FamilySearch provides insights into one’s family history at the Frankfurt Book Fair

A visitor spontaneously creates a user account and discovers that his family tree has already been created. A family is amazed to discover where people with their surname have lived throughout Europe. A young woman learns that her facial structure is 90 percent the same as that of a renowned person in contemporary history. Almost 4,000 visitors gained new insights about themselves and their extended families during personal conversations at the FamilySearch booth that was part of the international Frankfurt Book Fair from October 18-22, 2023.

“I have goosebumps,” exclaimed one visitor when she and a FamilySearch volunteer discovered similarities in their family trees at the booth of the largest portal for family research in the world. “You gave us the best experience of the book fair,” explained someone else. FamilySearch took part in the Frankfurt Book Fair for the first time this year.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsors FamilySearch to help people find strength in their family relationships – past, present and future. Creating an account and using FamilySearch.org is free.

The FamilySearch database, populated by more than 25 million users worldwide, helps one research, preserve and share one’s family history with others. The information is treated in strict accordance with European data-protection regulations and is not sold to other companies.

During the book fair, FamilySearch representatives also took time away from their booth to visit with media professionals, activists from religious communities and social initiatives, publishers and service companies.

Slovenia was honored as this year's guest country at the fair. Their motto “Honeycomb of Words” referred to traditional beekeeping, linked to the country’s literary landscape as well as digital networking in today’s world. Honeycombs were also featured on the FamilySearch team's shirts and throughout their booth at the fair. Italy will be next year’s guest country of honor.

Over 4,000 companies and organisations from 95 countries exhibited this year.

215,000 people visited the book fair, including 105,000 trade visitors. The Frankfurt Book Fair is perhaps the world's largest meeting place for ideas these days, said British journalist Gaia Vince during her talk at the opening press conference on Tuesday, October 17.