German Research

I am getting to some brick walls in England and am waiting for some birth, marriage and death records to arrive. I guess I need to start in on Germany.  It is rather intimidating.  Recently, there was a two day Family History meeting here in Atlanta and I took three different classes on German research and I am still worried.

For example, this is a record for the town that Charles Henry Lange (Long) was from.  This is from a 1911 Gazetteer (a directory of places) which tells you where the services are provided for a town.

  Oerlinghausen 
1911:
Bauerschaft Oerlinghausen, Amt Oerlinghausen, ev. Kirchengemeinde Oerlinghausen, Standesamt Oerlinghausen, Amtsgericht OeOrlinghausen, Postort Oerlinghausen, Schulgemeinde Oerlinghausen, Amtsgerichtssitz, Postamt II. Klasse, Telegraphenbetrieb, Fernsprechbetrieb, Stadtfernsprecheinrichtung, Pfarramt, höhere Privatschule, Gendarmeriestation, 350 Wohnhäuser, 637 Haushaltungen, 2.751 Einwohner.
1939: 3.611 Einwohner

Okay, what in the world is this???

Using Google Translator:

Oerlinghausen
1911: 
Peasantry Oerlinghausen, Office Oerlinghausen, Protestant Parish Oerlinghausen, registry office Oerlinghausen, District Court Oerlinghausen, postal district Oerlinghausen, school community Oerlinghausen, County Court office, post office, Second Class, telegraph company, telephone company, city telephone device, rectory, higher private school, police station, 350 houses, 637 households, 2751 inhabitants. 
1939: 3611 inhabitants.

Much easier now isn't it... but it will be slow going since I can't just visually scan the documents.

Here is a view from the town's website: