system for keeping track of genealogy work is invaluable. It's not just a system for keeping things in order, but also a system that helps to make the work more efficient.
There are several ways to systematize your work. Before the 1990s saw the introduction of genealogy programs on computers, it was often the case that card indexes were the way to go when it came to systematizing genealogical research, but today there are very few people who do not have their work on a program at home on their own computer.
Numbering system
Even if you have a genealogy program to keep track of your genealogy, it can be good to know some of the numbering systems that exist to systematize your genealogy. This applies not only to your own work, but also to understand the work of others, especially when it is in books without hypertext (text that links to other text).
Kekule von Stradonitz´ system
Despite its difficult name, it is probably one of the most widely used. The system was adopted by the German Stephan Kekule von Stradonitz (1863-1933) at the end of the 19th century. Even though the system bears his name, its roots go all the way back to 1590, when it was used by another German named Michael Eizinger. The system is set up so that you or whoever is listed as the proband gets number 1. Your father becomes number 2, mother number 3, etc. This means that men get an even number, while women get an odd number. The numbers 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, etc. will also be the ones that carry the family names.
 |
| The family tree of Duke Louis the first of Württemberg (reigned 1568-1593) Image: Wikipedia |
Lorenz` system
Another system comes from Ottokar Lorenz (1832-1905). The system follows the same numerical concept as Kekule von Stradonitz's system but at the same time clarifies kinship. In other words, like the previous system (proband 1, father 2, mother 3, grandfather 4, grandmother 5, grandfather 6, grandmother 7), but with kinship. Grandmother therefore becomes 5/2, while grandmother becomes 7/3 etc.
We should probably be glad that today we can rely on a more or less faithful computer to keep track of our relatives. However, there is still something wonderful about being able to continue and use these number systems from the time before computers.
Genealogy program
If you don't use index cards or similar to keep track of your research results, chances are that you use a genealogy program. There are a lot of programs to choose from and it is not necessarily easy to choose one for your genealogy data. Hopefully, this page will help you along the way.
There are a number of programs that help genealogists to systematize their work. Most are free, at least as a limited edition. You may have to pay a little to get an expanded version, but strictly speaking, the limited version is sufficient in most cases.
The genealogy programs have been around for so long now that many of them have been translated into Norwegian, so you are no longer dependent on the English dictionary when using the program.
Brother's Keeper - Is a very popular program that comes in both Norwegian and English. You can also generate family pages from this program.
Legacy - You can use this genealogy program for free. It is possible to purchase an extended version that generates a few more types of reports, but you can do just fine without this. The program is available in Norwegian, English and many other languages. You can also use this program to generate family pages.
