Many people think Germany has been around forever, but Germany's life as a unified nation didn't actually begin until 1871, making it a much "younger" country than most of its European neighbors. The Germany we know today is a much different country than it was during the time of our distant ancestors, increasing the challenge of tracing German roots. Records lost to bombing during WWII only increase the difficulty for researchers. Yet, if you can learn to follow the trail of your ancestors through the many geographical and political boundary changes, there are millions of German records rich in family detail just waiting to be discovered.