Currently accepting clients for...

• Family History Research
• Speaking / Presenting
• Other Speciality

Lene Dræby Kottal brings more than 30 years of family history experience to her clients. Since transforming her passion into a profession in 2013, Lene has excelled in delivering genealogical reports and narrative family histories that portray both male and female ancestors in Denmark and Sweden.

Besides family history research, Lene assists historians and authors with transcription of Danish handwriting, translation from Danish to English, and research of local history and house history.

Here are five examples of client projects completed by Lene Dræby Kottal:

1. Document the birth town in Denmark of a U.S. immigrant. The client's research of U.S. records was thorough but left no information about the immigrant's date of birth or town of origin. Lene documented the immigrant's birth using both church records, census records, military levying rolls, and court records. Client benefit: Once the birthplace was documented, the client could continue the research on their own with only occasional assistance for translations and record interpretation.
2. Identify the parents of a client's ancestor in nineteeth-century Denmark. In addition to research of church and census records, the project required critical analysis of court records from several jurisdictions, as well as prisoner files. Client benefit: The research enabled the client to write a detailed biography for the ancestral couple.
3. Determine today's address of a house rented in the 1800s by a client's Danish ancestors in a rural area in Denmark. No lease contract could be found, so Lene used historical maps and original records to reconstruct the neighborhood and determine which dwelling the client's ancestors rented. Client benefit: Having today's address, the client could visit the house during a trip to Denmark.
4. Translate court and real property records for a client's family members who lived in Denmark in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The court records (estate administrations) not only stated relationships, but included detailed inventories of the belongings of the deceased relatives. Client benefit: The translations provided the client with an abundance of information to help them understand their ancestors' living conditions and possible motivations for immigrating to the U.S.
5. Determine the genetic relationship between the client and a close unknown Danish DNA match at MyHeritage. Lene combined analysis of DNA results with traditional genealogy to document the relationship. Client benefit: Having Lene as a local contact helped the DNA match feel comfortable connecting with an unknown person from abroad.

By becoming the first-ever and only Certified Genealogist® in Denmark, Lene has shown her determination to provide her clients with high-quality services.

Connect with Lene Dræby Kottal, if you need expert assistance with research (with out with the use of DNA), transcription, or translation of Danish historical sources.

For information in Danish, please visit Lene Dræby Kottal's Danish website.

Geographic Specialities

• Denmark
• Schleswig
• Sweden
• The Danish colony in the U.S. Virgin Islands (Danish West Indies)
• The Danish colony in Tharangambadi (Tranquebar, Danish India)

Testimonials
For reviews and testimonials, visit Lene Dræby Kottal's Google Business profile and her website.

Additional specialities or search keywords
Identify descendants & living relatives. Locate ancestral places in Denmark. How to use MyHeritage.

Lectures
Find the Right Historical Jurisdiction in Denmark Using the Website DigDag, webinar at Legacy Family Tree Webinars.

Repositories

• The Danish National Archives (Rigsarkivet).
• Local archives throughout Denmark.
• Arkivalieronline: Imaged sources from the Danish National Archives.
• Digital Reading Room: Imaged and indexed sources from the Swedish National Archives (Riksarkivet).
• Archion: Imaged records from Germany, including the former Danish areas in Schleswig-Holstein.
• FamilySearch: Imaged and indexed records, including many Danish records that are not at Arkivalieronline.
• MyHeritage: Imaged and indexed records, including the 1940 census of Denmark.
• Ancestry.com: Imaged and indexed records, including Danish church records 1814-1926.
• Mediestream: Imaged and indexed Danish newspapers.
• Danskernes Historie Online: Imaged books, periodicals, journals, diaries, memoirs, etc.

Research Time Periods

• 21st Century
• 20th Century
• 19th Century
• 18th Century
• 17th Century

Languages

• Danish
• German
• Swedish
• English

Honorifics/Credentials
Certified Genealogist®

Affiliations
APG International Affairs Committee