TIPS FOR RESEARCHING THE CZECH ARCHIVES
Note: As of Jan 1. 2014 the web address has been changed from Actapulica to
http://www.portafontium.cz
Corrections for web pages will have to be made yet

another source http://matriky.soalitomerice.cz/matriky_lite/SearchBean.action

In 2010 I decided to try researching the Czech Archives online from my home in Wisconsin, USA.  There are some real difficultes with this archive because it is not yet indexed.  If one knows the area their ancestors came from, then the archives can be manually searched.  I found the Kdyne archives at http://actapublica.eu/matriky/plzen/plzen/?pg=192  It is in Czech but English reads:

Alphabetically by Originator

 You can download a Google Automatic Translation bar (Stahněte si automatick� překlad n�strojů).  If you do not want to download a tool bar, you can use http://translate.google.com/#  for just a brief paragraph or word.  You can also try sites like Translation Dictionary http://www.wikiled.com  to do word translations.

This listing shows that Domazlice is the district near Plzen when the records of the Kdyne Roman Catholic Church are kept.  It must be noted that the records are handwritten in a variety of languages including Latin, old German and Czech.  Here is a listing of some of the "municipalities" with different language translations:

For the Kdyne Parish from the Czech Republic, Plzen in the District of Domazlice:
 

KDYNE Parish Village Names -Lokality:
Branisov (Branschau, Brančov)
Brniřov (Bremirschen)
Dobřikov (Dobschikau, Dobřikov)
Hluboka (Tiefenfeld, Hlubok�)
Kdyně (Neugedein, Nov� Kdyně, Nov� Kdyň, Gdyne)
Kout na Sumavě (Kauth, Kauty, Kout, Kouto, Gouta)
Nova Ves (Neudorf, Neo Pagus)
Novy Dvůr (Neuhof)
Nov� Hlubok� (V�tovky)
Prapořistě (Braunbusch, Braunpusch, Pr�poři�tě)
Starec (Starz)

Loucim - Village Names in Czech and (German) Latin script.  The names changed over the years.
Běhařov (Wihorzan)
Bukov� (Bukowa) [Kdyně]
Cihelna (Glosau, Dla�ďov)
Dla�ov (Glosau, Dla�ďov)
Dla�ovsk� chalupy
Doma�lice   
Draha ml�ny Dla�diovsk�
Drob�čkův (mill) ml�ny
Dubov� Lhota (Aichen)
Chodsk� Lhota (Melhut, Lhota)
Klatovy (Klattau)
Klatovy; Nov� V�ska  (Neud�rfl)
Libkov (Lipkov, Lipau)
Loučim (Lautschim, Louč�m)
Ma�kův mill ml�ny
Miletice (Miletitz)
Ml�nya osady u obce Chodsk� Lhota =Ml�nya settlement near the village of Lhota Chodsk�
Ml�ny u obce Poc�novice = Mills near village of Poc�novice
Na �tefl�ch
Nevděk (Bernd�rfel)
Nov� ml�n (new Mill under Loucim)
Opalka (Opalka)
Petr�kův ml�ny = Petr�kův mill
Pocinovice (Putzeried, Poc�novice, Počinovice, Počiňovice)
Smr�ovice (Smerschowitz)
Stř�brn� ml�n
U Blahnik (Blahnikowicz Mill ml�ny)
�borsko (Auborsko)
U Vesel�k  ml�ny (Weselakojic Mill)

http://actapublica.eu/matriky/plzen/?akce=hledat&hl_signatura=Lsten&submit=Search Domazlice listings
http://actapublica.eu/matriky/plzen/plzen/?pg=11   Domazlice
http://actapublica.eu/matriky/plzen/plzen/?pg=14 Klatovy

If you are searching for a different location I know of no other way to find it than to visually scan the records looking for the District and primary town where your ancestors lived.

For further translation of names from Czech & German see http://www.ckrumlov.info/docs/en/region_histor_cnslop.xml   Other references that could help with translating include some names for the old Czech towns in German.

Dorf is just the word for Village.
 

Some occupations

• a hector is a metric measurement of land.  (100 meters by 100 meters) = 10,000 square metres or 1 hector equals about 2.5 acres.
• Cottager -- general term for small holding of land for a peasant.  Often a small dwelling with barn or outbuilding. Gardener.  Types of cottagers listed below
• Domkar -- �lower� cottager, held no land or a small piece like a garden.  Worked for a farmer or practiced a craft.  In ca. 1800 the duties of a domkar were:  1. Pay 3 zlaty (florins) to the suzerains (gracious authorities) per yr. 2. Pass 3 mejtnik (a measure of volume) of rye to suzerains/yr.  3.  Work 13 days/yr. for suzerains (corvee/robota). 4. Pay 1 slaty (florin) & 24 krejcary (doits) to the village/yr.
• Zahradn�k -- A  �middle� cottager or gardener peasant, held a small plot of  about 1 hectare (2.4 acres). Worked for rich people or practiced a craft.
• Baracnik -- A farm worker peasant with 2 or 3 acres.  Worked for sedlak & chalupnik and on nobles� estates.
• Chalupn�k --  An �upper� cottager or gardener peasant who owned their home and held abt. 3 hectares (7 acres) of land & livestock.  Worked the land of others, did not employ others.
• Sedl�k -- peasant farmer, had land, horses, livestock. aka rolnik.  Held about 10 hectares (24 acres), had obligation to breed oxen or horses for corvee (robota).  Employed chalupniks.
• Choden --  free farmer
• Hostinsky -- barkeeper
• kovar -- blacksmith
• kolodej --wheelwrigh
• mlynar/mlnarik -- miller
  
  *for futher translations see http://www.oxfordjctgenealogy.com/main/?page_id=1281

Many old records currently have no index and so I attempted to locate as many Blahnik family records as possible by a simple visual scan.  These records can be difficult to read since not only do they appear in different languages, the old German Script has different lettering  style.  Additionally they sometimes use symbols to indicate the months.  At this time in history the year did not start with January and so when one sees the reference of 7bri is means September. October in Latin is octo or "Eight" & Ber=8ber.  Novebris mensis is nineth month (literally) - and decem is ten or 10ber(bri)
 

 Months in the languages:

English translation for some Bohemian/Czech first names:    

Other Czech Names:

 OLD GERMAN SCRIPT  The records were recorded by the Priests and often times the handwriting style will change when a new Priest takes over the duties.  Even the names were often recorded in Latin rather than Czech.  (More resources at that site) For instance once would find (English) George, (Latin) Georg for Jiri (Czech), John is Johann in Czech but Jan in Czech,  Frantisek (Frank in English) and so on.  The old German script can be sorted our to some extent using translation guides.

Here are a few charts: