Finland Civil Registration: Difference between revisions

The Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Orthodox Church maintained records of their members until the close of 1970. During the period from 1919 to 1970, a civil register was kept for individuals who were not affiliated with any religious denomination.

The Finnish government passed a law in 1923 that allowed people to choose their religion. This led to the creation of a civil registry for those without religious preferences. Over time, the registry expanded to include people from other churches as well.

The Population Register Center was founded in 1969 to oversee population records. It transitioned to a computer-based system in 1971. Until 1999, the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Orthodox denomination worked with magistrates on population accounting. After that, they focused on membership records, while magistrates maintained the population information system. Starting in 2020, the Digital and Population Information Agency has been responsible for maintaining the system. Citizens and authorities notify the agency of changes in population data. The information system supports various social functions, including elections, taxation, justice, administration, planning, statistics, and research. Businesses and communities also access information from the system.^[1]

In 1970, the government's census records became the basis for a general population register for all people in Finland. This register incorporated information from the earlier civil registry. The population register has local offices in each commune and a central office with a computerized database. The central office can help you find living relatives in Finland.

Information Recorded in the Records[edit | edit source]

Strategy[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

↑ Digi- ja väestötietovirasto, "Väestötietojärjestelmän historia" https://dvv.fi/historia, accessd 19 September 2024.

[1] Digi- ja väestötietovirasto, "Väestötietojärjestelmän historia" https://dvv.fi/historia, accessd 19 September 2024.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-''[[Finland|Finland]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Finland Civil Registration|Civil Registration]]''
+{{CountrySidebar
+|Country=Finland
+|Name=Finland
+|Type=Topic
+|Topic Type=Records
+|Records=Civil Registration
+|Rating=Standardized
+}}{{breadcrumb
+| link1=[[Finland Genealogy|Finland]]
+| link2=
+| link3=
+| link4=
+| link5=[[Finland Civil Registration|Civil Registration]]
+}}
+==Resources==
+===Online Resources===
+*[https://dvv.fi/tilaa-todistus-vaestotietojarjestelmasta Order a certificate from the population information system] at Digi- ja väestötietovirasto ($)
+===Offices to Contact===
+'''Digi- ja väestötietovirasto'''<br>
+[https://dvv.fi/en/service-locations Locations]<br>
+[http://www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi/ Website]<br>
+[https://www.facebook.com/DVVfi/ Facebook]
-Records of births, marriages, and deaths are commonly referred to as vital records because they refer to critical events in a person’s life. Civil registration is the vital records made by the government. Vital records of Finland have traditionally been kept by the church. See [[Finland Church Records]] for more information.
+==Background==
+The Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Orthodox Church maintained records of their members until the close of 1970. During the period from 1919 to 1970, a civil register was kept for individuals who were not affiliated with any religious denomination.
-In 1923 a freedom of religion law was passed. As a result, people who did not have a religious preference were recorded in a civil registry [Siviilirekisteri/Civil registret]. Later, people who belonged to churches other than the state churches were also included in the civil registry.
+The Finnish government passed a law in 1923 that allowed people to choose their religion. This led to the creation of a civil registry for those without religious preferences. Over time, the registry expanded to include people from other churches as well.
-In 1970 the government’s census records [henkikirjat/mantalslängder] became the basis of a general population register [Väestörekisteri/ Befolkningsregistret] for all people in Finland. This population register also incorporated the information from the earlier civil registry [Siviilirekisteri/Civil registret]. For more information about Finnish censuses, see [[Finland Census]].
+The Population Register Center was founded in 1969 to oversee population records. It transitioned to a computer-based system in 1971. Until 1999, the Evangelical Lutheran Church and the Orthodox denomination worked with magistrates on population accounting. After that, they focused on membership records, while magistrates maintained the population information system. Starting in 2020, the Digital and Population Information Agency has been responsible for maintaining the system. Citizens and authorities notify the agency of changes in population data. The information system supports various social functions, including elections, taxation, justice, administration, planning, statistics, and research. Businesses and communities also access information from the system.<ref>Digi- ja väestötietovirasto, "Väestötietojärjestelmän historia"  https://dvv.fi/historia, accessd 19 September 2024.</ref>
-The Väestörekisteri/Befolkningsregistret has local offices on a commune (parish) level. The central office has a computerized register that includes information on individuals nationwide. The central office can help you find living relatives in Finland.
+In 1970, the government's census records became the basis for a general population register for all people in Finland. This register incorporated information from the earlier civil registry. The population register has local offices in each commune and a central office with a computerized database. The central office can help you find living relatives in Finland.
+==Information Recorded in the Records==
-You can contact the office at:
+==Strategy==
+==References==
-Väestörekisterikeskus
+{{reflist}}
-PL 7 (Kellosilta 4)
-Helsinki
-Finland
-Telephone: 011-358-9-229 161
-Fax: 011-358-9-2291 6795
-*[http://www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi/ http://www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi/]
-*[http://www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi/en http://www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi/en]
-[http://www.vaestorekisterikeskus.fi/vrk/home.nsf/pages/index_eng]
-&nbsp;
-=== FamilySearch Historical Record Collections  ===
-An online collection containing this record is located in [https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/show#uri=http://hr-search-api:8080/searchapi/search/collection/1676971 FamilySearch..org]
-A wiki article describing this collection is found at:
-*[[Finland_Marriages_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)|Finland Marriages (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
-{{Place|Finland}}
 [[Category:Finland]]
+[[Category:Civil Registration]]