Church Records
Until the introduction of Civil Registration, the vital records of life events were collected and held by the churches. The first surviving German Protestant records are from 1524 at St. Sebald in Nürnberg. Lutheran churches in general began requiring baptism, marriage, and burial records around 1540; Catholics began in 1563. By 1650 most Reformed parishes began keeping records.
When the change-over to Civil Registration took place varies with location. The first to occur was in Alsace-Lorraine (under French rule) in 1792 and the last did not happen until 1 January 1876 in Prussia.
If you are seeking records of births (technically baptisms), marriages, or deaths (burials) in the intervening years; then you need to look in the church records (Kirchenbuchs) for the parish in which your ancestors were living. Although the ideal is to visit the village and view the original records, the Family History Library has microfilmed many thousands of documents and made them available through Family Search.
When the change-over to Civil Registration took place varies with location. The first to occur was in Alsace-Lorraine (under French rule) in 1792 and the last did not happen until 1 January 1876 in Prussia.
If you are seeking records of births (technically baptisms), marriages, or deaths (burials) in the intervening years; then you need to look in the church records (Kirchenbuchs) for the parish in which your ancestors were living. Although the ideal is to visit the village and view the original records, the Family History Library has microfilmed many thousands of documents and made them available through Family Search.
Church Book Digital Portal
A project is underway to make available the Kirchenbuch in which records were kept before civil registration. Of about 140,000 individual church books in Germany, the records of about 35,000 (25%) have been digitized thus far. Most of the German Protestant regional church bodies are participating, others and Catholic archives and civil registrations may be joining in later. This will be a fee-paying site with details of cost and methods of payment at http://www.kirchenbuchportal.de/bezahlen-im-internet/.
If you do not read German, you will need to use a browser that offers translation.
A project is underway to make available the Kirchenbuch in which records were kept before civil registration. Of about 140,000 individual church books in Germany, the records of about 35,000 (25%) have been digitized thus far. Most of the German Protestant regional church bodies are participating, others and Catholic archives and civil registrations may be joining in later. This will be a fee-paying site with details of cost and methods of payment at http://www.kirchenbuchportal.de/bezahlen-im-internet/.
If you do not read German, you will need to use a browser that offers translation.
Begin typing the most specific name that you have for your ancestor's place of origin, when there are enough letters for the software to make a match Family Search will suggest a full description. If that looks correct, then click on the longer description to accept it and then search.
For example, when you type Gramzo, the software suggests Germany, Preussen, Brandeberg, Gramzow and the search gives: |
Clicking on the description of the two records expands it to show that there are two sets of records because there were two churches in the locality (the Evangelische Kirche 1810-1874 and the Franzosisch-Reformierte Kirche 1831-1874). Clicking either of the title will open up a page describing how to obtain the records.
Here can you see where the original documents are held, when they were microfilmed and how many rolls of film there are.
Further down the page will be information on how to arrange to borrow the films. (They can be shipped from Utah to Moreton Bay Region.)
But note the red message that states that borrowing is not necessary (in this case) because the records can be viewed on-line! In addition to clicking such a message from the catalogue, there is another way to search for these.
Further down the page will be information on how to arrange to borrow the films. (They can be shipped from Utah to Moreton Bay Region.)
But note the red message that states that borrowing is not necessary (in this case) because the records can be viewed on-line! In addition to clicking such a message from the catalogue, there is another way to search for these.
Family Search Records
Do not enter anything into the name, country or birthplace boxes on the left of the page. Hover your mouse over the world map and select the appropriate area (Continental Europe) when it is highlighted. Then (in the pop-up) select from the lists of countries and then click Start researching in Germany . Now you can choose among time periods and record types to create a "filter" that will sort the records you want from the many sets currently available.
Do not enter anything into the name, country or birthplace boxes on the left of the page. Hover your mouse over the world map and select the appropriate area (Continental Europe) when it is highlighted. Then (in the pop-up) select from the lists of countries and then click Start researching in Germany . Now you can choose among time periods and record types to create a "filter" that will sort the records you want from the many sets currently available.
As you see, there are eighteen record sets to be considered but a quick scan down the list shows that there are just seven with Prussian records and, of those, only two are specific to Brandenberg.
There is an important difference between these two (apart from their source). Each has a camera icon showing that images are available but only one has the text Browse images, because although you can browse the Posen records (page by page) you do not need to. Those records have been indexed so they can be searched by your ancestor's name. |
When you do conduct a search, the camera icon indicates that, instead of thousands of images to browse through, you can go directly to the page containing the entry that you require.
Ancestry Card Catalogue
You can follow a similar process to locate the same set of records in Ancestry. (Remember if you connect through ancestry.com.au, that you need to turn off the option Only records from Australia before you do anything else.) The difference is that you cannot view the full records without a paid subscription (unless you come to the library for free access.)
You can follow a similar process to locate the same set of records in Ancestry. (Remember if you connect through ancestry.com.au, that you need to turn off the option Only records from Australia before you do anything else.) The difference is that you cannot view the full records without a paid subscription (unless you come to the library for free access.)
Andreas Hanacek's Homepage
This page (maintained by a private individual) provides, among other things, links to many archives in Germany (summarised in English). Note in particular his collections of links for the Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church.
JewishGen
For links to records kept by synagogues, try this site maintained in North America as a world-wide resource.
This page (maintained by a private individual) provides, among other things, links to many archives in Germany (summarised in English). Note in particular his collections of links for the Catholic Church and the Evangelical Church.
JewishGen
For links to records kept by synagogues, try this site maintained in North America as a world-wide resource.