It was only late last year that English based company, Living DNA hit the scene with their new, and highly detailed DNA test. Rather than simply saying you’re X percent from England, and X percent from elsewhere they break it down to 80 regions around the world, including 21 just in Great Britain alone.
Now Living DNA together with researchers from Germany have just launched a large scale appeal to German people to take part in a groundbreaking DNA project that aims to map the genetic history of Germans.
The German DNA Research Project, is a collaborative project by European ancestry firm Living DNA and Germany’s largest genealogy society, Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (CompGen). Together they are looking for individuals with four grandparents who were all born within 80 kilometres of each other to join their pioneering project by taking a simple DNA test.
By focusing on people whose grandparents were all born in close proximity, the team aims to build up the most detailed and accurate regional map of Germany’s genetic history – prior to the loss of territory and mass departures from the eastern parts of Germany that occurred as a result of WW2.
Therefore the research team are not only looking for individuals whose grandparents have been born within the borders of contemporary Germany. They are broadening the research to include people whose grandparents were born in regions surrounding contemporary Germany, which have been part of Germany prior to WWI, especially focussing on the former eastern provinces.
In particular, the team is keen to find qualifying people from the following 24 regions, which may be distinctly genetically different: Schleswig Holstein, Lower Saxony West, Lower Saxony East, Mecklenburg Vorpommern, Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia North, North Rhine-Westphalia East, North Rhine-Westphalia West, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, North Hesse, South Hesse, Saxony, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Upper Rhine & Black Forest, Württemberg, Swabia, Franconia & Palatinate, Upper & Lower Bavaria as well as the former provinces of Silesia, Posen, Pomerania and East & West Prussia.
To encourage individuals to take part in the project Living DNA is offering eligible persons a discounted ancestry DNA test and lifetime membership to Living DNA for just 89€ (RRP159€).
People who meet the research criteria, but who have already had their DNA tested, will be able to transfer their results to the project free of charge and receive a complimentary lifetime membership to Living DNA.
If you’re wanting to go ahead and take part in the German DNA Research Project, simply click here, follow the links, and you’ll get details to purchase a Living DNA kit for 70€ off the usual price!
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about the German DNA Research Project click here
A German version of the website can be found here.
Visit the Living DNA website
For publications relating to DNA and genealogy click here
I am interested in your project. I do understand that the project does apply to people with 4 grandparents who lived in close proximity within Germany.
Is it intended to extend these limitations? I have ancestry from my great-grandparents and prior (researched to C1700) in Germany. They appear to be mainly from Mecklenburg and more specifically, the Rostock area.
Please keep me informed of progress.
Thank you.
Hi there, I want your contribution about this. Please email me straight away: frans.wikman@gmx.com
Hi Frans, if you’d like to take part in the German DNA Project, I suggest you go to the Living DNA website (this takes you to the right page https://goo.gl/XHE4Zu), and submit your details.