Hi Peter, maybe you can give me a couple of tips on how to begin my own geneological research? I have never tried anything in this field before, but would like to know something about my ancestors -- but what is the best way to begin?

Hello fellow researcher! There are many methods for tracing geneologies. I can give you tips on how to research geneologies here in Germany. The basics are the same for all of the methods, but available types of documentation vary according to countries. Now let's get you started.

First and foremost you need lots of paper and a new pen (it will be empty before you are through, haha).
Start with yourself, your siblings and your parents, and write down all of the essentials. Next come your grandparents.
Important to note :
birthdate, birthplace (if birthplace is a large city, which city district?),
if relocated, when and from which old address?
education, profession(s), religion,
hereditary diseases,
estate property (since...?),
marriage dates (church and/or civil ceremony? church records are more easily accessible than civil records),
place of marriage (city district, where applicable), which marriage was this (first, second, third)?
date of death, where applicable, where and when died (city, city district), burial place,
if date of death is unknown, try to estimate the age as closely as possible! (55-80 years old?)
where did the parents live? their profession(s)? number of children? birthdates and birthplaces?
where do the children live? do they have families of their own? (write in their details too!)
make a list of addresses and telephone numbers.

Where did the grandparents live? etc. etc. etc.....

Have any of your relatives already researched their families?
Who has old family documents: birth/death certificates, passports, photos?
Try to make copies of all available certificates: birth, baptism, marriage and death certificates.
You are recovering an abundance of information.
Some families in Germany still keep an old ancestors report, in german : "Ahnenbogen" or so-called "Ariernachweis" ( should read: "Proof of Aryan Descent") or an "Ahnenpass" ("Ancestry Passport").

I can hear the question already: what in the world is an "Ahnenbogen" ??
This is a certificate on which a person's parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are listed.
Because of the completely senseless race laws enacted by the Nazis, people living around 1940 had to create and present a table of ancestry. Across the nation, "forced geneological research" was practiced.
These documents still exist in many families and could be found in the dark depths of desk drawers or in files of family documents. If you can find one of these, you will have an excellent start for your research. With luck, these tables will bring you back to around 1850.
You possibly want to have a look onto such document, here is a copy (230KB)