Church Records

Baden, German Empire Wiki Topics

Getting Started
Finding Town of Origin Finding Aids For German Records Research Strategies Record Finder
Baden Major Record Types
Church Records	Civil Registration
Reading the Records
German Word List Latin Word List French Word List	Handwriting Languages Feast Days Script Tutorial
Additional Baden Record Types
Biographies Cemeteries Census Court Records Directories Emigration & Immigration Jewish Records	Military Records Minorities Newspapers Online Records Periodicals Town Genealogies
Baden Background
Gazetteers History Language and Handwriting	Military History
Local Research Resources
Archives & Libraries Societies FamilySearch Centers
Germany Record Types
Genealogy Land & Property Population Records Manumission Naturalization & Citizenship Obituaries Occupations Online Records	Town Genealogies Probate Records Religious Records School Records
Germany Background
Biography Church Directories Church History Funerary Customs Cultural Areas Handwriting	Historical Geography Jurisdictions Letter Writing Guide Maps Names Personal Nobility Websites

Church records (parish registers, church books) are an important source for genealogical research in Germany before civil registration began. They recorded details of baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. The vast majority of the population was mentioned. To learn more about the types of information you will find in church records, click on these links:

For a comprehensive understanding of church records, study the article Germany Church Records.

Finding Church Records[edit | edit source]

Parish Register Inventories[edit | edit source]

Church record inventories are essential tools for finding German records. They identify what records should be available for a specified parish and where to write for information on these records. They list the church records, their location, and the years they cover. Sometimes inventories explain which parishes served which towns at different periods of time.

Die Kirchenbücher in Baden: In the right sidebar, click on the thumbnail image to go directly to the digital book, or click on the alphabet links above to open the book at that letter. Just below the thumbnail, there is a link to instructions.
Das Grossherzogtum Baden in geographischer, naturwissenschaftlicher, geschichtlicher, wirtschaftlicher und staatlicher Hinsicht dargestellt - Explanation of symbols and abbreviations see p. 768; alphabetical place name list follows.
Historical gazetteer for Baden-Wuerttemberg with links to online parish register duplicates covering 1810-1870.
Kirchenbücher: Church books in the Protestant Churches in Baden, 1936-1938
Kirchenbücher Verzeichnis, ca. 1964
Repertorium Abteilung 390 Standesbücher. 1965. Inventory of civil transcripts of church books in the Badisches Generallandesarchiv, Karlsruhe
Kirchenbuchportal: See Ev. Landeskirche in Baden.

1. Online Church Records[edit | edit source]

Archion[edit | edit source]

Archion: Archive Karlsruhe Online Lutheran records for Baden ($)

Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg[edit | edit source]

For direct links to collections of online parish register duplicates, organized by civil court district, see:

For a map to see the division between Northern and Southern Baden, see Which archive department can you contact?

Click on the court district (Amtsgerichtsbezirk). (To find your Amtsgericht, go to Meyers Gazetteer Online. Enter your locality. "AG" indicates the Amtsgericht.)
Scroll down the list to find the parish, religion, and time period you need.
The last line in the listing reads "Digitalisate einsehen" or, if translated, "View digitized material". That is the link to the images.

FamilySearch Historical Records[edit | edit source]

1675-1951 Germany, Baden, Stebbach, Church Book Extracts, 1675-1951 at FamilySearch - images

1678-1930 Germany, Baden, Archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau, Catholic Church Records, 1678-1930 at FamilySearch - index

1804-1877 Germany, Baden, Church Book Duplicates, 1804-1877 at FamilySearch - index

This collection includes the following parishes. However, it is still being added to, so consult Germany, Baden Church Book Duplicates, Coverage Table for new additions.

Achern, Achkarren, Bahlingen, Bickensohl, Bischoffingen, Bonndorf im Schwarzwald, Bötzingen, Breisach am Rhein, Burkheim, Denzlingen, Eichstetten, Emmendingen, Fautenbach, Freiamt, Furschenbach, Gamshurst, Gottenheim, Großweier, Gündlingen, Heimbach, Holzhausen, Ihringen, Jechtingen, Kappel, Kappelrodeck, Kiechlinsbergen,, Kirchzarten, Köndringen, Königschaffhausen, Leiselheim, Malterdingen, Merdingen, Mösbach, Mundingen, Niederrimsingen, Nimburg, Oberachern, Oberbergen, Oberrimsingen, Oberrotweil, Obersasbach, Önsbach, Ottenhöfen, Ottoschwanden, Renchen, Reute, Sasbach, Sasbachried, Sasbachwalden, Schelingen, Seebach, Sexau, Teningen, Vörstetten, Wagshurst, Waldulm, and.Wasenweiler.

MyHeritage.com[edit | edit source]

MyHeritage.com can be searched free of charge at your local FamilySearch Center.

1810-1870 Germany, Baden, Church Book Duplicates, 1800-1870 at MyHeritage - index ($); incomplete.

Ancestry.com[edit | edit source]

1502-1985 Baden, Germany, Protestant parish registers, 1502-1985 at Ancestry - index ($); Included are, among others, the cities of Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Lörrach, Mannheim, Pforzheim and Freiburg.

1783-1875 Baden, Germany, selected Protestant church records, 1783-1875 at Ancestry - index ($); Included are, among others, the cities of Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Lörrach, Mannheim and Freiburg.

1810-1869 Germany, Baden, selected church book duplicates, 1810-1869 at Ancestry - index & images ($); Index to the church book duplicates of Baden. The index is partly linked to the digital recordings of the church book duplicates on the website in the State Archives of Freiburg. This collection will be continually updated as new records become available. The description states that for more information, one should see the record collection at FamilySearch, so apparently, the Germany, Baden Church Book Duplicates, Coverage Table also applies to this collection. The search engines for the two collections will likely produce different results, so if possible use both. The Ancestry.com search engine seems to handle spelling variations better.

American Ancestors[edit | edit source]

1810-1869 Germany: Baden, Church Book Duplicates, 1810-1869 at American Ancestors - index ($)

2. Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog[edit | edit source]

Try to find records in the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Many microfilms have been digitized for online viewing. Gradually, everything will be digitized, so check back occasionally. Some have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:

a. Click on the records of Germany, Baden.

b. Click on Places within Germany, Baden and a list of towns will appear.

c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.

d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.

e. Choose the correct record type and time period for your ancestor. "Geburten" are births. "Taufen" are christenings/baptisms. "Heiraten" are marriages. "Tote" are deaths.

f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record.

. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

3. Research in Church and State Archives[edit | edit source]

Church records or duplicates may have been gathered from the local parishes into central archives, either by the churches or the state. Older records are frequently given to these archives for safekeeping. Some gaps in the church records of local parishes could be filled using these records.

Pdf Archive Inventory: "Part 1 of 2: Church records in Archives" - is an inventory of localities and the location or archive where their records should be found. The sixth column, "Archives", gives a number. To find the name and contact information, look up that number in the second column of this .pdf: Part 2: Archive Addresses. It is not clear how up-to-date this inventory is.

Some archives offer searches for a fee. Archives might be unable to handle genealogical requests, but they can determine whether they have specific records you need, sometimes perform very brief research, such as just one record, or they may recommend a researcher who can search the records for you. Archivists are required to speak English.

Email[edit | edit source]

You can e-mail archives and ask whether they have records for a parish. Also, you should inquire whether they provide research services and what their fees are. You can communicate with the archives in English.

Catholic (Katholische) Archives[edit | edit source]

Archbishop's Archives Freiburg (Baden)
Schoferstraße 3
79098 Freiburg i.Br.
Germany

Tel .: 0761 / 2188-260
Fax: 0761 / 2188-439
Email:archiv@ordinariat-freiburg.de

Website

Lutheran Archives[edit | edit source]

Many records are digitized and online at Archion. However, digitizing the records is not complete. For records held by these archives but not yet digitized, you may wish to visit the archives.

Landeskirchliches Archiv in Baden
Evangelischer Oberkirchenrat
Blumenstraße 1
76133 Karlsruhe
Germany

Phone: 0721 / 9175-795
E-Mail: archiv@ekiba.de

Website
Family Research page See the finding aid under Findmittel for a list of church and family registers that have been digitized and placed online at Archion.
Research Requests The archive will honor requests taking less than two and a half hours. Fees apply. A list of recommended professional researchers is provided for longer research.

State Archives[edit | edit source]

Staatsarchiv Freiburg
Colombistraße 4
79098 Freiburg
Germany

Telephone: 0761 / 38060-0
Fax: 0761 / 38060-13
E-Mail: stafreiburg@la-bw.de

Website

Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe
Northern Hildapromenade 3
D-76133 Karlsruhe
Telephone: 0721 / 926-2206
Fax: 0721 / 926-2231
E-Mail: glakarlsruhe@la-bw.de

4. Writing to a Local Priest for Church Records[edit | edit source]

Most church registers are still maintained by the parish. You might obtain information by writing to the parish. Parish employees will usually answer correspondence written in German. Your request may be forwarded if the records have been sent to a central repository.

Evangelical-Lutheran Parish Addresses[edit | edit source]

Baden Churches and Addresses (includes Hohenzollern)

Catholic Parish Addresses[edit | edit source]

Archdiocese Freiburg: Their online address list or use The Catholic Directory for Germany

Email[edit | edit source]

Because many churches now have known e-mail addresses, you can quickly check whether the parish records are stored at the parish church or have been moved to archives. If possible, do this before sending a more detailed inquiry or any money. Links for church addresses are found on the wiki pages for the individual states and counties of Germany.

I. Are the parish records for _________to ___________ (time period range) at your church still?	1. Sind die Kirchenbücher für den Zeitraum von _____ bis _____ noch in Ihrer Kirchengemeinde?
2. If they have been moved to an archive, can you tell me where they are now?	2. Falls sie nun in einem Archiv sind, können Sie mir bitte sagen, wo sie sich jetzt befinden?

Writing to a Local Parish[edit | edit source]

Write a brief request in German to the proper church using this address as a guide, replacing the information in parentheses:

For a Protestant Parish:

An das evangelische Pfarramt

(Insert street address, if known.)

(Postal Code) (Name of Locality)

GERMANY

For a Catholic Parish:

An das katholische Pfarramt

(Insert street address, if known.)

(Postal Code) (Name of Locality)

GERMANY

Click here for postal code help for Germany.

How to Write a Letter[edit | edit source]

Detailed instruction for what to include in the letter, plus German translations of the questions and sentences most frequently used are in the German Letter Writing Guide.

Other Religious Groups[edit | edit source]

To learn how to determine the location of other religious records, namely Jewish, French Reformed, German Reformed, etc., watch Hansen’s Map Guides: Finding Records with Parish Maps beginning at 48:00 minutes, to learn how to locate these congregations. Then go back and watch from the beginning to understand how to use the reference book. Also, you can read Map Guide to German Parish Registers. This video and handout teach you how to use a set of reference books found at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Jewish Records[edit | edit source]

Films of civil status registers of Jewish communities in Württemberg, Baden and Hohenzollern, from Landesarchiv Stuttgart. Click on the letter for the town. Front page says 1943-1945, but the records cover 18th to 20th century.
Eichstetten death records

5. Compiled and Published Secondary Sources[edit | edit source]

Compiled genealogies and published genealogies are secondary sources, not original or primary sources.

As such, they are subject to human error through translation or transcription errors, mistaken interpretations, and opinion decisions of another researcher.

You should make every effort to base your research on the actual, original records or their digitized images.

Town Genealogies (Ortssippenbuch or Ortsfamilienbuch)[edit | edit source]

See the class, Online Ortsfamilienbücher at Genealogy.net, and Wiki article, Germany Town Genealogies and Parish Register Inventories on the Internet. Published town genealogies, Ortssippenbuch (town lineage book) or Ortsfamilienbuch (town family book), generally include birth, marriage, and death data for all persons found in the local records during a specified time period, compiled into families based on the opinion of the author. If one is available, it should only be used as an index or guide to finding the original records. They usually contain errors. Always verify their information in original records.

Finding OFBs[edit | edit source]

Click here to see OFBs at GenWiki. These are indexed and searchable. OFB Instructions.
A bibliography of OFBs held by the Central Office for Person and Family History, and available in their archive in Frankfurt am Main-Höchst, is listed here. You can arrange for copied pages to be sent to you for a fee or donation. Use the "Find" function on your keyboard to search the bibliographies, as they are not alphabetical.
Badische Ortssippenbücher
Baden Ortssippenbücher: This will be the most thorough list.

Reading the Records[edit | edit source]

Archives Online: Archion - Instruction

German Records[edit | edit source]

It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French and German to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately. Here are some resources for learning to read German records.

German Genealogical Word List

French Genealogical Word List

Latin Genealogical Word List

These video webinars will teach you to read German handwriting:

List of Names in Old German Script A comprehensive list of German given names, written in old script, with possible variations.
Old German Script Transcriber (alte deutsche Handschriften): See your family names in the script of the era. Type your name or other word into the font generator tool. Click on the 8 different fonts. Save the image to your computer and use it as you work with old Germanic records.

Downloadable Handouts[edit | edit source]

These printable handouts can be used for ready reference when reading German Handwriting.
Letters:

Vocabulary found on Specific Records:

Dates, Numbers, Abbreviations:

Miscellaneous Vocabulary:

Fraktur:

Fraktur Font--Many forms and books are printed in this font.

Latin Records[edit | edit source]

Records of the Catholic church will usually be written in Latin:

Latin Genealogical Word List

Feast Dates[edit | edit source]

Calendar Changes in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the Low Countries--class
Each day of the year had several patron saints and was a feast day to honor those saints. Some vital events are recorded in church records only by the holy day (feast day) on the church calendar. For example, the feast day called “All Saints Day” (Allerheiligentag) is “1 November.” The Wiki article, Moveable and Fixed Feast Day Calendars for Germany, provides charts for converting feast days given in church records to regular Julian and Gregorian calendar dates.

Search Strategy[edit | edit source]

Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find their birth record, search for the births of their brothers and sisters.
Next, search for the marriage of their parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
Search the death registers for all known family members.
Calculate the birth date of the parents, using age at death and/or marriage to search for their birth records.
Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.