Germany Empire and Current States: Difference between revisions

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{{#seo:
__NOTOC__
|title=Germany Empire and Current States • FamilySearch
==Current States of Germany and Their Territory From Historic States==  
|description=
After East Germany and West Germany were reunited, these jurisdictions of the government were put in place.  Generally, when researching genealogical records, it is important to discern what government entity would have jurisdiction over the records of that locality at the time the record was made. So, if the town your ancestor came from is in Baden-Württemberg today, the records in 1890 might be found under just Baden.
}}
''[[Germany]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]'' '''Germany Empire and Current States'''


__TOC__
===Baden-Württemberg===
==Current States of Germany and Their Territory From the German Empire Provinces and Duchies==  
From these historic areas now in Baden-Württemberg, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
After East Germany and West Germany were reunited, these jurisdictions of the government were put in place.  Generally, when researching genealogical records, it is important to discern what government entity would have jurisdiction over the records of that locality at the time the record was made. For example, if the town your ancestor came from is in Baden-Württemberg today, the records in 1890 might be found in a library catalog under just Baden. If you learn that your ancestor lived in Baden in 1890, and you want to write to the local church to enquire about records, use Baden-Württemberg in the address.
===Alsace-Lorraine (Elsass-Lothringen)===
In 1919, the Elsass-Lothringen region was awarded to France as a result of World War I.
<br>
{|
{|
|-
|-
|[[File:German Empire - Alsace Lorraine (1871).svg.png|200px|thumb|left|Alsace Lorraine, German Empire 1870]]
|
====Departments====
Each department has a Wiki page giving instructions and links to online records.<br>
*[[Moselle, France Genealogy|Moselle]] (57)
*[[Meurthe-et-Moselle, France Genealogy|Meurthe-et-Moselle]] (54)
*[[Bas-Rhin, France Genealogy|Bas-Rhin]] (67)
*[[Haut-Rhin, France Genealogy|Haut-Rhin]] (68)
*[[Vosges, France Genealogy|Vosges]] (88)
|
|
[[File:Alsace Lorraine departments evolution map-en.svg (1).png|450px|thumb|Department Evolution Map]]
:*[[Baden Genealogy|Baden]]  
<br>
:*[[Württemberg Genealogy|Württemberg]]
|
:*[[Hohenzollern, Germany Genealogy|Hohenzollern]]  
|}
:*the [[Württemberg Genealogy|Württemberg]] part of Swabia.
 
|[[File:States making up Baden-Wuerttemberg.png|250px]]
===Baden-Württemberg===
{|
|-
|style="vertical-align:top; width=10%"|
Historic areas now<br>
in [[Baden-Württemberg, Germany Genealogy|'''Baden-Württemberg''']]
*'''Baden'''
*'''Württemberg'''
*'''Hohenzollern'''
[[File:B-W location in Germany.png|125px]]
 
|style="vertical-align:top; width=35%"|
<center>'''Former States Now<br> in Baden-Württemberg'''</center>
[[File:Baden-Wuettemberg regions.png|367px]]
|style="vertical-align:top;width-35%"|
<center>'''Modern Baden-Württemberg'''</center><br>
[[File:Modern Baden-Württemberg map.png]]
 
|}
|}


===Bavaria===
===Bavaria===
 
From these historic areas now in Bavaria, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
{|
{|
|-
|-
|style="vertical-align:top; width=10%; padding-right:30px"|
|
'''Historic<br>
:*[[Bavaria Genealogy|Bavaria]]  
areas now in '''Bavaria:''' <br>
:*parts of [[Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha Genealogy|Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha]]
*[[Bavaria, Germany Genealogy|'''Bavaria''']]  
:*Franconia, see Bavaria
*Coburg (part of Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha)<br>
:*Swabia, see Bavaria
*The Pfalz (Palatinate) belonged to Bavaria until 1945, and then became part of the modern state of [[Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Genealogy|'''Rhineland-Palatinate''']]
:*Upper Palatinate, see [[Rhineland, Germany Genealogy|Rhineland]]
|style="vertical-align:top; width=40%"|
|[[File:WV-Bavaria regions.svg.png|450px]]
<center>'''Bavaria 19th Century and Beyond'''</center>
'''Duchy of Coburg'''<br>
'''(now part of [[Upper Franconia District, Bavaria Genealogy|Upper Franconia, Bavaria)''']]<br>
[[File:Coburg.png|200px]]<br>
[[File:Historic bavaria.png|450px]]  
|style="vertical-align:top; width=40%"|
<center> '''Modern Administrative Regions of Bavaria'''</center><br>
[[File:WV-Bavaria regions.svg.png|375px]]
 
|}
|}


===Comparison of Brandenburg in 1871 and Modern Brandenburg===
===[[Hessen Genealogy|Hessen]] ===
At the end of World War II, a large section of 1871 Brandenburg, the Neumark, was ceded to Poland. As the Neumark lay east of the Oder-Neisse line which formed the new border between Allied-controlled Germany and Poland, the region was put under Polish administration. Germans remaining in the region were expelled and their land and possessions confiscated. A small part of the German population, mostly technicians for the water supply companies, were retained and used for compulsory labour; they were allowed to emigrate to Germany in the 1950s. According to the Centre Against Expulsions, 40,000 Neumarkers were killed in action as soldiers, 395,000 fled to West or East Germany by 1950, and 208,000 died, disappeared, or were murdered during the course of flight or expulsion by Polish and Soviet troops.<br>
From these historic areas now in Hessen, click on  the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neumark--Wikipedia, "Neumark"]
For research help, go to
*[[Brandenburg, Germany Genealogy|'''Brandenburg, Germany Genealogy''']]
*[[How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Brandenburg, Germany|'''How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Brandenburg, Germany''']]
*[[Neumark (region), Brandenburg, Germany Genealogy|'''Neumark (region), Brandenburg, Germany Genealogy''']]
{|
{|
|-
|-
| style="vertical-align:top"|
|
'''Brandenburg Prior to Partition'''
:*[[Hessen Genealogy|Hessen]]
The eastern region of the Neumark was given<br>
:*[[Hessen-Nassau Genealogy|Hessen-Nassau]]
to Poland in 1945 to create modern <br>
:*[[Waldeck Genealogy|Waldeck]]
Brandenburg.<br>
:*Hessen-Kassel, see Hessen
(Click on the map to see a larger version.)
:*Hessen-Darmstadt, see Hessen
<br>
:*Hessen-Nassau, see Hessen
<br>
|[[File:Hesse, administrative divisions.png|450px]]
[[File:Province of Brandenburg Kingdom of Prussia, 1905, Administrative Map-1.png|680px]]
|'''Modern Brandenburg'''
(Click on the map, and then click on link "Original version" to see a larger version.)
[[File:Karte der Ämter in Brandenburg.png|460px]]
|-
|'''Kreise of the Neumark in 1873'''<br>
1.  For the 1871 Meyers Gazettee and the FamilySearch Catalog, these counties will be listed as part of Brandenburg.<br>
2.  When dealing with modern locations, archives, and parish correspondence, they will be part of Poland.
<br>
<br>
[[File:Neumark1818.jpg|250px]]
|}
|}


===Brunswick (Braunschweig)===
===Lower Saxony===
'''The enclaves of Calvorde and Blankenburg are now in Saxony- (Sachsen-) Anhalt. The rest of Brunswick is now in the state of Lower Saxony.'''
From these historic areas now in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
 
{|
|-
|<center>'''Duchy of Brunswick, 1914 (in orange)'''<br>
 
 
 
 
[[File:Duchy of Brunswick, 1914.png|500px]]
 
|style="padding-left:15px; vertical-align:top"|
'''After World War II, Brunswick was divided into the state of Lower Saxony, West Germany (dark gray background), and Saxony- (Sachsen-) Anhalt, East Germany (light gray background).'''<br>
 
[[File:Brunswick post WW II.png|700px]]
|}
<br>
 
===Hamburg===
In 1937-38, several municipalities from neighboring Schleswig-Holstein and Hannover were annexed to Hamburg. These boundary changes will have an impact on where you will find records. These maps show the original areas of Hamburg during the time of the German Empire and the annexed areas which are part of Hamburg today.
 
===1937-1938 Boundary Changes of Hamburg===
====Regional Gains of Hamburg====
The country of Hamburg was in detail:
*From the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein
**The municipality of Altona with 248,589 inhabitants (1937)
**The district of Wandsbek
**From the district of Stormarn the municipalities Bergstedt , Billstedt , Bramfeld , Duvenstedt , Hummelsbüttel , Lemsahl-Mellingstedt , Lohbrügge , Poppenbüttel , Rahlstedt , Sasel , Steilshoop and Wellingsbüttel
**From the district Pinneberg the municipality Lokstedt with Niendorf and Schnelsen
**From the administrative district Herzogtum Lauenburg the place Kurslack in the Achterschlag of the municipality Börnsen
*From the Lüneburg district of the Prussian province of Hanover
**Of the administrative district Harburg-Wilhelmsburg with 112,293 inhabitants (1937)
**from the district of Harburg, the municipalities Altenwerder , Finkenwerder [8] , Fischbek , Francop , Gut Moor , Kirchwerder [9] , Langenbeck , Marmstorf , Neuenfelde , Neugraben , Neuland , Rönneburg , Sinstorf and the town Over Hook the municipality Over
*From the government district Stade of the Prussian province of Hanover
**from the district of Stade , the municipality Cranz
All the above mentioned cities and municipalities were merged with the city of Hamburg and the municipalities remaining with the Land of Hamburg as of April 1, 1938, into a unitary community, which was called Hansestadt Hamburg .
<br>
<br>
 
====Territories of Hamburg Given Away====
In exchange for this, the Hamburg enclaves went to Prussia
*To the Prussian province of Schleswig-Holstein
**To the administrative district Herzogtum Lauenburg the city Geesthacht
**To the Landkreis Stormarn the municipalities Großhansdorf and Schmalenbeck
*To the administrative district Land Hadeln in the government district Stade of the Prussian province of Hannover
**The city of Cuxhaven with Neuwerk and Scharhörn as well as the municipalities Berensch and Arensch , Gudendorf , Holte-Spangen, Oxstedt and Sahlenburg , with the exception of the Amerika-Hafen.
With this exception in the fourth implementing regulation to the Hamburg Act of March 22, 1937, Hamburg secured the America port in the city of Cuxhaven as an exclave.
--Source: [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gro%C3%9F-Hamburg-Gesetz Greater Hamburg Act]
<br>
<br>
<div style="padding-left:175px">
[[File:Hamburg annexations north.png|775px]]
</div>
[[File:Hamburg_annexations_south.png|1000px]]
<br>
<br>
'''Alt-Hamburg, the city center.  All of these areas were in the city-state of Hamburg during the time of the German Empire. This is a blowup of the central part of the preceding map (Kreise 2, 4, and 6.) '''
<br>
<br>
[[File:Hamburg city center.png|850px]]
<br>
<br>
 
===Hessen Refers to Several Different Localities===
When your ancestors reported their homeland as Hessen, it could have meant Hessen and Hessen-Nassau is the maps above.  It also could refer to one of these territories.  Basically, these are areas that went by other names prior to the unification of Germany in 1871. Then they were merged into [[Hessen, Germany Genealogy|Hessen and Hessen Nassau.]]
{|
{|
|-
|-
|
|
{|
:*[[Lower Saxony Online Genealogy Records|Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)]]
|-
:*[[Hannover Genealogy|Hannover]]  
|style="width:25%; border:1px solid black; vertical-align:top; padding:5px"|
:*[[Brunswick Genealogy|Brunswick (Braunschweig]]  
'''These areas combined to make up [[Hessen, Germany Genealogy|Hessen-Nassau]] in 1871.'''<br>
:*[[Schaumburg-Lippe Genealogy|Schaumburg-Lippe]]
_________________________________________
 
'''Hessen-Kassel'''
(a.k.a. Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel, 1567-1803; Electorate of Hessen or Electoral Hessen, 1803-1866;
Hessen-Nassau, 1866-1945;
Province of Kurhessen, 1945-46)
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Hessen-Homburg, 1668-1806'''
 
(a.k.a. part of Hesse-Darmstadt, 1806-1815)
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Free City of Wetzlar'''
|style="width:25%; border:1px solid black; vertical-align:top; padding:5px"|
<br>
<br>
<br>
'''Hessen-Kassel 1871 Kreis'''
{|
|-
|style="padding-right:20px; vertical-align:top"|
Biedenkopf<br>
City of Hanau<br>
City of Kassel<br>
City of Marburg<br>
Eschwege<br>
Fritzlar<br>
Gelnhausen<br>
Hanau<br>
Hersfeld<br>
Höchst<br>
|style="vertical-align:top"|
Homberg<br>
Kassel Kreis<br>
Marburg<br>
Melsungen<br>
Rotenburg<br>
Schlüchtern<br>
Wiesbaden<br>
Witzenhausen<br>
Ziegenhain<br>
|}
 
 
'''Homburg 1871 Kreis'''<br>
Oberlahnkreis, now Limburg-Weilburg <br>
Meisenheim (kreis), Rheinland, now Rheinland-Palatinate<br>
 
 
'''Wetzlar 1871 Kreis'''<br>
Wetzlar, exclave of Rhein Province<br>
|style="width:50%; border:1px solid black; vertical-align:top; padding:5px"|
[[File:Hessen areas 2.png|600px]]
|-
|style="width:25%; border:1px solid black; vertical-align:top; padding:5px"|
 
'''This area became [[Hessen, Germany Genealogy|Hessen]] in 1971.'''<br>
___________________________________________
'''Hessen-Darmstadt'''
 
(a.k.a. Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt;  Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine (1816-1867); Hessen, 1867-1919; People's State of Hesse, 1919-1945; Greater Hesse (Groß-Hessen), 1945-1946)<br>
 
'''It consisted of three areas: Rhenish-Hessen or Rhein-Hessen, Oberhessen, and Starkenberg.'''
|colspan "3" style="width:25%; border:1px solid black; vertical-align:top; padding:5px"|
{|
|-
|style="padding-right:20px; vertical-align:top"|
'''Rhein-Hessen'''<br>
'''1871 Kreis'''<br>
Worms<br>
Bingen<br>
Alzey<br>
Mainz<br>
City of Worms<br>
City of Mainz<br>
 
 
'''Oberhessen'''<br>
'''1871 Kreis'''<br>
Giessen<br>
Volgelsbergkreis<br>
Wetteraukreis<br>
 
|style="vertical-align:top"|
'''Starkenburg'''<br>
'''1871 Kreis'''<br>
Bensheim <br>
Darmstadt<br>
Dieburg<br>
Erbach <br>
Hepperheim<br>
Gross-Gerau<br>
Offenbach<br>
|}
|style="width:50%; border:1px solid black; vertical-align:top; padding:5px"|
[[File:Hessen-Darmstadt 2.png|400px]]
|}
 
===Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)===
 
{|
|-
|style="vertical-align:top; width=10%; padding-right:30px"|
'''Historic areas now in Lower ''' <br>
'''Saxony (Niedersachsen):'''<br>
 
*[[Brunswick, Germany Genealogy|'''Brunswick (Braunschweig)''']]  
*[[Hannover, Germany Genealogy|'''Hannover''']] <br>
*[[Oldenburg, Germany Genealogy|'''Oldenburg''']]
*[[Schaumburg-Lippe, Germany Genealogy|'''Schaumburg-Lippe''' (S-L on map)]]
 
[[File:233px-Deutschland Lage von Niedersachsen.svg.png|125px]]
 
|
|
<center>'''Former States Now in Lower Saxony'''<br> '''(Niedersachsen)'''</center>
'''Historic Regions'''
[[File:Niedersachsen regions.png|400px]]
[[File:Former state now in Niedersachsen.png|400px]]
|style="Padding-left:20px"|
|'''Modern Niedersachsen'''
<center>'''Modern Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)''' </center>
[[File:Modern Niedersachsen.png|600px]]
[[File:Modern Niedersachsen.png|400px]]
|}
|}
<br>
[[File:Lower Saxony component states.png|1000px]]


===Mecklenburg-Vorpommern===
===Mecklenburg-Vorpommern===
From these historic areas now in Mecklenberg-Vorpommern, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
{|
{|
|-
|-
|style="vertical-align:top; width=15%; padding-right:30px"|
|
'''Historic areas'''<br>
:*[[Mecklenburg-Schwerin Genealogy|Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]  
'''now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ''' <br>
:*[[Mecklenburg-Strelitz Genealogy|Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]  
'''(Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania):'''<br>
:*[[Pomerania Genealogy|Western Pomerania]]
*[[Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany Genealogy|'''Mecklenburg-Schwerin''']]  
|
*[[Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany Genealogy|'''Mecklenburg-Strelitz''']]  
'''Historic States Now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern'''
*[[Pomerania Genealogy|'''Western Pomerania''']]
[[File:Karte-Mecklenburg.png|500px]]
[[File:233px-Deutschland Lage von Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.svg.png|125px]]
|
|style="vertical-align:top; padding-right:20px"|
'''Modern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern'''
<center>'''Former States Now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)'''</center>
[[File:Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Map.png|500px]]
[[File:Karte-Mecklenburg.png|400px]]
|style="vertical-align:top"|
<center>'''Modern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern''' </center>
[[File:Mecklenburg-Vorpommern map.png]]
|}
|}


===North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)===
===North Rhine-Westphalia===
From these historic areas now in Mecklenberg-Vorpommern, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
{|
{|
|-
|-
|style="vertical-align:top; width=15%; padding-right:30px"|
|
'''Historic areas'''<br>
:*[[Rhineland Genealogy|North Rhine]] (shown in green)
'''now in Nordrhein-Westfalen: ''' <br>
:*[[Westphalia Genealogy|Westphalia]] (shown in red)
*[[North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Genealogy|'''Lippe''']]
:*[[Lippe Genealogy|Lippe]] (shown in red)
*[[North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Genealogy|'''North Rhine''']]  
[[File:Division of Westphalia and Nordrhein.png]]
*[[North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Genealogy|'''Westphalia''']]
[[File:Nordrhein-Westfalen.jpg|125px]]
|<center>'''Former States Now in Nordrhein-Westfalen'''</center> <br>
[[File:1024px-Map of NRW showing Lippe.svg.png|300px]]
|<center>'''Modern Nordrhein-Westfalen'''</center>
[[File:Modern Nordrhein-Westfalen.png]]
|}


===Prussia===
|[[File:North-Rhine-Westphalia-topographic-map-04.jpg|500px]]
{|
|-
|style="width:40%; padding-right:30px|
[[Neumark (region), Brandenburg, Germany Genealogy|'''Brandenburg:''' the Neumark region,]] 1945: [[Neumark (region), Brandenburg, Germany Genealogy|Poland]] <br>
[[East Prussia, Germany Genealogy|'''East Prussia,]]''' 1945:
*[[East Prussia, Germany Genealogy|Southern East Prussia, '''(Warmia) and (Masuria), and Soldau''']]became part of [[Poland Genealogy|Poland.]]
*[[East Prussia, Germany Genealogy|Northern East Prussia]] was divided between:
**[[Russia Genealogy|the '''Kaliningrad (formerly Königsberg) Oblast''']]: Russia
**the constituent counties of the [[East Prussia, Germany Genealogy|'''Klaipėda Region''']]: [[Lithuania Genealogy|Lithuania]]
**'''[[East Prussia, Germany Genealogy|Memel Territory]]''' : [[Lithuania Genealogy|Lithuania]]<br>
'''[[West Prussia, Germany Genealogy|Free City of Danzig,]]''' 1945: Poland<br>
'''[[Pomerania, Germany Genealogy|Pomerania]],''' 1945:
*'''western Pomerania''' is in [[Pomerania, Germany Genealogy|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany]]
*[[Pomerania, Germany Genealogy |'''Pomeralia (Gdansk Pomerania, or East Pomerania''')]]: Poland
|style="width:50%; vertical-align:top"|
[[Posen, Germany Genealogy|'''Posen,''']] 1919: Wielkie Księstwo Poznańskie, Poland<br>
'''[[Silesia, Germany Genealogy|Silesia (Schlesien),]]'''1945:
*mostly in [[Poland Genealogy|Poland]]
*[[Silesia, Germany Genealogy|'''The Hlučín Area of Moravian-Silesian Region''']]: <br>
:[[Czechia Genealogy|Czechia]]
*the small [[Silesia, Germany Genealogy|'''Lusatian strip''' west of the Oder-Neisse line]]: <br>
:[[Saxony, Germany Genealogy|Saxony]]
<br>
[[Silesia, Germany Genealogy|'''Upper Silesia''']], 1919: [[Poland Genealogy|Poland]] <br>
[[West Prussia, Germany Genealogy|'''West Prussia''',]] 1919: Pomeranian Voivodeship, [[Poland Genealogy|Poland]]
|}
|}
[[File:1920px-German territorial losses 1919 and 1945.svg-1.png|900px]]
===Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz)===
'''Historic areas now in Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz):'''<br>
*(the Rhenish Palatinate), part of Bavaria
*parts of Hessen-Darmstadt
*the southern parts of the '''Prussian Rhine Province '''
*Rhineland (Rheinland)
*parts of the Prussian Province of Hessen-Nassau
*the District of Birkenfeld, formerly part of Oldenburg
<br>
====Clickable Map====
'''CLICK ON THE LINKS IN THIS MAP TO FIND INSTRUCTIONS FOR GENEALOGY RESEARCH IN EACH REGION.'''
{{Rhineland-Palatinate imagemap}}


===Rhineland-Palatinate===
From these historic areas now in Rhineland-Palatinate, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
:*[[Rhineland Genealogy|Rhineland]]
:*parts of [[Bavaria Genealogy|Bavaria]]  (the Rhenish Palatinate)
:*the southern parts of the Prussian Rhine Province (including the District of Birkenfeld, which formerly belonged to [[Oldenburg Genealogy|Oldenburg)]]
:*parts of the Prussian Province of Nassau (see [[Hessen-Nassau Genealogy|Hessen-Nassau)]]
:*parts of Hesse-Darmstadt (Rhenish [[Hessen Genealogy|Hesse]] on the western bank of the Rhine).
===Saarland===
===Saarland===
{|
From these historic areas now in Saarland, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
|-
*Prior to its creation as the Territory of the Saar Basin by the League of Nations after World War I, the Saarland (or simply "the Saar", as it is frequently referred to) did not exist as a unified entity. Until then, some parts of it had been [[Prussia, Germany Genealogy|Prussian]] while others belonged to [[Bavaria Genealogy|Bavaria]].
|style="vertical-align:top; width=25%; padding-right:30px"|
'''Historic areas'''<br>
'''now in Saarland:''' <br>
'''(created after World War I.)'''
*the Saar-Pfalz (kreis or county) was from [[Bavaria Genealogy|'''Bavaria''']]
*all the other counties were from [[Prussia, Germany Genealogy|'''Prussia''']]
[[File:233px-Deutschland Lage des Saarlandes.svg.png|125px]]
|style="vertical-align:top; width=37%; padding-right:30px"|
<center>'''Modern Saarland and Former Areas Now in Saarland'''<br>
'''Saar-Pfalz-(kreis or county) Was Bavarian'''<br>
'''All Other Counties Were Prussian (Rheinland)'''</center>
[[File:2000px-Saarland, administrative divisions - de - colored.svg-1.png|500px]]
 
 
|}
 
===Saxe-Coburg-Gotha===
 
{|
|style="padding-right:25px"|
'''Coburg--became part of Bavaria'''<br>
[[File:Saxe-Coburg.png]]
|'''Gotha--became part of Thuringia'''<br>
[[File:Saxe-Gotha.png|300px]]
|}
 
===[[Saxony Genealogy|Saxony]] ===
===[[Saxony Genealogy|Saxony]] ===
{|
The modern state of Saxony should not be confused with Old Saxony.  
|-
Old Saxony corresponds approximately to the modern German states of Lower Saxony, [[Anhalt Genealogy|Saxony-Anhalt]]  and the [[Westphalia Genealogy|Westphalian]] part of North Rhine-Westphalia. From these historic areas now in Saxony, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
|style="vertical-align:top; width=25%; padding-right:30px"|
===[[Anhalt Genealogy|Saxony-Anhalt]]===
The Kingdom of Saxony became'''<br>
From these historic areas now in Saxony-Anhalt, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
'''modern [[Saxony, Germany Genealogy|'''Saxony (Sachsen).''']]<br>
:*[[Anhalt Genealogy|Anhalt]]
[[File:155px-Deutschland Lage von Sachsen.svg.png|125px]]
:*[[Province of Saxony, Germany Genealogy|Province of  Saxony]] (Prussia)  
|style="vertical-align:top; padding-right:20px"|
<center>'''Kingdom of Saxony'''<br>'''German Empire, 1871'''</center><br>
[[File:German Empire - Saxony (1871).svg.png|280px]]
|style="vertical-align:top"|
<center>'''Modern State of Saxony''' <br>'''Former Kingdom of Saxony''' </center><br>
[[File:Modern Saxony Map.png]]
|}
{|
|-
|style="vertical-align:top;width:40%"|
'''"Old Saxony"' is the original homeland of the Saxons in the northwest corner of modern Germany and corresponds approximately to the modern German states of:<br>
*[[Germany Historic and Current States#Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)|'''Lower Saxony''']]
*[[Anhalt Genealogy|'''Saxony- (Sachsen-) Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt''')]]   
*[[North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Genealogy|'''Westphalia (Westfalen)''']]
 
|style="width:65%"|
[[File:Old Saxony.JPG|400px]]
 
|}
 
===[[Saxony- (Sachsen-) Anhalt, Germany Genealogy|Saxony- (Sachsen-) Anhalt]]===
{|
|-
|style="vertical-align:top; width=15%; padding-right:30px"|
'''Historic areas'''<br>
'''now in Saxony- (Sachsen-) Anhalt: ''' <br>
 
*'''Free State of Anhalt'''
*'''Province of  Saxony'''
*'''Brunswick (Braunschwieg) enclaves of Calvorde and eastern Blankenburg'''
*'''Magdeburg, Saxony'''
*'''Halle, Saxony'''
 
|[[File:233px-Deutschland Lage von Sachsen-Anhalt.svg.png|125px]]
|-
|style="vertical-align:top; padding-right:25px"|
<center>'''Former States Now in Saxony- (Sachsen-) Anhalt'''<br>
 
</center>
[[File:Sachsen-Anhalt Landesteile Beschriftet.png|315px]]<br>
<span style="color:green">Green: Anhalt</span><br>
<span style="color:GoldenRod">Orange: Province of Saxony (Provinz Sachsen)</span><br>
<span style="color:SaddleBrown">Brown: Brunswick
(Braunschwieg): '''<br>
Blankenburg and Calvorde enclaves</span><br>
Yellow: Thüringen
|style="vertical-align:top"|
<center>'''Modern Saxony- (Sachsen-) Anhalt'''</center>
[[File:Modern Sachsen-Anhalt.png|280px]]  
|-
|'''Anhalt Detail 1747-1793'''<br>
[[File:Map of Anhalt (1747-1793).svg.png|400px]]
|
|}
 
===[[Schleswig-Holstein Genealogy|Schleswig-Holstein]] ===
===[[Schleswig-Holstein Genealogy|Schleswig-Holstein]] ===
{|
From these historic areas now in Schleswig-Holstein, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
|-
:*[[Schleswig-Holstein Genealogy|Schleswig-Holstein]]  
|style="vertical-align:top; width:20%; padding-right:15px"|
:*[[Lübeck Genealogy|Lübeck]]  
'''From these historic areas now in'''<br>
===Thüringen (Thuringia)===
'''Schleswig-Holstein, click below'''<br>
From these historic areas now in Thüringen (Thuringia), click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.
'''on the related article for the'''<br>
:*[[Sachsen-Meiningen Genealogy|Sachsen-Meiningen]]  
'''region.'''<br>
:*[[Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach Genealogy|Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach]]
*[[Lübeck Genealogy|'''Lübeck''']]
:*[[Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Genealogy|Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt]]
*[[Schleswig-Holstein Genealogy|'''Schleswig-Holstein''']]<br>
:*[[Schwarzburg-Sondershausen Genealogy|Schwarzburg Sondershausen]]
Areas '''annexed from''' [[Hamburg, Germany Genealogy|'''Hamburg''']]
:*[[Reuss Older Line Genealogy|Reuss Older Line]]
*the city Geesthacht
:*[[Reuss Younger Line Genealogy|Reuss Younger Line]]
* municipalities: Großhansdorf, Schmalenbeck
:*[[Sachsen-Altenburg Genealogy|Sachsen-Altenburg]]
|style="width:30%; padding-right:15px; vertical-align:top"|
:*parts of [[Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha Genealogy|Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha]]
====Lost Areas====
From the province of Schleswig-Holstein, these areas were<br>
'''annexed to''' [[Hamburg, Germany Genealogy|'''Hamburg''']] in 1937-8
*The municipality of Altona
*The district of Wandsbek
*From the district of Stormarn: the municipalities Bergstedt, Billstedt, Bramfeld, Duvenstedt, Hummelsbüttel, Lemsahl-Mellingstedt, Lohbrügge, Poppenbüttel, Rahlstedt, Sasel, Steilshoop and Wellingsbüttel
*From the district Pinneberg: the municipality Lokstedt with Niendorf and Schnelsen
*From the administrative district Herzogtum Lauenburg: the place Kurslack in the Achterschlag of the municipality Börnsen
 
|style="width:320%; vertical-align:top"|


==== Areas Now in Denmark,<br> By Kreis ====
==Historic States of Germany and Their Modern State==
Conversely, if you know which state your ancestor was from prior to the World Wars, you might need to know where that historic German state is administered today. This list is inverted from the above list. An excellent example of a situation like this is that Elsass-Lothringen, Germany, is today Alsace-Lorraine in France. You would be looking in the Family History Library catalog under France to find the records.


*[[Åbenrå County, Denmark Genealogy|Apenrade]]
'''Historic State:Current Jurisdiction'''<br>
*[[Haderslev County, Denmark Genealogy|Hadersleben]]
*[[Sønderborg County, Denmark Genealogy|Sonderburg]]
*[[Tønder County, Denmark Genealogy|Tondern]]
|}
{|
|-
|[[File:Screen Shot 2017-03-17 at 4.20.11 PM.png|500px]]
|style="vertical-align:bottom; padding-right:20px"|
'''Modern Schleswig-Holstein State in Germany'''<br>
[[File:Kreise Schleswig-Holstein.svg.png|450px]]
|}
 
===Silesia===
[[File:Silesia 1825-1950.png]]
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<center> '''County (Kreis) Map of Silesia'''</center><br>
'''Administrative districts: Oppeln=Violet , Breslau=Gold, Liegnitz=Green'''<br>
[[File:Schlesien Verwaltungsgliederung 1905.svg.png|1100px]]
===Thuringia (Thüringen)===
{|
|-
|style="vertical-align:top; width=10%; padding-right:30px"|
'''Historic areas'''<br>
'''now in Thuringia (Thüringen): '''<br>
''
*Reuss Older Line (Reuss ältere Linie)
*Reuss Younger Line (Reuss jüngere Linie)
*Saxony-Altenburg (Sachsen-Altenburg0
*Gotha, part of Saxe (Sachsen)-Coburg-Gotha
*Saxony (Sachsen)-Meiningen
*Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach)
*Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
*Schwarzburg Sondershausen
[[File:155px-Deutschland Lage von Thüringen.svg.png|125px]]
|style="vertical-align:top; width=40%"|
<center>'''Former States Now in Thuringia (Thüringen)'''</center><br>
[[File:800px-THUERINGEN.png|750px]]
 
 
|}


[[Category:States of Germany]] [[Category:Germany]]
*Alsace-Lorraine (Elsass-Lothringen): France
*Anhalt: Saxony-Anhalt
*Baden: Baden-Württemberg
*Bavaria: Bavaria
*Brandenburg: Brandenburg
*Bremen: Bremen
*Brunswick: Lower Saxony
*East Prussia: <br>
::In 1945, East Prussia was partitioned between Poland and the Soviet Union. Southern East Prussia became part of Poland. Northern East Prussia was divided between Russia (the Kaliningrad Oblast) and Lithuania (the constituent counties of the Klaipėda Region).
*Hamburg: Hamburg
*Hannover: Lower Saxony
*Hessen: Hessen
*Hessen - Nassau: Hessen
*Hohenzollern (Prussia): Baden-Württemberg
*Lippe: North Rhine-Westphalia
*Lübeck: Schleswig-Holstein
*Mecklenburg-Schwerin: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
*Mecklenburg-Strelitz: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
*Oldenburg: Oldenburg
*Pomerania:
::split between Poland and Germany
::western Pomerania is in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
::see map
*Posen: Wielkie Księstwo Poznańskie, Poland
*Province of Saxony:Saxony-Anhalt
*Reuss Older Line: Thuringia
*Reuss Younger Line: Thuringia
*Rhineland:
::In 1946, Rhineland was divided into the states of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.
*Saxony: Saxony
*Sachsen-Altenburg:Thuringia
*Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha:
::part in Thuringia, part in Bavaria
*Sachsen-Meiningen: Thuringia
*Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach: Thuringia
*Schaumburg-Lippe: Lower Saxony
*Schleswig-Holstein: Schleswig-Holstein
*Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt: Thuringia
*Schwarzburg Sondershausen: Thuringia
*Silesia:
::mostly in Poland, with parts in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany
*Waldeck: Hessen
*West Prussia: Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
*Westphalia: North Rhine-Westphalia
[[Category:Germany]]

Revision as of 23:18, 10 June 2016

Current States of Germany and Their Territory From Historic States[edit | edit source]

After East Germany and West Germany were reunited, these jurisdictions of the government were put in place. Generally, when researching genealogical records, it is important to discern what government entity would have jurisdiction over the records of that locality at the time the record was made. So, if the town your ancestor came from is in Baden-Württemberg today, the records in 1890 might be found under just Baden.

Baden-Württemberg[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Baden-Württemberg, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

States making up Baden-Wuerttemberg.png

Bavaria[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Bavaria, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

WV-Bavaria regions.svg.png

Hessen[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Hessen, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

Hesse, administrative divisions.png

Lower Saxony[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

Historic Regions Former state now in Niedersachsen.png

Modern Niedersachsen

Modern Niedersachsen.png

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Mecklenberg-Vorpommern, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

Historic States Now in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Karte-Mecklenburg.png

Modern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Map.png

North Rhine-Westphalia[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Mecklenberg-Vorpommern, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

Division of Westphalia and Nordrhein.png

North-Rhine-Westphalia-topographic-map-04.jpg

Rhineland-Palatinate[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Rhineland-Palatinate, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

  • Rhineland
  • parts of Bavaria (the Rhenish Palatinate)
  • the southern parts of the Prussian Rhine Province (including the District of Birkenfeld, which formerly belonged to Oldenburg)
  • parts of the Prussian Province of Nassau (see Hessen-Nassau)
  • parts of Hesse-Darmstadt (Rhenish Hesse on the western bank of the Rhine).

Saarland[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Saarland, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

  • Prior to its creation as the Territory of the Saar Basin by the League of Nations after World War I, the Saarland (or simply "the Saar", as it is frequently referred to) did not exist as a unified entity. Until then, some parts of it had been Prussian while others belonged to Bavaria.

Saxony[edit | edit source]

The modern state of Saxony should not be confused with Old Saxony. Old Saxony corresponds approximately to the modern German states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and the Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia. From these historic areas now in Saxony, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

Saxony-Anhalt[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Saxony-Anhalt, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

Schleswig-Holstein[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Schleswig-Holstein, click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

Thüringen (Thuringia)[edit | edit source]

From these historic areas now in Thüringen (Thuringia), click on the former state for your locality and click on the related article.

Historic States of Germany and Their Modern State[edit | edit source]

Conversely, if you know which state your ancestor was from prior to the World Wars, you might need to know where that historic German state is administered today. This list is inverted from the above list. An excellent example of a situation like this is that Elsass-Lothringen, Germany, is today Alsace-Lorraine in France. You would be looking in the Family History Library catalog under France to find the records.

Historic State:Current Jurisdiction

  • Alsace-Lorraine (Elsass-Lothringen): France
  • Anhalt: Saxony-Anhalt
  • Baden: Baden-Württemberg
  • Bavaria: Bavaria
  • Brandenburg: Brandenburg
  • Bremen: Bremen
  • Brunswick: Lower Saxony
  • East Prussia:
In 1945, East Prussia was partitioned between Poland and the Soviet Union. Southern East Prussia became part of Poland. Northern East Prussia was divided between Russia (the Kaliningrad Oblast) and Lithuania (the constituent counties of the Klaipėda Region).
  • Hamburg: Hamburg
  • Hannover: Lower Saxony
  • Hessen: Hessen
  • Hessen - Nassau: Hessen
  • Hohenzollern (Prussia): Baden-Württemberg
  • Lippe: North Rhine-Westphalia
  • Lübeck: Schleswig-Holstein
  • Mecklenburg-Schwerin: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
  • Mecklenburg-Strelitz: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
  • Oldenburg: Oldenburg
  • Pomerania:
split between Poland and Germany
western Pomerania is in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
see map
  • Posen: Wielkie Księstwo Poznańskie, Poland
  • Province of Saxony:Saxony-Anhalt
  • Reuss Older Line: Thuringia
  • Reuss Younger Line: Thuringia
  • Rhineland:
In 1946, Rhineland was divided into the states of Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.
  • Saxony: Saxony
  • Sachsen-Altenburg:Thuringia
  • Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha:
part in Thuringia, part in Bavaria
  • Sachsen-Meiningen: Thuringia
  • Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach: Thuringia
  • Schaumburg-Lippe: Lower Saxony
  • Schleswig-Holstein: Schleswig-Holstein
  • Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt: Thuringia
  • Schwarzburg Sondershausen: Thuringia
  • Silesia:
mostly in Poland, with parts in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany
  • Waldeck: Hessen
  • West Prussia: Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland
  • Westphalia: North Rhine-Westphalia
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