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'''Civil Registrations.''' Civil Registration refers to records of births, marriages, and deaths maintained by civil authorities. [[Czech Republic Civil Registration|Czech Republic Civil Registrations]] | '''Civil Registrations.''' Civil Registration refers to records of births, marriages, and deaths maintained by civil authorities. [[Czech Republic Civil Registration|Czech Republic Civil Registrations]] | ||
== Determine the Religion of an Ancestor == | |||
Until the 1900s, vital records were kept by church parishes or Jewish congregations. The records of different religions were kept separately. If you are not sure of your ancestor's religion, start by searching Roman-Catholic records. Catholicism was the dominant religion in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Not every village in the Czech Republic had its own parish. Often, several smaller villages belonged to one parish. Use gazetteer to determine the proper record keeping jurisdiction. | |||
== Determine the Record Keeping Jurisdiction == | |||
Not every village in the Czech Republic had its own parish. Often, several smaller villages belonged to one parish. Use [[Czech Republic Gazetteers|gazetteer]] to determine the proper record keeping jurisdiction. | |||
== Find Your Ancestor in the Records == | |||
The best sources of genealogical information in the Czech Republic are the church records kept by the local parishes. The FamilySearch Library has microfilms of vital records from only a few German-speaking communities and a limited number of published census returns. Use the [https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog FamilySearch Catalog] to determine what records are available for the locality. | |||
Most of the Czech vital records were digitized and made available on the Internet. To find out which archive holds the records that you need click [http://www.genteam.at/ here]. You may use this gazetteer for free however you will have to register first. Please be sure to spell the locality name correctly. When you know the respective archive, locate [[Czech_Republic#Online_Databases|Online Databases]] section on the [[Czech_Republic |Czech Republic]] home page in the FamilySearch Research Wiki. | |||
[[Category:Czech Republic Research Strategies]][[Category:Research Tips and Strategies]] | [[Category:Czech Republic Research Strategies]][[Category:Research Tips and Strategies]] | ||
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