Making Sense of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was one of the great powers of central Europe from 1867 to 1918 and many descendants of so-called “Eastern European” immigrants can trace their families back to this area. However, because it covered so much ground and there were many border changes in the 20th century, it can be confusing to know how to find your ancestor’s records. Having a basic understanding of which countries were part of Austria-Hungary and how to narrow down your ancestor’s hometown can help.