Günter Ofner of Vienna <guenter.ofner@chello.at> has posted as of October 8th an open offer on behalf of his association, Familia Austria (the Austrian Society for Genealogy and History), to accept into their database all family trees referencing the old Habsburg Monarchy.  One does not have to be a member of the association to participate.

This database covers 1.5 million people from all corners of the old Danube monarchy, and incorporates data from 31 Ortssippenbücher, the local family clan books.  A description of the family tree database may be found here.  Access to the database itself is here.  And please note that no password or registration is required.

There are two ways in which a researcher worldwide may participate.  Those with a family tree in gedcom format may send it to him at this address.  Those who do not use a family tree genealogy software program may instead send a paper copy; details on how to do this are provided here.  [Of course, the language employed at each of these sites will be German.]

By feeding in your family tree, you will be making your personal family research available to researchers worldwide.  Be assured that the personal data of all individuals born within the last 100 years will be automatically protected against display.  However, by placing your email address there you will make possible new direct contacts with other researchers, and will perhaps discover new distant relatives.

Not many of us will have ties to the House of Habsburg or to Austria, but this just seems to be such a warm and inclusive offer as not to be missed by those with the appropriate heritage….