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Military Records

Parade 1894

Online Resources

• 1752 and 1792 Halle, Germany, Thadden Regiment, Muster Roll, 1752 and 1792 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1828-1888 Halle(Saale), Germany, Military Recruitment Lists, 1828-1888 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1916-1918 Prisoners Of War Sound Recordings 1916-1918 at Findmypast — index & images ($)
• 1943-1947 United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) Records, 1943-1947 (USHMM) at Ancestry — index ($)
• 1947-1948 Italy, Mauerstein Family Papers, 1947-1948 (USHMM) at Ancestry — index ($)
• Soviet Prisoners of World War II Held in Germany at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Military Records in Germany

Military records identify individuals who served in the military or who were eligible to serve. Germany had a large army and a small navy. Since most German states had conscription laws, most young men were required to register for military service. A young man who had not yet served had to get special permission before he could emigrate.

Evidence that an ancestor actually served in the military can sometimes be found in family records, biographies, censuses, photographs, emigration papers, medals, probate records, civil registration records, and church records.

The crucial information needed to find military records is the soldier's regiment or the sailor's ship.

German church records usually indicate social standing. This included active military service. These records usually indicated the regiment in which the man was serving. Search the sources cited above to find your ancestor's regiment, ship, or commanding officer. Commanding officers can be identified with their units relatively easily. Photographs sometimes show insignia that identify a regiment or ship.

Historical Background

Söldnerheere (armies) of the 16th century were primarily hired by warring nations through contracts (Kapitulationen). The colonels of such armies administered to their troops and appointed officers as they saw fit. Since the Swedish-Polish War of 1655-1660 the Kurfürst of Brandenburg attempted to establish a permanent army. He introduced concepts, directives and commissions to have influence over his troops and made sure he himself appointed the officers.

The Kantonsystem was established. Since 1690 this system supplied necessary troops. Each regiment was given a levying district (Aushebungsbezirk) which was called a Kanton. This measure became necessary because recruiting under the old system became more difficult. The new system was more reliable since only Prussian nationals were recruited. This method also allowed fast mobilization in case of war. Since 1726 the male population, mainly consisting of serfs, was enrolled in lists kept by the parish priests.

From 1733 the borders of the cantons became permanent. 5000 houses were assigned to service in infantry regiments and 1,800 to the cavalry. Recruitment outside the borders was now prohibited. Service time stretched over 20 years.

Not all males were recruited; exceptions were members of the nobility, officials, academics, priests and students as well as wealthy citizens and landowners. Cities like Berlin, Breslau and Königsberg were not part of cantons and neither was the Province of Cleve. From 1763 on the levying occurred through civil offices, such as the Land- and Steuerräte.

Until 1918 there was no Reichsheer (army) but the Royal Prussian Army with which most states joined forces. Before, the Brandenburg-Prussian army existed and the states of Bavaria, Saxony and Württemberg had their own armies.

Reforms

When Prussia was defeated in 1806/07 (Battle of Jena and Auerstedt against the French) the military reformers wanted "Wehrpflicht" for all. Since 1813 practically each male Prussian citizen was liable for military service until he turned 50 years old. There was not more allowance for service replacements tolerated as it was customary in French and Rheinbund conscription laws.

20-23 year old males now had to be on active duty for 3 years in times of peace. In times of war all males up to 50 years of age were called to active duty. In 1813/15 approx. 3% of Prussian males were enlisted.

Laws about military duty were legal by 1814/15. Each Prussian province had a general comissioner (Generalkommissar), who was in contact with the Amt (Kreisausschuss or Landwehrausschuss) regulating the levying of the male population. The Kreisausschuss consisted of an officer, the Landrath and the manor lord (Gutsbesitzer). They conducted yearly inspections of the recruits and determined their fitness for service. Accordingly men were assigned to the infantery, cavallery or service at the garrison. After the inspection, the men were sent home. When they received their draft papers, they were shipped to their regiments.

Source: Klöffler, Martin. Materialien zu den Aushebungen der preussischen Landwehr 1813-15

Friedrich Wilhelm I of Brandenburg ordered Ranglisten to be established and which were first published on a monthly basis, then quarterly, then yearly and lastly in 1911. The information of such lists is sparse as far as genealogical evidence is concerned. The recorded facts of the officers have to do with their regiments, hire, release, service and advancement, rather than birth place, names of parents and wife and children. Although from time to time, such information is being revealed but not consistently. Starting in 1858 we do find birth year and -place in Ranglisten as a relevant fact. Since 1874 each officer was listed with all vital dates in a separate file.

In early days regiments had to report directly to the king. Any petition had to be brought to the king's attention, even if an officer was to marry. In so called Minuten the king responded to the requests. Such minutes existed since 1728 and since 1786 minutes have almost completely survived. They cover the years 1786 to 1811. At year's end Conduitenlisten were sent to the king and reports given about every officer's qualifications. Such lists were kept until WWI from 1850 on, however, Conduitenlisten have come down to us in fragmentary form.

The common soldiers of the Brandenburg Prussian army have not been as well documented. Most records on them (1660-1822) consisting of Quartalrollen were lost. There are still Maß- und Stammrollen, however, such should not be viewed as primary sources. They came to an end with the war of 1806/07. In the year 1810 indexes were created of non commissioned officers and their soldiers. These indexes exist for the years 1810-1822 with gaps.

Source: Rohr, Wilhelm. "Die militärischen Bestände des Preußischen Geheimen Staatsarchivs und ihre Bedeutung für die Personen- und Familienforschung". Leipzig: Zentralstelle für Deutsche Personen- und Familiengeschichte. 1927.

This article is available through www.familysearch.org FamilySearch Catalog, International film number 1045463.

Types of Military Records

The earliest German military records, which began around 1485, usually list only the names of the soldiers.

Records from the mid-1800s often give information about promotions, places served, pensions, conduct, and other details concerning the soldier's military career. In addition, these records may include the soldier's age, birthplace, residence, occupation, and physical description as well as the names of family members.

However, many German military records provide very few details about individuals other than those who served as officers.

Military records include the following:

• Military church records [Kirchenbücher]. These records include garrison [Garnisons-] records, parish registers, and regimental [Regiments-] church records. They date from 1672.
• Personnel files [Stammrollen] of common soldiers and noncommissioned officers
• Published officer files [Offizier-Stammlisten]
• Published cadets' files (Kadettenlisten, Rezeptionsakten)
• Collection Arnim (details of officers' personal and family history
• Officer rolls [Ranglisten]
• Regimental histories [Regimentsgeschichten] Foreign Military Service
• Pensions for surviving widows (Offizierswitwenkasse)

Service in Other Countries

Germans frequently served with the armies of foreign countries.

Denmark

Before 1772 the Danish army was made up mostly of German soldiers and officers. After 1772 the army began to recruit more Danes, and by 1803, the army was entirely Danish. If your German relative served in the Danish military before 1803, you may be able to find valuable genealogical information in Denmark Military Records.

American Revolution - Hessian Troops

Germans served on both sides of the American Revolution. To find information about Germans who fought for the Americans, see United States Military Records.

About 25,000 troops raised in Germany worked for the British. They may have come from any part of Germany, but they are usually called “Hessians.” Some deserted or were sold to Americans as laborers.

Many remained in the United States or went to Canada after the war. The following source is a major index of German mercenaries:

Hessische Truppen im amerikanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg (HETRINA) (Hessian Troops in the American Revolution). Six Volumes. Marburg, Germany: Archivschule, 1971-1976, 1987-. (FS Library book 943 M2mg; films 1,320,516 items 6-7 and1,320,542 items 5-6.) Indexes from this series list each soldier's name, year of birth, place of origin, rank, and military unit and the source of the information.

The following source indexes thousands of American and British records of German soldiers:

Smith, Clifford Neal. Cumulative Surname Index and Soundex to Monographs 1 through 12 of the German-American Genealogical Research Series. McNeal, Arizona, USA: Westland Publishing, 1983.(FS Library book 973 W2smn no. 13.) This index lists only the soldier's surname and the series number of the monograph where information about that soldier can be found. Each monograph is individually indexed. The monograph normally lists the soldier's name, rank, and unit. Some of the following may also be listed: birthplace; age; occupation; promotions; where the soldier resided or was recruited; and whether he was wounded, killed, missing in action, captured, deserted, or sold, and where.

Additional Sources

• Karl J.R. Arndt. How to Find Your Hessian Ancestor. Genealogical Journal 6 (March, 1977):15-18. FS Library 973 D25gj.
• Don Heinrich Tolzmann, ed. German Allied Troops in the American Revolution: J. R. Rosengarten's Survey of German Archives and Sources. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, 1993. FS Library 973 M2ge
• Journal of the Johannes Schwalm Historical Association.
• Clifford Neal Smith. Annotated Hessian Chaplaincy Record of the American Revolution. MeNeal, Arizona, Westland Publications, 1994. FS Library 973 W2smn no. 30
• Neal Smith. British and German deserters, discharges, and prisoners of war who may have remained in Canada and the United States.McNeal, Arizona : Westland Publications, c1988-. FS Library 973 W2sco pt 1 & Pt 2
• Neal Smith. Deserters and disbanded soldiers from British, German and Loyalist military units in the South, 1782.McNeal, Arizona : Westland Publications, c1991. FS Library 973 W2scd
• Clifford Neal Smith. Mercenaries from Ansbach and Bayreuth, Germany who remained in America after the Revolution.Thomson, Illinois : Heritage House, 1974. FS Library 973 W2smn no. 2 1974
• Clifford Neal Smith. Mercenaries from Ansbach and Bayreuth, Germany, who remained in America after the Revolution.McNeal, Arizona : Westland Publications, 1979. FS Library 973 W2smn no. 2 19179.
• Clifford Neal Smith. Mercenaries from Hessen-Hanau who remained in Canada and the United States after the American Revolution.DeKalb, Illinois : Westland Publications, 1976.
• Clifford Neal Smith. Muster rolls and prisoner-of-war lists in American archival collections pertaining to the German mercenary troops who served with the British forces during the American Revolution.DeKalb, Illinois : Westland Publications, 1976. FS Library 973 W2smn no. 3
• Clifford Neal Smith. Notes on Hessian soldiers who remained in Canada and the United States after the American Revolution, 1775-1784.McNeal, Arizona : Westland Publications, 1992, 1996. FS Library 973 W2smn no 28 pt 1-3;973 W2smn no. 28 4A-4E
• Hessian soldier file, 1777-1962
• compiled and translated by Bruce E. Burgoyne ; with special assistance from his wife, Marie E. Burgoyne, Hessian chaplains : their diaries and duties Bowie, Maryland : Heritage Books, Inc., c2003 FS Library 973 K2bhc

Histories

• Max Von Eelking. The German Allied Troops in the North American War of Independence, 1887-1783. Albany:Joel Munsell's Sons, 1893. reprint Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1969. FS Library 973 M2r
• Rodney Atwood. The Hessians: Mercenaries from Hessen Kassel in the American Revolution. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1980. FS Library 973 H2at
• Edward J. Lowell. The Hessians and other German Auxiliaries of Great Britain in the Revolutionary War. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1884. FS Library 973 M2Lej

Canada

• Virginia Easley DeMarce. The Settlement of Former German Auxiliary Troops in Canada after the American Revolution. Sparta, Wisconsin, 1984. FS Library 971 W2dv
• Jean-Pierre Wihelmy. German Mercenaries in Canada. Beloeil,Quebec: Maison des Mots, 1985. FS Library 971 M2w

American Civil War

About one in ten Union soldiers was born in Germany. Over 200,000 German immigrants to the United States were recruited by the Union, many as they stepped off the boat. Some were drafted. Some Germans served in the Confederate military. To find information about Germans who fought in the Civil War, see United States Military Records.

• William L. Burton.Melting pot soldiers : the Union's ethnic regiments.Ames, Iowa : Iowa State University Press, 1988. FS Library 973 M2bw
• Ella Lonn. Foreigners in the Union Army and Navy reprint New York, New York: Greenwood Press, 1969. FS Library 973 M2Le
• Kamphoefner, Walter D. and Helbich, Wolfgang eds. Germans in the Civil War : the letters they wrote home Chapel Hill, North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, c2006. FS Catalog book 973 F2kw;

Locating Military Records

German military records can be of great genealogical value, but getting access to them is often a problem.

For example, it is very hard to get information from military records through correspondence. Also, the FamilySearch Library has microfilmed only a few German military records. Those that have been microfilmed are hard to read, incomplete for several years, poorly arranged, and not indexed.

If you write to archives for information from military records, you must indicate the regiment or company to which your ancestor belonged. Also include the garrison town or commanding officer's name and your ancestor's rank if you know that information.

Locating the Garrison Town

The online Ortsfamilienbuch Armee-Chefs Brandenburg 1626-1807 includes a map showing garrison towns of the Bandenburg-Prussian army.

Some books help identify where regiments from Preußen were stationed. Although the records they describe were burned in World War II, the garrison towns listed are locations to look for in other records:

Lyncker, Alexander von. Die altpreußische Armee1714-1806 und ihre Militärkirchenbücher (Old Prussian army and its military parish records, 1714-1806). Berlin, Germany: Verlag für Standesamtswesen, 1937. (FS Library book 943 M2lv.1; film 477,806.)

——. Die preußische Armee 1807-1867 und ihresippenkundlichen Quellen (Old Prussian army and its genealogical sources, 1807-1867). Berlin, Germany: Verlag für Standesamtswesen, 1939. (FS Library book 943 M2l v. 2; film 477,807.)

Voß v., Wilhelm. Die Regimentsnamen der altpreußischen Armee. This book is available online through ancestry.com at Link

Meyers Orts- und Verkehrslexikon has as a supplement listed all garrison towns of Germany. These towns can also be viewed on a map in the same lexicon.

Records at German State Archives

Military Records information from the Bundesarchiv.

There is no central archive for German military records. German states each had their own system of keeping military records before 1867. These records are now stored in several German state archives. The following pamphlet lists the archives where existing military records for each state are found:

Reschke, Horst A. German Military Records as Genealogical Sources. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA: Reschke, 1990. (FS Library book 943 M2r; fiche6,001,596.)

In 1867 the armies of all but three German states were integrated into the armies of Preußen. From that time, soldiers of any German state (except Bayern, Sachsen, or Württemberg) were recorded only in the military records of Preußen. Unfortunately, the Preußen military records were almost completely destroyed in 1945.

Records at the FamilySearch Library

Only a few German military records are available at the FamilySearch Library. They are mostly military parish registers, a few published officer rolls [Stammlisten and Ranglisten], and regimental histories. German military church records are usually listed in the FamilySearch Catalog with other church records.

For other German military records, see the Place Search of the catalog under:

GERMANY - MILITARY RECORDS

GERMANY, [STATE] - MILITARY RECORDS

Military History and Records by War

General

• 1500-1939 Germany & Austria, Directories of Military and Marine Officers, 1500-1939 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1760-1933 Germany and Austria, Military and Marine Unit Histories, 1760-1933 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1816-1942 Germany, Military and Marine Weekly Publications, 1816-1942 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1868-1914 Bad Doberan, Germany, Military Registers, 1868-1914 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1870-1871 German Casualties in the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1891-1918 German Navy Crew Chronicle, 1891-1918 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1911 Germany, Torpedo Personnel Register, 1911 at Ancestry - index & images ($)

Germans were involved in the following military actions, among others:

Thirty Years War, 1618 to 1648

• 1618: Thirty Years' War. Protestant and Catholic. In 1648, Sweden, Denmark, and France all seized German territory. Parts of Germany were decimated.

War of the Palatine Succession, 1688 to 1697

• 1688-1697: Palatine Wars of Succession – destroyed mainly Southwestern Germany.

War of Austrian Succession, 1740 to 1748

• 1740: War of Austrian Succession. Prussia invaded. In 1748, Austria conceded Silesia (Schlesien) to Prussia

Seven Years War, 1756 to 1763

• 1756: Seven Years War. 1763 Prussia kept Silesia.

American Revolution, 1775 to 1783

• 1775-1783: American Revolution. Several German states led by Hessen, provided troops to fight for the British

Hessian Auxiliary Troops

• Lowell, Edward J. The Hessians in the Revolution williamstown, Massachusetts. Corner House Publishers. 1970 reprint.

Napoleonic Wars, 1805 to 1815

• 1805-1815: Napoleonic Wars. German troops served throughout Europe. Rhineland was temporarily occupied by France.

Second Schleswig War, 1864

• 1864: War with Denmark. Prussia seized Schleswig-Holstein.

Seven Weeks War, 1866

• 1866: Seven Weeks War. Preußen consolidated power in a fight with Austria. In 1867, after the war the Army Reorganized. Prussia absorbed the armies of all other states except Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg.

Franco-Prussian War, 1870 to 1871

1870-1871: Franco-Prussian War. Germany annexed Alsace-Lorrraine (Elsaß-Lothringen).

Casualties

• German Casualties in the Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871 (Ancestry) ($) - requires Ancestry Worldwide subscription. Records are in German.

World War I, 1914 to 1918

1914-1918: World War I. Alsace-Lorrraine (Elsaß-Lothringen) returned to France. Parts of eastern Germany ceded to Lithuania and Poland.

Service Records

• Histories of Two Hundred and Fifty-One Divisions of the German Army which Participated in the War (1914-1918)
• Histories of German and Austrain Division,1917-1918. NAID 6487553 National Archives
• Bavaria, Germany, WWI Personnel Rosters, 1914-1918 (Ancestry) ($) - requires Ancestry Worldwide subscription. Over 8 million records. Records are in German.
• Name Card Files of Prominent German Airmen, 1917 - 1918 NAID 6585685

Casualty Records

• Germany, World War I Casualty Lists, 1914-1917 (Ancestry) ($) - requires Ancestry Worldwide subscription. Over 5 million records. Records are in German.
• Germany, Navy Casualty List, 1914-1915 (Ancestry) ($) - requires Ancestry Worldwide subscription. Records are in German.
• Genwiki World War I Casualty Lists.
• The World Remembers - WWI Deaths

Prisoners of War

• Numerical Lists of German Prisoners of War Interned by the American Expeditionary Forces in France, 1918-1919 NAID 6706704
• Organizational Lists of German Prisoners of War Interned by the American Expeditionary Forces in France, 1918-1919 NAID 1918-1919
• Lists of German Prisoners of War Assigned to Prisoner of War Company Commanders when Labor Companies were Formed, 1918-1919 NAID 6455801

Cemetery Records

• Database of war graves from WW I and WWII German War Cemetery records database

World War II, 1939 to 1945

1939-1945: World War II. Many German records were destroyed.

Personal Documents of Military Provenance until 1945

Prisoner of War Records

• Prisoner of War Rosters, 1942-1947, National Archives NAID 849166 This collection contains records of prisoners of war interned in the United States
• Records Relating to Prisoners of War, 1942-1927, National Archives NAID 865093 Includes deaths lists sent to the International Red Cross.
• Records Relating to German Prisoners of War, 1943-1952, National Archives NAID 876973
• Records of German POWs in Russia. Includes more than two million prisoner of war files for military and civilian internees. Family members can send a tracing request.

Cemetery Records

• Database of war graves from WW I and WWII German War Cemetery records database

Deaths of German Citizens Abroad

• 1939-1955 Germany, Deaths of German Citizens Abroad, Registers from Berlin Standesamt 1, 1939-1955 at Ancestry - Index and images ($)

Additional Resources

For more historical information about the German military, see the following sources:

• Alfoldi, Laszlo M. The Armies of Austria-Hungary and Germany, 1740-1914. Pennsylvania, USA: Carlisle Barracks, 1975. (FS Library book 943 A3a v. 1, film 1,045,372 item 3.)

• Sigel, Gustav A. German Military Forces of the 19th Century. New York, NY, USA: Crown Publishing, 1989. (Not at FS Library.)

• Baden Military History
• Lists of soldiers killed or missing in action. Arranged by name of the conflict, unit,and soldiers'names Verlustlisten

• A website that collects German military field mail and has a free database Feldpost im Zweiten Weltkrieg.
• Kriegsarchiv Freiburg, Germany at Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv
• Another good link is Überblick
• For Prussian Military information: Preußen
• For further questions, click Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
• Military listing for 1848 of fallen and injured soldiers with rank, and place of residence
• A website which gives infantry information about Doebeln and other Prussian Sachsen areas.
• Hessian Soldiers: Their History and How to Find them in America and Germany webinar with handout.
• Hessian Soldiers wiki article.

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