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Germany Archives and Libraries: Difference between revisions

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Archives collect and preserve original documents from organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries collect mostly published sources, such as books, maps, and microfilm. This section describes Germany's major repositories of genealogical and historical records and sources.  
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*Archives collect and preserve original documents from organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries collect mostly published sources, such as books, maps, and microfilm.  


If you plan to visit one of these repositories, contact the archive or library and ask for information about its collection, hours, services, and fees. Also ask who may use their facility.  
*If you plan to visit one of these repositories, contact the archive or library and ask for information about its collection, hours, services, and fees. Also ask who may use their facility.  


Although the original records you need may be in an archive or library in Germany, the Family History Library may have a microfilm copy of them. Check the Family History Library Catalog before writing to or visiting archives in Germany.  
*Although the original records you need may be in an archive or library in Germany,''' the FamilySearch Library may have a microfilm copy of them''', or they may be '''available on the Internet'''. Check the [[Introduction to the FamilySearch Catalog|FamilySearch Catalog]] and online resources before writing to or visiting archives in Germany.  


German archives and parishes often refer family history letters to historical or genealogical societies. Members of these societies can usually search the local archives. Sometimes the archive will recommend other archives to which you can write. You will usually find what you need more quickly by contacting local parish or civil archives before larger state archives or libraries.
*Materials useful for family history research can be found in various archives. German archives and parishes often refer family history letters to historical or genealogical societies. Members of these societies can usually search the local archives. Sometimes the archive will recommend other archives to which you can write.


When writing to a German-speaking archive or library, it is best to write in German. For help in writing a letter in German, see the German [[Germany Letter Writing Guide|Letter-Writing Guide&nbsp;section]].  
*When writing to a German-speaking archive or library, it is best to write in German. For help in writing a letter in German, see the German [[German Letter Writing Guide|Letter-Writing Guide]]. Electronic translation tools should be avoided. Letters written in English are preferable to those translated badly  electronically.  
 
|[[Image:800px-Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Leipzig-2ri.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Leipzig]]
There are six major types of genealogical repositories for German records:  
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== Federal Archives (Bundesarchivs)  ==
*State archives
*'''The Federal Archives have 22 locations:''' [https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi60.htm '''Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany, Federal Archives and other archives in the federal administration''']
*German Center for Genealogy
'''Important links:'''
*Archives outside of Germany  
:*[https://www.bundesarchiv.de/DE/Navigation/Finden/Digitalisierte-Bestaende/digitalisierte-bestaende.html '''Online Records''']
*Civil registration offices and town archives  
:*[http://www.bundesarchiv.de/benutzung/sachbezug/personenbezogen_genealogie/index.html.de '''Personal and Genealogical Research''']
*Church parish offices
:*[https://www.bundesarchiv.de/DE/Navigation/Benutzen/Hilfe/Anfragen-Bundesarchiv/anfragen-bundesarchiv.html '''Inquiries to the Federal Archives''']
*Historical and genealogical societies
:*[https://www.bundesarchiv.de/DE/Content/Artikel/Benutzen/archivbesuch-vor-ort.html '''On-site visit to the archive''']
*“Deutsche Archive im Internet” (German Archives in the Internet) provides links to various archive web sites. Archives are sorted by type (state archives, communal archives, church archives, etc.) at: [http://www.uni-marburg.de/archivschule/fv61.html www.uni-marburg.de/archivschule/fv61.html]
:*[https://www.bundesarchiv.de/DE/Navigation/Meta/Ueber-uns/Dienstorte/Stua-Dienstorte/stua-dienstorte.html '''Locations of the Stasi Records Archive]''' GDR state security service.
 
:*[https://www.bundesarchiv.de/DE/Navigation/Benutzen/Recherchedienste-beauftragen/recherchedienste-beauftragen.html '''Research Services''']
== State Archives ==
----
 
*The Federal Archives have the legal mandate to permanently secure the archives of the Federal Government and make them usable. These are documents such as '''files, maps, pictures, posters, films and sound recordings in analogue and digital form'''.
The German federal archives have very few records helpful to family historians. However, each modern state archive preserves useful records, including:
*These documents are available from central offices of the Holy Roman Empire (1495-1806), the German Confederation (1815-1866), the German Empire (1867/71-1945), the zones of occupation (1945-1949), the German Democratic Republic (1949 -1990) and the Federal Republic of Germany (since 1949). The Federal Archive decides whether the documents are "archivable", i.e. whether they have lasting value for research and understanding of history and the present, for safeguarding the legitimate interests of citizens or for legislation,
*The Federal Archives also collect '''written legacies from important people, documents from parties, associations and clubs of supra-regional importance, as well as journalistic sources'''.
*Since June 17, 2021, the Federal Archives have been responsible for the '''documents of the GDR state security service.'''
*The Federal Archives ensure access to federal archives while protecting private and public interests. In principle, every person has the right to use federal archive material upon request. The Federal Archives provide information about the archive material on several research platforms. A small but constantly growing part of the holdings is also available in digital form for online use via these research platforms.


== State Archives ==
Each modern state archive also preserves useful records, including:
*Church records  
*Church records  
*Civil registration  
*Civil registration  
*Court records  
*Court records  
*Military records  
*Military records
*Emigration lists
*Emigration Records
*Land records
*Land records
 
===State Archives Addresses===
German state archives are generally open to the public.
{|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|
 
!style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|Archives and Libraries Wiki Article
If the Family History Library does not have the records you need, you can contact the state archive for the area in which your ancestor lived. The archive will briefly describe its collections and provide a list of researchers you can hire to search the archive.
!style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany Address List
 
|-
Addresses and websites for state archives in areas of heavy emigration are listed below.
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Baden-Wuerttemberg Archives and Libraries|Baden-Württemberg]]
 
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi01.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany:Baden-Württemberg]
=== Baden  ===
|-
 
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Bavaria (Bayern) Archives and Libraries|Bavaria (Bayern)]]
Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe<br>Nördliche Hildapromenade 2<br>76133 Karlsruhe<br>GERMANY <br>E-mail: [http://www.lad-bw.de/ www.Lad-bw.de]  
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi02.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany:Bavaria]
 
|-
==== Pfalz (Palatinate) ====
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Berlin Archives and Libraries|Berlin]]
 
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi03.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Berlin]
Landesarchiv Speyer<br>Otto-Mayer-Str.9<br>67326 Speyer<br>GERMANY <br>E-mail: [mailto:posta@Landesarchiv-speyer.de posta@Landesarchiv-speyer.de]<br>Internet: http://landeshauptarchiv.de/speyer/  
|-
 
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Brandenburg Archives and Libraries|Brandenburg ]]
==== Rheinland (Rhineland) ====
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi04.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Brandenburg]
 
|-
Landeshauptarchiv Koblenz<br>Postfach 201047<br>56013 Koblenz<br>GERMANY <br>E-mail: [mailto:posta@Landeshauptarchiv-ko.de posta@Landeshauptarchiv-ko.de]<br>Internet: &nbsp;[http://landeshauptarchiv.de/ http://landeshauptarchiv.de]  
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Bremen Archives and Libraries|Bremen]]
 
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi05.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Bremen]
Follow this link for other addresses to [[German archives]]  
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Hamburg Archives and Libraries|Hamburg]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi06.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Hamburg]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Hessen Archives and Libraries|Hessen]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi07.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Hessen]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Archives and Libraries|Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi08.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) Archives and Libraries|Lower Saxony (Sachsen)]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi09.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Lower Saxony]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) Archives and Libraries]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi10.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: North Rhine-Westphalia]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Rhineland-Palatinate (Rheinland-Pfalz) Archives and Libraries|Rhineland-Palatinate]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi11.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Rhineland-Palatinate]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Saarland Archives and Libraries|Saarland]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi12.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Saarland]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Sachsen Archives and Libraries|Saxony]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi13.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Sachsen]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Saxony-Anhalt (Sachsen-Anhalt) Archives and Libraries|Saxony- Sachsen Anhalt]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi14.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Saxony-Anhalt]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Schleswig-Holstein Archives and Libraries|Schleswig-Holstein]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi15.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Schleswig-Holstein]
|-
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[[Thuringen Archives and Libraries|Thüringia]]
|style="border: solid black 2px; padding:10px; width:700px; padding-left:10px"|[https://home.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi16.htm Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Thuringen]
|}


== German Center for Genealogy  ==
== German Center for Genealogy  ==
[http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/Deutsche_Zentralstelle_f%C3%BCr_Genealogie '''Deutsche Zentralstelle für Genealogie''']
*In 1995, the German Central Office for Genealogy (DZfG) was incorporated as a department into the State Archives in Leipzig. After an administrative reform in 2005,
*A specialty archive, the Central Office for Genealogy [http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/Deutsche_Zentralstelle_f%C3%BCr_Genealogie Deutsche Zentralstelle für Genealogie] was founded as an archive for genealogical materials.
*Later its holdings were incorporated in the Leipzig State Archive. The formal name is "Saxon State Archives, State Archives Leipzig, Section 33 German Central Office for Genealogy and Special Collections". The Leipzig State Archive is a department of the Saxon State Archive .
*'''Its extensive collection of German church records from ''Posen, Ostpreußen, Westpreußen, Pommern, and Schlesien (now in Poland, Russia, and Lithuania)'' was microfilmed by FamilySearch.''' 
*The Central Office collection also includes records of many German settlements in eastern Europe. The FamilySearch Library has microfilms of these records, but if you need more information, you can contact the center.
*For a fee, employees of the center will try to find genealogical sources. But as a general rule, research must be done in Leipzig by the researcher.
<br>
'''Sächsisches Staatsarchiv'''<br>Staatsarchiv Leipzig<br>Schongauer Strasse 1<br>04329 Leipzig<br>GERMANY<br><br>Telephone: + 49 341/25 555 00<br>
Fax: + 49 341/25 555 55<br>Email: poststelle-l@sta.smi.sachsen.de<br>[http://staatsarchiv.sachsen.de/index.html Website]<br>[https://www.archiv.sachsen.de/recherchedienste-4016.html Research Services]<br>[https://www.archiv.sachsen.de/archivgut-suchen-4025.html?_cp=%7B%22accordion-content-5890%22%3A%7B%222%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22previousOpen%22%3A%7B%22group%22%3A%22accordion-content-5890%22%2C%22idx%22%3A2%7D%7D Search engine]<br>[https://www.staatsarchiv.sachsen.de/staatsarchiv-leipzig-4806.html How to reach us]


The German Center for Genealogy [Deutsche Zentralstelle für Genealogie] was founded as an archive for genealogical materials. It has an extensive collection of German church records from Posen, Ostpreußen, Westpreußen, Pommern, and Schlesien (now in Poland, Russia, and Lithuania), and it has many records of German settlements in eastern Europe. The Family History Library has microfilms of these records, but if you need more information, you can contact the center. For a fee, employees of the center will try to find genealogical sources. But as a general rule, research must be done in Leipzig by the researcher.
== Archives for Former Regions Now Outside of Germany  ==
 
The mailing address is:<br>Sächsisches Staatsarchiv Leipzig<br>Abt. Deutsche Zentralstelle für Genealogie<br>Schongauer Strasse 1<br>04329 Leipzig<br>GERMANY<br>Internet: http://www.genealogienetz.de/vereine/DAGV/mgl49.html
 
== Archives Outside of Germany  ==
 
The Family History Library has on microfilm many German records from areas now in Poland, France, Denmark, Belgium, Russia, and Lithuania. If you cannot find the records you need in the Family History Library Catalog, you can write the parish where your ancestor lived, the German Center for Genealogy, or the archives of the country. The main archives outside of Germany are described below.
 
== Poland  ==
 
The Polish State Archives may be able to help you with records from Ostpreußen, Westpreußen, Pommern, Posen, Schlesien and other areas now under Polish jurisdiction. You may write in English, but it is better to write in Polish. There is a fee for any work done.
 
The respective&nbsp;State Archives holds civil registration records more than 100 years old.
 
The mailing address is:<br>Naczelna Dyrekcja<br>Archiwów Państwowych<br>Ul. Długa 6, skr. poczt. 1005<br>00-950 Warszawa<br>POLAND<br>Fax: 48-22-31-75-63 <br>Internet: http://www.archiwa.gov.pl/
 
Addresses for State Archives in Poland can be found at:
 
[http://www.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/addresses.html www.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/addresses.html]
 
Archives are arranged alphabetically by name of archive. E-mail addresses are included.
 
&nbsp;
 
A&nbsp;detailed inventory for the Stettin [ Szczecin] State Archive, searchable in German systematcally, alphabetically, and by key word, is found at [http://www.bkge.de/archiv-stettin.php http://www.bkge.de/archiv-stettin.php]&nbsp;.
 
=== Some additional Polish Archives:  ===
 
Archiwum Panstwowe we Wroclawiu oddzial w Kamiencu<br>Plac Koscielny 4<br>57-230 Kamieniec Zabkowicki<br>Poland<br>Ph.: 48 74 817 35 40<br>Fax: 48 74 817 35 40<br>Web: http://www.ap.wroc.pl/strony/kamieniec/kamieniec.htm
 
Archiwum Archidiecezjalne we Wroclawiu (Breslau)<br>ul. Kanonia 12<br>50-328 Wroclaw<br>Poland<br>Email: muzeum@pwt.wroc.pl
 
Staatsarchiv Oppeln<br>Archiwum Panstwowe w Opolu<br>ul. Zamkowa 2<br>45-016 Opole<br>Poland
 
Archiwum Diecesjalne Peplinska (Peplin)<br>ul. Biskupa Dominika 11<br>83-130 Pelplin<br>Poland<br>Ph.: 48-58 5361222<br>Fax: 48-58 5361699<br>Email: archiwum@pelplin.diecezja.org<br>Web: www.pelplin.diecezja.org
 
Archiwum Panstwowe <br>Pomorska 2<br>50-215 Wroclaw (Breslau)<br>Poland<br>Ph.: 48 71 328 8101<br>Fax: 48 71 328 80 45<br>Email: wroclaw@ap.wroc.pl<br>Web: www.ap.wroc.pl
 
Parafia Wroclaw I (Lutheran Archives Breslau)<br>ul. Kazimierza Wlk. 29<br>PL-50-077 Wroclaw<br>Poland<br>Ph.: 48 71 3434730<br>Fax: 48 71 3723748<br>Email: wroclaw@luteranie.pl<br>Web: www.luteranie.pl/diec.wroclawska/pl/PARAFIE/wroc1.htm
 
Parafia Wroclaw II (Lutheran Archives Breslau)<br>ul. Paryzantow 60<br>PL-51-675 Wroclaw<br>Poland<br>Ph.: 48 71 3484598<br>Fax: 48 71 3484407<br>Email: christophori@poczta.onet.pl<br>Web: www.luteranie.pl/diec.wroclawska/pl/PARAFIE/wroc2.htm
 
Archiwum Diecezjalne Opole (Kath. Bistumsarchiv Oppeln)<br>ul. Kard. Kominka 1a<br>PL-45-032 Opole<br>Poland<br>Ph.: 48 77 4412820<br>Email: archiwum@diecezja.opole.pl<br>Web: http://www.diecezja.opole.pl/archiwum
 
Archiwum Panstwowe w Katowicach (Kattowitz)<br>ul. Jozefowska 104 skr.poczt.1<br>PL 40-145 Katowice 33<br>Poland<br>Ph.: 48 32 583831


Staatsarchiv Altkessel<br>Archiwum Panstwowe w Zielonej Gorze<br>z siedziba w Srarym Kisielinie<br>ul. Pionerow Lubukirch 53<br>66-002 Stary Kisielin<br>Poland
The FamilySearch Library has on microfilm many German records from '''areas now in Poland, France, Denmark, Belgium, Russia, and Lithuania'''. If you cannot find the records you need in the FamilySearch Catalog, you can write to the parish where your ancestor lived, the German Center for Genealogy (Deutsche Zentralstelle für Genealogie), or the archives of the country. The main archives outside of Germany are described below.  


Parafia Ewangelicko-Augsburska<br>Pl. Kościelny 4<br>POB 248<br>58-300 Wałbrzych (Waldenburg)<br>Poland<br>Tel/FAX 48(74)8423213<br>email: walbrzych@luteranie.pl
=== Poland  ===
The [https://www.archiwa.gov.pl/welcome-to-the-website-of-the-polish-state-archives/ '''Polish State Archive (Archiwa Państwowe)''' ] may be able to help you with records from '''Brandenburg, Ostpreußen, Westpreußen, Pommern, Posen, Schlesien and other areas now under Polish jurisdiction'''. The State Archive holds civil registration records more than 100 years old.
<br>


Archiwum Archidiecezjalne w Poznańiu (Posen)<br>ul. Lubranskiego 1<br>61108 Poznań<br>Poland<br>e-mail: sekretariat @aao.poznan.pl<br>Web Page: www.tchr.org/arch/eng/zb.htm
You may write in English, but it is better to write in Polish. Use the [[Poland Letter Writing Guide|'''Poland Letter Writing Guide''']]. There is a fee for any work done.
<br>
Records from Poland are now gradually coming online. So be sure to check the website of the archive you need information from before requesting a search.
<br>
<br>
'''State Archives Head Office'''<br>
Rakowiecka 2D<br>  
02-517 Warsaw<br>
Poland<br>


Archiwum Państwowe w Koszalinie<br>(Staatsarchiv Köslin)<br>75-625 Koszalin<br>Poland<br>ul. gen. Andersa 38<br>Email apk3@polbox.com
Telephone:(22) 56 54 600<br>
E-mail: ndap@archiwa.gov.pl<br>
[https://www.archiwa.gov.pl/welcome-to-the-website-of-the-polish-state-archives/ Website]<br>
----
Addresses for archives of states in Poland can be found at [http://sites.rootsweb.com/~polwgw/addresses.html '''PolandGenWeb, Polish State Archives'''].
Archives are arranged alphabetically by name of archive. E-mail addresses are included.<br>


=== France  ===
=== France  ===
The French archivists will not do research, but they will help you determine what records are available. For help writing in French, see the French [http://www.familysearchwiki.org/../france/france-letter-writing-guide '''France Letter-Writing Guide'''].


For information from Elsaß-Lothringen(Alsace-Lorraine), contact one of the following archives:  
For information from Elsaß-Lothringen(Alsace-Lorraine), contact one of the following archives:  


'''Archives départementales du Bas-Rhin'''<br>5, rue Fischart<br>67000 Strasbourg<br>FRANCE<br>E-mail: [mailto:archives@cg67.fr archives@cg67.fr]<br>Internet: http://capde.free.fr/manuel/annexe2.htm
'''Archives of the European Community of Alsace - Strasbourg site'''<br>6 rue Philippe Dollinger<br>67100 Strasbourg<br>FRANCE<br>E-mail: archives@bas-rhin.fr<br>Internet: [https://archives.bas-rhin.fr/ Archives Departmentales du Bas-Rhin]<br>Research Wiki Article: [[Bas-Rhin, France Genealogy]] and [[Haut-Rhin, France Genealogy]
 
'''Archives départementales du Haut-Rhin'''<br>Cité administrative<br>3, rue Fleischhauer<br>68026 Colmar Cedex 3<br>FRANCE<br>E-mail: [mailto:cdhf@telmat-net.fr cdhf@telmat-net.fr]<br>Internet: http://www.ica.org/en/member/archives_departementales_du_haut-rhin


'''Archives départementales du Moselle'''<br>1, allée du château<br>57070 St. Julien-les-Metz<br>FRANCE<br>Internet: [http://www.archives57.com/ http://www.archives57.com]
'''Archives départementales du Moselle'''<br>1, allée du château<br>57070 St. Julien-les-Metz<br>FRANCE<br>Website: [http://www.archives57.com/index.php/recherches/archives-en-ligne/registres-paroissiaux Archives de la Mozelle]<br>Research Wiki Article: [[Moselle, France Genealogy]]
 
The French archivists will not do research, but they will help you determine what records are available. For help writing in French, see the French [http://www.familysearchwiki.org/../france/france-letter-writing-guide Letter-Writing Guide].
 
Archive information, including internet and E-mail addresses, for France are found at:
 
'''http://www.archivesdefrance.culture.gouv.fr/'''


=== Denmark  ===
=== Denmark  ===


If your research is in Schleswig-Holstein, Oldenburg, Lübeck, or the part of Hamburg that was once part of Denmark, you may be able to hire a researcher through the Danish archive. You may write in English.
If your research is in '''Schleswig-Holstein, Oldenburg, Lübeck, or the part of Hamburg that was once part of Denmark''', you may be able to hire a researcher through the Danish archive. You may write in English.  
 
The address is:<br>Landsarkivet i Aabenraa<br>Haderslevvej 45<br>6200 Aabenraa<br>DENMARK<br>E-mail: [mailto:mailbox@Laa.sa.dk mailbox@Laa.sa.dk]<br>Internet: http://www.sibmas.org/idpac/europe/dka001.html
 
== Civil Registration Offices and Town Archives  ==
 
In most areas, local governments began recording births, marriages, and deaths between 1792 and 1876. Although most records are kept in local offices, a few have been turned over to the state archives.
 
People who lived in small communities or villages usually registered in the nearest town, city, or municipality. Large cities and metropolitan areas are divided into civil registration districts. Civil registration records are not open for public inspection, but abstracts or photocopies are issued to direct descendants. If a particular archive does not have the records you seek, it will usually refer you to the correct archive. For more information about civil records, see [[Germany Civil Registration|Germany Civil Registration]].
 
== Church Parish Offices  ==
 
Most church records are kept at local parish offices. Some are sent to the area's central archive. If the Family History Library does not have the records that you need, you should first write (in German) to the local parish in the town where your ancestor lived. If the records have been moved, the local parish can usually tell you which archive currently has the records, and you can then write to that archive. See&nbsp;[[Germany Church Records|Germany Church Records]] for more information.
 
== Historical and Genealogical Societies  ==
 
Dozens of German historical and genealogical societies exist in Germany and elsewhere. These groups have libraries or archives that collect valuable records. For more information, including addresses of the more prominent societies, see [[Germany Societies|Germany Societies]].
 
== Archive Addresses  ==
 
The following are good directories of German archive addresses:
 
''International Directory of Archives = Annuaire international des archives.'' München, Germany: K. G. Saur, 1992. (FHL book 020.5 Ar25 v. 38.) You will need to update the postal codes in this directory by using the postal code book cited in [[Germany Gazetteers|Germany Gazetteers]].
 
''1993 Updated Addresses to German Repositories''. Burbank, California, USA: Immigrant Genealogical Society, 1993. (FHL book 943 D27gr 1993.) Alphabetical by city.  


Websites that give archive addresses:  
The address is:<br>'''Landsarkivet i Aabenraa'''<br>Haderslevvej 45<br>6200 Aabenraa<br>DENMARK<br>E-mail: mailbox@Laa.sa.dk<br>Internet: [[Denmark Archives and Libraries]]<br>
[https://www.rigsarkivet.dk/udforsk/forskerservice/ Research Services]


[http://www.uni-marburg.de/archivschule/fv61.html www.uni-marburg.de/archivschule/fv61.html]
==Church Archives==
===Catholics===
100% coverage cannot be guaranteed. Expect to encounter restrictions on access to records at FamilySearch.  


State Archives of Baden and Wuerttemberg:
The Wiki page for each of the historical provinces of Germany, containing more detail about online records, and a map of Catholic dioceses can be found later in this article. 


#'''[http://www.lad-bw.de/ Public Archives]'''
This table does not include areas no longer in Germany. 
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Diocese
!Major Websites
!Diocese
!Major Websites
|-
|Aachen
|
|Limburg
|
|-
|Augsburg
|[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2780016 FamilySearch Historical Records]
[https://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/augsburg/ Matricula Online]
|Magdeburg
|[http://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/magdeburg/ Matricula Online]
|-
|Bamberg
|
|Mainz
|FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Berlin
|
|Munich (München)-Freising
|[http://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/muenchen/ Matricula Online]. Records are found at the München-Freising archives page.
|-
|Cologne (Köln)
|[https://www.erzbistum-koeln.de/kultur_und_bildung/historisches-archiv/kirchenbuecher/ Digitales Archiv des Erzbistums Köln/ Digital archive of the Archdiocese of Cologne] [click on "Zum Gesamtverzeichnis ...]
|Münster and Vechta Archive, Münster
|[http://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/muenster/ Matricula Online, Münster]
[http://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/vechta/ Matricula Online, Vechta]<br>
FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Dresden-Meissen
|FamilySearch Catalog
|Osnabrück
|[http://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/osnabrueck/ Matricula Online]
|-
|Eichstätt
|
|Paderborn
|[http://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/paderborn/ Matricula Online]
FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Erfurt
|
|Passau
|[http://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/passau/ Matricula Online]
|-
|Essen
|
|Regensburg
|
|-
|Freiburg im Breisgau
|[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2790181 FamilySearch Historical Records]
|Rottenberg-Stuttgart
|FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Fulda
|
|Speyer
|FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Goerlitz
|
|Trier
|[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/2790268 FamilySearch Historical Records]


;Generallandesarchiv Karlsruhe
|-
:Nördliche Hildapromenade 2, D-76133 Karlsruhe
|Hamburg
;Hauptstaatsarchiv Stuttgart
|
:Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 4, D-70173 Stuttgart
|Vechta Archive, Münster
;Staatsarchiv Freiburg
|[http://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/vechta/ Matricula Online, Vechta]<br>
:Colombiastr. 4, D-79098 Freiburg
FamilySearch Catalog
;Staatsarchiv Ludwigsburg
|-
:Schloß Ludwigsburg, Schloßstr. 30, D-71634 Ludwigsburg
|Hildesheim
;Staatsarchiv Sigmaringen
|[http://data.matricula-online.eu/en/deutschland/hildesheim/ Matricula Online]<br>
:Strohdorfer Str. 11, D-72488 Sigmaringen
[https://die-maus-bremen.info/index.php?id=59 Die Maus, Index to Births, Marriages, and Deaths in Bremen Church Books], index ($)
;Staatsarchiv Wertheim
|Würzburg
:Bronnbach 19, D-97877 Wertheim
|
;Hohenlohe Zentralarchiv
|}
:Neuenstein - Schloß, Neuenstein/Württemberg


#'''Church Archives'''
===Protestants===
100% coverage cannot be guaranteed. Expect to encounter restrictions on access to records at FamilySearch. Archion and Ancestry are both subscription websites.
Ancestry and FamilySearch also have a [[Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials - FamilySearch Historical Records|collection]] of records taken from across Germany.


;Evangelisches Landeskirchliches Archiv
The Lutheran and Reformed/Calvinist churches have for the most part merged into a single Evangelical Church of Germany. This contains 20 "Regional Churches" which are listed in the table below. In some areas the records are in government archives so those areas are listed separately in the table.
:Blumenstr. 1, D-76133 Karlsruhe
;Landeskirchliches Archiv der Evangelischen Landeskirche in Württemberg
:Balingerstr. 33/1, 70567 Stuttgart-Möhringen, Tel. (0711) 2140-254<br>http://www.archiv.elk-wue.de/
;Erzbischöfliches Archiv Freiburg
:Herrenstr. 35, D-79098 Freiburg
;Bischöfliches Ordinariat, Diözesanarchiv,
:Bischöfliches Palais, Eugen-Bolz-Platz 1, D-72108 Rottenburg (cf. Information zu Kirchenbüchern im Diözesanarchiv Rottenburg)


#'''Archives of religious communities'''
The Wiki page for each of the historical provinces of Germany, containing more detail about online records, and a map of Regional Churches can be found later in this article. 


;Archiv der Herrenhuter Brüdergemeinschaft
Of areas no longer in Germany, only the Polish provinces whose records are stored in Berlin are included in this table. 
:Zinzendorfplatz 3, D-78126 Königsfeld, Phone (07725) 93820
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Regional Church
!Major Websites
!Regional Church
!Major Websites
|-
|Anhalt
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/sachsen-anhalt/landeskirchliches-archiv-der-evangelischen-landeskirche-anhalts/ Archion] ($)
|Mitteldeutschland
(Central Germany)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/thueringen/landeskirchenarchiv-eisenach/ Archion] ($) (Eisenach archives)
[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/sachsen-anhalt/landeskirchenarchiv-magdeburg/ Archion] ($) (Magdeburg archives)
|-
|Baden
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/baden-wuerttemberg/landeskirchliches-archiv-karlsruhe/ Archion] ($)
FamilySearch Catalog
|Norddeutschland
(North Germany)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/hamburg/landeskirchliches-archiv-der-evang-luth-kirche-in-norddeutschland-kiel/ Archion] ($)
FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Bayern
(Bavaria)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/bayern/landeskirchliches-archiv-der-evang-luth-kirche-in-bayern/ Archion] ($)
|Oldenburg
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/niedersachsen/archiv-der-evang-luth-kirche-in-oldenburg/ Archion] ($)
FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Berlin-Brandenburg
schlesische Oberlausitz
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/berlin-brandenburg/evangelisches-landeskirchliches-archiv-in-berlin/ Archion] ($)
FamilySearch Catalog<br>
[https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61114/ Ancestry.com] ($)
|Pfalz
(Palatinate)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/rheinland-pfalz/zentralarchiv-der-evangelischen-kirche-der-pfalz/ Archion] ($)<br>
[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1475962 FamilySearch Historical Records]<br>
FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Braunschweig (Brunswick)


#'''Private Archives'''
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/niedersachsen/landeskirchliches-archiv-der-evang-luth-landeskirche-in-braunschweig/ Archion] ($)<br>
|Rheinland (Rhineland)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/nordrhein-westfalen/archiv-der-evangelischen-kirche-im-rheinland/ Archion] ($)<br>
[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1475962 FamilySearch Historical Records]<br>
FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Bremen
|
[https://die-maus-bremen.info/index.php?id=59 Die Maus, Index to Births, Marriages, and Deaths in Bremen Church Books], index ($)<br>
FamilySearch Catalog
|Sachsen (Saxony)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/sachsen/landeskirchenarchiv-der-evang-luth-landeskirche-sachsens/ Archion] ($)
|-
|Hannover (Hanover)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/niedersachsen/landeskirchliches-archiv-der-evang-luth-landeskirche-hannovers/ Archion] ($)
|Thüringen (Thuringia)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/thueringen/landeskirchenarchiv-eisenach/ Archion] ($) (Eisenach archives)
[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/sachsen-anhalt/landeskirchenarchiv-magdeburg/ Archion] ($) (Magdeburg archives)
|-
|Hessen-Nassau (Hesse and Nassau)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/hessen/zentralarchiv-der-evangelischen-kirche-in-hessen-und-nassau/ Archion] ($)
<br>
[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1768560 FamilySearch Historical Records]
|Westfalen (Westphalia)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/nordrhein-westfalen/landeskirchliches-archiv-der-evangelischen-kirche-von-westfalen/ Archion] ($)
FamilySearch Catalog
|-
|Kurhessen-Waldeck (Hesse-Kassel and Waldeck)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/hessen/landeskirchliches-archiv-der-evangelischen-kirche-von-kurhessen-waldeck/ Archion] ($)
|Württemberg
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/baden-wuerttemberg/landeskirchliches-archiv-stuttgart/ Archion] ($)
FamilySearch Catalog<br>
[https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61023/ Ancestry] ($)
|-
|Lippe
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/nordrhein-westfalen/archiv-der-lippischen-landeskirche/ Archion] ($)
FamilySearch Catalog
|Evangelical Reformed
(covers several regions)
|
|-
|Mecklenburg-Schwerin
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/mecklenburg-vorpommern/landeskirchliches-archiv-der-evang-luth-kirche-in-norddeutschland-schwerin/ Archion] ($)
FamilySearch Catalog
|Brandenburg (Neumark)<br>Ostpreussen (East Prussia)<br>Pommern (Pomerania)<br>Posen<br>Schlesien (Silesia)<br>Westpreussen (West Prussia)
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/berlin-brandenburg/evangelisches-zentralarchiv-in-berlin/ Archion: Evangelical Central Archive] ($)
[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1491272 FamilySearch Historical Records Brandenburg and Posen]<br>
[https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1874205 FamilySearch Historical Records Pomerania (Pommern)]<br>
[https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61114/ Ancestry.com] ($)
|-
|Mecklenburg-Strelitz
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/mecklenburg-vorpommern/landeskirchliches-archiv-der-evang-luth-kirche-in-norddeutschland-greifswald/ Archion] ($)
FamilySearch Catalog
|Mennonite Research Center
|[https://www.archion.de/de/archive-in-archion/ausland-und-ueberregional/mennonitische-forschungsstelle/ Archion] ($)
|}


;[http://www.unibw-muenchen.de/campus/ET-FH/bau/oertel/index.htm Historisch-Demographische Dokumentationsstelle für Südwestdeutschland]  
==Libraries==
:Prof. Dr. Burkhart Oertel, Brunhildenstr. 4B, D-85579 Neubiberg, Phone (089) 6015316
[https://www.dnb.de/EN/Home/home_node.html German National Library (Deutsche National Bibliotek]
*[https://www.dnb.de/EN/Service/Kontakt/KontakteFooter/kontakteFooter_node.html;jsessionid=D1E97546A99BA9B351C8857FA750F60B.internet282 Help and Contacts]
*[https://www.dnb.de/EN/Benutzung/benutzung_node.html#sprg264666 Using the Catalogue]
*[https://www.dnb.de/EN/Sammlungen/sammlungen_node.html Collections]
<br>
DNB LEIPZIG<br>
Deutscher Platz 1<br>
04103 Leipzig<br>
Germany<br>
Telephone: + 49 341 2271-0<br>
<br>


#'''Libraries'''
DNB FRANKFURT<br>
 
Adickesallee 1<br>
;Library of the Vereins für Familien- und Wappenkunde
60322 Frankfurt am Main<br>
:in Württemberg and Baden
Germany<br>
;[http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/ Württembergische Landesbibliothek] Stuttgart
Telephone: + 49 69 1525-0<br>
:Konrad-Adenauer-Str. 8, D-70173 Stuttgart
;[http://www.blb-karlsruhe.de/ Badische Landesbibliothek] Karlsruhe
:Erbprinzenstraße 15, D-76133 Karlsruhe
;Library in the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen
:Charlottenplatz 17, D-70173 Stuttgart
 
#'''LDS FHC's'''<br>(Family History Centers of the Church of Latter Days Saints (Mormons)) <br>In Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart and in Karlsruhe. For the addresses, see FHC's addresses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland
#A list of [http://www.bawue.de/~hanacek/info/darchi01.htm archives in Baden-Württemberg], maintained by Andreas Hanacek.
 
E-mail can be sent under “Kontact” to each archive.


== Inventories, Registers, Catalogs  ==
== Inventories, Registers, Catalogs  ==
Line 214: Line 384:
Some archives have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides before you visit or use the records of an archive so that you can use your time effectively.  
Some archives have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides before you visit or use the records of an archive so that you can use your time effectively.  


The following source is an overall guide to the collections of archives and libraries in Germany:  
These types of records are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under one of the following headings:  


Minerva-Handbücher. ''Archive: Archive im deutschsprachigen Raum (Minerva handbooks, archives in German-speaking areas).'' Two Volumes. Berlin, Germany: Walter de Gruyter, 1974. (FHL book 943 A5m 1974 Vol.1-2.)
[https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&query=%2Bsubject_id%3A381748 GERMANY - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES-INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS]


For a much shorter but more current list:
GERMANY, [STATE] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS


Pies, Eike. ''Aktuelle Adressen und Informationen für Familienforscher (Addresses and information for genealogists).'' Solingen, Germany: Verlag E. &amp; U. Brockhaus, 1993. (FHL book 943 D24pe.) Mainly includes German state archives, state-wide church archives, and genealogical society archives.
GERMANY, [STATE], [TOWN] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS


These guides are available at the Family History Library. They may also be available at your public or university library or through interlibrary loan.
==Archives Portal Europe==


The Family History Library has copies of some published inventories as well as guides, catalogs, and directories for other libraries. The following are examples of such sources:
*[https://www.archivesportaleurope.net/find-an-institution/ Archives Portal Europe] provides access to information on archival material from Germany as well as information on archival institutions throughout the European continent.


*Wermes, Martina, et al. ''Bestandsverzeichnis der Deutschen Zentralstelle für Genealogie Leipzig (Inventory of the German Center for Genealogy in Leipzig).'' Two Volumes. Neustadt/Aisch, Germany: Degener, 1991-1992. (FHL book 943 D25givol. 24-25m.)
{{Germany|Germany}}


*Hope, Anne, and Jörg Nagler. ''Guide to German Historical Sources in North American Libraries''. Washington, D.C., USA: German Historical Institute, 1991. (FHL book 970 A3ho.)
 
These types of records are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under one of the following headings:
 
GERMANY - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES ¬INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS
 
GERMANY, [STATE] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS


GERMANY, [STATE], [TOWN] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS {{Place|Germany}}
[[fr:Allemagne : Archives et Bibliothèques]]
[[Category:Germany]]
[[pt:Alemanha - Arquivos e Bibliotecas]]
[[Category:Archives and libraries in Germany]]

Latest revision as of 11:52, 20 March 2024


Germany Wiki Topics
Flag of Germany
Germany Beginning Research
Record Types
Germany Background
Germany Genealogical Word Lists
Cultural Groups
Local Research Resources



  • Archives collect and preserve original documents from organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries collect mostly published sources, such as books, maps, and microfilm.
  • If you plan to visit one of these repositories, contact the archive or library and ask for information about its collection, hours, services, and fees. Also ask who may use their facility.
  • Although the original records you need may be in an archive or library in Germany, the FamilySearch Library may have a microfilm copy of them, or they may be available on the Internet. Check the FamilySearch Catalog and online resources before writing to or visiting archives in Germany.
  • Materials useful for family history research can be found in various archives. German archives and parishes often refer family history letters to historical or genealogical societies. Members of these societies can usually search the local archives. Sometimes the archive will recommend other archives to which you can write.
  • When writing to a German-speaking archive or library, it is best to write in German. For help in writing a letter in German, see the German Letter-Writing Guide. Electronic translation tools should be avoided. Letters written in English are preferable to those translated badly electronically.
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Leipzig

Federal Archives (Bundesarchivs)

Important links:

  • The Federal Archives have the legal mandate to permanently secure the archives of the Federal Government and make them usable. These are documents such as files, maps, pictures, posters, films and sound recordings in analogue and digital form.
  • These documents are available from central offices of the Holy Roman Empire (1495-1806), the German Confederation (1815-1866), the German Empire (1867/71-1945), the zones of occupation (1945-1949), the German Democratic Republic (1949 -1990) and the Federal Republic of Germany (since 1949). The Federal Archive decides whether the documents are "archivable", i.e. whether they have lasting value for research and understanding of history and the present, for safeguarding the legitimate interests of citizens or for legislation,
  • The Federal Archives also collect written legacies from important people, documents from parties, associations and clubs of supra-regional importance, as well as journalistic sources.
  • Since June 17, 2021, the Federal Archives have been responsible for the documents of the GDR state security service.
  • The Federal Archives ensure access to federal archives while protecting private and public interests. In principle, every person has the right to use federal archive material upon request. The Federal Archives provide information about the archive material on several research platforms. A small but constantly growing part of the holdings is also available in digital form for online use via these research platforms.

State Archives

Each modern state archive also preserves useful records, including:

  • Church records
  • Civil registration
  • Court records
  • Military records
  • Emigration Records
  • Land records

State Archives Addresses

Archives and Libraries Wiki Article Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany Address List
Baden-Württemberg Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany:Baden-Württemberg
Bavaria (Bayern) Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany:Bavaria
Berlin Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Berlin
Brandenburg Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Brandenburg
Bremen Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Bremen
Hamburg Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Hamburg
Hessen Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Hessen
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Lower Saxony (Sachsen) Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Lower Saxony
North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) Archives and Libraries Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: North Rhine-Westphalia
Rhineland-Palatinate Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Rhineland-Palatinate
Saarland Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Saarland
Saxony Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Sachsen
Saxony- Sachsen Anhalt Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Saxony-Anhalt
Schleswig-Holstein Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Schleswig-Holstein
Thüringia Archives in the Federal Republic of Germany: Thuringen

German Center for Genealogy

Deutsche Zentralstelle für Genealogie

  • In 1995, the German Central Office for Genealogy (DZfG) was incorporated as a department into the State Archives in Leipzig. After an administrative reform in 2005,
  • A specialty archive, the Central Office for Genealogy Deutsche Zentralstelle für Genealogie was founded as an archive for genealogical materials.
  • Later its holdings were incorporated in the Leipzig State Archive. The formal name is "Saxon State Archives, State Archives Leipzig, Section 33 German Central Office for Genealogy and Special Collections". The Leipzig State Archive is a department of the Saxon State Archive .
  • Its extensive collection of German church records from Posen, Ostpreußen, Westpreußen, Pommern, and Schlesien (now in Poland, Russia, and Lithuania) was microfilmed by FamilySearch.
  • The Central Office collection also includes records of many German settlements in eastern Europe. The FamilySearch Library has microfilms of these records, but if you need more information, you can contact the center.
  • For a fee, employees of the center will try to find genealogical sources. But as a general rule, research must be done in Leipzig by the researcher.


Sächsisches Staatsarchiv
Staatsarchiv Leipzig
Schongauer Strasse 1
04329 Leipzig
GERMANY

Telephone: + 49 341/25 555 00
Fax: + 49 341/25 555 55
Email: poststelle-l@sta.smi.sachsen.de
Website
Research Services
Search engine
How to reach us

Archives for Former Regions Now Outside of Germany

The FamilySearch Library has on microfilm many German records from areas now in Poland, France, Denmark, Belgium, Russia, and Lithuania. If you cannot find the records you need in the FamilySearch Catalog, you can write to the parish where your ancestor lived, the German Center for Genealogy (Deutsche Zentralstelle für Genealogie), or the archives of the country. The main archives outside of Germany are described below.

Poland

The Polish State Archive (Archiwa Państwowe) may be able to help you with records from Brandenburg, Ostpreußen, Westpreußen, Pommern, Posen, Schlesien and other areas now under Polish jurisdiction. The State Archive holds civil registration records more than 100 years old.

You may write in English, but it is better to write in Polish. Use the Poland Letter Writing Guide. There is a fee for any work done.
Records from Poland are now gradually coming online. So be sure to check the website of the archive you need information from before requesting a search.

State Archives Head Office
Rakowiecka 2D
02-517 Warsaw
Poland

Telephone:(22) 56 54 600
E-mail: ndap@archiwa.gov.pl
Website

Addresses for archives of states in Poland can be found at PolandGenWeb, Polish State Archives. Archives are arranged alphabetically by name of archive. E-mail addresses are included.

France

The French archivists will not do research, but they will help you determine what records are available. For help writing in French, see the French France Letter-Writing Guide.

For information from Elsaß-Lothringen(Alsace-Lorraine), contact one of the following archives:

Archives of the European Community of Alsace - Strasbourg site
6 rue Philippe Dollinger
67100 Strasbourg
FRANCE
E-mail: archives@bas-rhin.fr
Internet: Archives Departmentales du Bas-Rhin
Research Wiki Article: Bas-Rhin, France Genealogy and [[Haut-Rhin, France Genealogy]

Archives départementales du Moselle
1, allée du château
57070 St. Julien-les-Metz
FRANCE
Website: Archives de la Mozelle
Research Wiki Article: Moselle, France Genealogy

Denmark

If your research is in Schleswig-Holstein, Oldenburg, Lübeck, or the part of Hamburg that was once part of Denmark, you may be able to hire a researcher through the Danish archive. You may write in English.

The address is:
Landsarkivet i Aabenraa
Haderslevvej 45
6200 Aabenraa
DENMARK
E-mail: mailbox@Laa.sa.dk
Internet: Denmark Archives and Libraries
Research Services

Church Archives

Catholics

100% coverage cannot be guaranteed. Expect to encounter restrictions on access to records at FamilySearch.

The Wiki page for each of the historical provinces of Germany, containing more detail about online records, and a map of Catholic dioceses can be found later in this article.

This table does not include areas no longer in Germany.

Diocese Major Websites Diocese Major Websites
Aachen Limburg
Augsburg FamilySearch Historical Records

Matricula Online

Magdeburg Matricula Online
Bamberg Mainz FamilySearch Catalog
Berlin Munich (München)-Freising Matricula Online. Records are found at the München-Freising archives page.
Cologne (Köln) Digitales Archiv des Erzbistums Köln/ Digital archive of the Archdiocese of Cologne [click on "Zum Gesamtverzeichnis ...] Münster and Vechta Archive, Münster Matricula Online, Münster

Matricula Online, Vechta
FamilySearch Catalog

Dresden-Meissen FamilySearch Catalog Osnabrück Matricula Online
Eichstätt Paderborn Matricula Online

FamilySearch Catalog

Erfurt Passau Matricula Online
Essen Regensburg
Freiburg im Breisgau FamilySearch Historical Records Rottenberg-Stuttgart FamilySearch Catalog
Fulda Speyer FamilySearch Catalog
Goerlitz Trier FamilySearch Historical Records
Hamburg Vechta Archive, Münster Matricula Online, Vechta

FamilySearch Catalog

Hildesheim Matricula Online

Die Maus, Index to Births, Marriages, and Deaths in Bremen Church Books, index ($)

Würzburg

Protestants

100% coverage cannot be guaranteed. Expect to encounter restrictions on access to records at FamilySearch. Archion and Ancestry are both subscription websites. Ancestry and FamilySearch also have a collection of records taken from across Germany.

The Lutheran and Reformed/Calvinist churches have for the most part merged into a single Evangelical Church of Germany. This contains 20 "Regional Churches" which are listed in the table below. In some areas the records are in government archives so those areas are listed separately in the table.

The Wiki page for each of the historical provinces of Germany, containing more detail about online records, and a map of Regional Churches can be found later in this article.

Of areas no longer in Germany, only the Polish provinces whose records are stored in Berlin are included in this table.

Regional Church Major Websites Regional Church Major Websites
Anhalt Archion ($) Mitteldeutschland

(Central Germany)

Archion ($) (Eisenach archives)

Archion ($) (Magdeburg archives)

Baden Archion ($)

FamilySearch Catalog

Norddeutschland

(North Germany)

Archion ($)

FamilySearch Catalog

Bayern

(Bavaria)

Archion ($) Oldenburg Archion ($)

FamilySearch Catalog

Berlin-Brandenburg

schlesische Oberlausitz

Archion ($)

FamilySearch Catalog
Ancestry.com ($)

Pfalz

(Palatinate)

Archion ($)

FamilySearch Historical Records
FamilySearch Catalog

Braunschweig (Brunswick) Archion ($)
 Rheinland (Rhineland) Archion ($)

FamilySearch Historical Records
FamilySearch Catalog

Bremen

Die Maus, Index to Births, Marriages, and Deaths in Bremen Church Books, index ($)
FamilySearch Catalog

Sachsen (Saxony) Archion ($)
Hannover (Hanover) Archion ($) Thüringen (Thuringia) Archion ($) (Eisenach archives)

Archion ($) (Magdeburg archives)

Hessen-Nassau (Hesse and Nassau) Archion ($)


FamilySearch Historical Records

Westfalen (Westphalia) Archion ($)

FamilySearch Catalog

Kurhessen-Waldeck (Hesse-Kassel and Waldeck) Archion ($) Württemberg Archion ($)

FamilySearch Catalog
Ancestry ($)

Lippe Archion ($)

FamilySearch Catalog

Evangelical Reformed

(covers several regions)

Mecklenburg-Schwerin Archion ($)

FamilySearch Catalog

Brandenburg (Neumark)
Ostpreussen (East Prussia)
Pommern (Pomerania)
Posen
Schlesien (Silesia)
Westpreussen (West Prussia) 		Archion: Evangelical Central Archive ($)

FamilySearch Historical Records Brandenburg and Posen
FamilySearch Historical Records Pomerania (Pommern)
Ancestry.com ($)

Mecklenburg-Strelitz Archion ($)

FamilySearch Catalog

Mennonite Research Center Archion ($)

Libraries

German National Library (Deutsche National Bibliotek


DNB LEIPZIG
Deutscher Platz 1
04103 Leipzig
Germany
Telephone: + 49 341 2271-0

DNB FRANKFURT
Adickesallee 1
60322 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Telephone: + 49 69 1525-0

Inventories, Registers, Catalogs

Some archives have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides before you visit or use the records of an archive so that you can use your time effectively.

These types of records are listed in the FamilySearch Catalog under one of the following headings:

GERMANY - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES-INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

GERMANY, [STATE] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

GERMANY, [STATE], [TOWN] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

Archives Portal Europe

  • Archives Portal Europe provides access to information on archival material from Germany as well as information on archival institutions throughout the European continent.
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Links to Germany-related articles
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