Germany Civil Registration: Difference between revisions

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Civil registration records are records of births, marriages, and deaths kept by the government. German terms for these records include Standesamtsregister, Zivilstandsregister, or Personenstandsregister. They are an excellent source for fairly accurate information on names and dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are kept by the civil registrar [German: Standesbeamte] at the civil registry office (Standesamt).
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Civil registration in the German Empire began between 1792 and 1876, depending on the locality. Elsaß-Lothringen started in 1792, since it belonged to France at the time. The creation of ''mairies'' that kept civil birth, marriage, and death registers was required by the French as they advanced into the German territories between 1808 and 1812. These early records are often written in the French language and use the French Republican Calendar. After Napoleon was defeated, civil registration was discontinued in many parts of Germany and replaced by parish register duplicates used for civil purposes, such as conscription. In Preussen, civil births, marriages, and deaths were kept again beginning in October 1874. Civil registration became mandatory in all German states on 1 January 1876. To learn more about when German Civil Registration began in individual provinces or states, [[German Civil Registration Time Periods|click here]].  
==Overview==
Civil registration records are records of births, marriages, and deaths kept by the government. German terms for these records include ''Standesamtsregister'', ''Zivilstandsregister'', or ''Personenstandsregister''. They are an excellent source for information on names and dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are kept by the civil registrar [German: Standesbeamte] at the civil registry office (Standesamt). Because they cover about 98% of the population and often provide more information than church records, civil registration records are important sources for German genealogical research, especially after 1876 when the entirety of Germany established civil registration. <br><br>


Because they cover about 98% of the population and often provide more information than church records, civil registration records are important sources for German genealogical research.  
==Civil registration: Napoleonic period==
{| style="float:right"
|-
| style="padding-right:0px"|
[[Image:Civil_reg_1808-1815.jpg|thumb|<center>Areas where civil registration was instituted between 1798 and 1815.</center>]]
|}


For birth, death, and marriage records created before civil registration began, see [[Germany Church Records|Germany Church Records]].
During the Napoleonic time period, many areas of modern-day Germany were invaded and annexed by the French Empire. In annexed areas, civil registration was fully implemented.
After Napoleon's defeat, areas east of the Rhine river stopped civil registration and returned to church records as the primary means of recording their populations, mainly because these areas were annexed very late (as late as 1811) and had only been keeping civil records for a few years. Areas west of the Rhine river continued keeping civil registration records, mainly because these areas had been keeping them for upwards of 15+ years. The following list of principalities indicate the time frame civil registration records began, and if and when they ended:
*'''Alsace-Lorraine''': 1792
*'''Rheinland (west of the Rhine)''': 1798
*'''Hessen, province of Rheinhessen (west of the Rhine)''': 1798
*'''Grand Duchy of Berg''': 1806-1815
*'''Kingdom of Westphalia''': 1807-1815
*'''Hamburg''': 1811-1815
*'''Hannover (parts)''': 1811-1815
*'''Hessen-Kassel''': - 1811-1815
*'''Lübeck''': 1811-1815
*'''Oldenburg''': 1811-1815


=== General Historical Background  ===
==Civil registration in all of Germany==


Civil registration was begun in France with a law passed by the national Assembly on 20 Sep 1792. Elsaß-Lothringen, which was under French rule at that time, were the first German areas to keep civil births, marriages, and deaths. French occupation of the areas left of the Rhein River in 1796 to 1798 brought civil registration to these areas as well. As the French advanced into other areas of Germany, they required local governments to keep civil records of births, marriages, and deaths. After Napoleon was defeated, civil registration was discontinued in many parts of Germany and replaced by parish register duplicates used for civil purposes, such as conscription. In Preussen, civil births, marriages, and deaths were kept again beginning in October 1874. Civil registration became mandatory in all German states on 1 Jan 1876. The records are created and kept by the Standesamt.
{| style="float:right"
|-
| style="padding-right:0px"|
[[Image:Civil_reg_1875.jpg|thumb|<center>German civil registration. Red indicates areas that began before 1876. Prussia (green) started in October 1874.</center>]]
|}
Between 1850 and 1876, all territories instituted civil registration. The two main time periods were October 1874, when all of Prussia begain their registers, and 1 January 1876, when the rest of the constituent members of the German Empire followed. The list below includes areas that established civil registration before this time period:


Between 1792 and 1876, most German states or provinces developed their own separate laws and civil registration systems. Some civil registration offices were established later than others. Therefore, the date a particular state began civil registration is only a general guideline and does not always apply to every town within its borders. In 1876 civil registration began in all of Germany, and since 1876 almost every German has been registered with the local civil government authorities.
*'''Anhalt''': 1850
*'''Hamburg''': (restarted) 1866


=== Regional Differences  ===
*To learn more about when German Civil Registration began in individual provinces or states, [[German Civil Registration Time Periods|'''click here''']].
[[Image:Herne Stadtarchiv Standesamt Baukau.jpg|right|thumb|250px|<center>Herne Stadtarchiv Standesamt Baukau<center>]]<br>


Between 1792 and 1798, when France occupied the area west of the Rhein River, the government began civil registration in parts of the Pfalz, Oldenburg, Hessen, and the Rheinland west of the Rhein. These records are usually written in French until about 1815. Hamburg began keeping civil registration records in 1799. As France's influence increased in Germany through the Confederation of the Rhein, the states of Braunschweig, Hannover, Westfalen, Bremen, Lippe, more of Hessen, the rest of Oldenburg and Lübeck established civil registration between 1808 and 1812. But when Napoleon's power began to fade in 1814, many of these states suspended civil registration.  
= Determining the Location of a Civil Registration Office =
Research your town name in [http://www.meyersgaz.org '''MeyersGaz.org'''] to find the location of the registry office (''Standesamt''). It is indicated by the abbreviation '''"StdA"'''. <span style="color:DarkViolet">''''This is the Standesamt location you will use when searching for civil registration records anywhere in the FamilySearch catalog and collections. Ancestry.com collections will also use this location name. Records in archives will use this location prior to the consolidation of registration offices in the 1970's.'''</span><br>


By 1838 most of the province of Waldeck was recording marriage contracts. The prime minister of Preußen (Preussen), Otto von Bismarck, instituted civil registration in all the provinces of Preussen in 1874. The remaining states — Anhalt, Bayern, Lippe, Mecklenburg, Sachsen, Schaumburg-Lippe, Thüringen, and Württemberg—began requiring civil registration in 1876.  
'''However, some of the offices were merged in 1970's, so the modern record location might be different than that listed in MeyersGaz. <span style="color:DarkViolet"> When writing for records, first find the modern registrar for your town.'''</span>
:*To find the '''current Standesamt''', go to the [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Hauptseite '''German Wikipedia'''], and enter the name of the town in the search box. An article about the town will start with a first line such as: "Besse with about 3200 inhabitants is the largest district of the '''''municipality Edermünde'''''...."  It is probable that the Standesamt is now located in the larger '''municipality''' (in this example, Edermünde).
:*For larger towns which constitute a municipality:
::*To find the '''current Standesamt''', go to the [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Hauptseite '''German Wikipedia'''], and enter the name of the town in the search box.  
::*This type of article will '''not''' state that the town belongs to another municipality, because it is itself a municipality.
:*To find the '''email address''' of the Standesamt, go to [https://standesamt.com/ '''Standesamt.com'''] and enter the name of the town the Standesamt is in into the '''Ort''' search box at the top right.  


In areas under French influence, especially Elsaß-Lothringen, ten-year indexes were usually kept. Duplicate copies of civil registers were also made. The mayor's office [Bürgermeisterei] kept the original copy, and the duplicate was sent to the court [Landesgericht] or another central archive. For example, most of Westfalen and Lippe sent their duplicates to Detmold, and most of the Rheinland sent theirs to Brühl.
== Information Recorded  ==


=== Rights-to Privacy Laws  ===
The information recorded in civil registration records varies slightly over time. Each state used a different format for civil registration. Preprinted forms have often been used for civil registration. In these instances, the form determined what information the record contains. The early French records sometimes give slightly more complete information than the later records. The most important civil records are birth, marriage, and death registers.


Stringent rights-to-privacy requirements in Germany limit access to post-1875 civil registration records to the subject of the document, parents, siblings, and direct-line descendants. Under the current system it may be difficult or impossible to obtain birth, marriage, or death records for non-direct-line relatives [such as a great-aunt or -uncle], even if they are already deceased. Paragraph 61 of the [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personenstandsgesetz Personenstandsgesetz] clearly defines who has a legal right to civil registration information. When requesting a record from the Standesamt [civil registration office], the relationship to the person named in the record should be clearly stated. In 2008, the fee for a copy of a civil birth, marriage, or death record was seven Euros plus postage.  
=== Births  (Geburtsregister)===
Birth records usually give:
*the child's name;
*sex; and
*birth date, time, and place.  
*father's name, age, occupation, and residence
*mother's maiden name, age, and marital status
*names, ages, and residences of witnesses
*parents' religion is also listed in some states.


Civil registrars often use international extract forms to fill requests from foreign countries. Not all the information present in the original record may be copied onto the extract. As a rule, marginal notes are left out, but other details from the record, such as parents’ names and residences in marriage records, may be omitted.  
=== Marriages  (Heiraten, Ehen, or Trauungen)===
Marriages were usually recorded where the bride lived. After 1792 a civil marriage ceremony was required in areas of Germany under French control. In 1876 this law was applied to all of Germany. Most couples also had a church wedding, so records may exist for both the civil and church ceremonies. The civil marriage records may include more information than the comparable church records. When possible search both the civil registration and church records.  


=== Recent Changes in Rights-to-Privacy Laws ===
==== Intention to Marry ====


A law passed in February 2007, the [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personenstandsrechtsreformgesetz Personenstandsrechtsreformgesetz], makes civil registration records more accessible for family history research. Since 1 January 2009 the records are accessible to researchers after these time periods have passed:  
If you believe a marriage took place but cannot find a marriage record, search records that indicate the couple's “intent to marry.” Various records may have been created to show a couple's intent to marry:  


births: 110 years
*'''Proclamations '''[Aufgebote or Eheverkündigungen] were made a few weeks before a couple planned to marry. The couple may have been required to announce their intentions in order to give other community members the opportunity to object to the marriage.
*'''Marriage Supplements''' [Heiratsbeilagen] were often filed by the bride or groom to support their marriage application. Information included may document their births, their parents' deaths, and the groom's release from military service. Sometimes the records contain information about earlier generations.
*'''Contracts '''[Ehekontrakte] are documents created to protect legal rights and property of spouses. These may give the same information as the marriage supplements noted above. They also list property and are usually found in court records rather than in civil registration records.
*'''Marriage Permission Papers '''[Verehelichungsakten] are documents created in the process of obtaining permission to get married. Some states required prospective spouses to get permission from the local city council or mayor before they could be married. For Bavaria and Hessen-Nasssau many of these files have been microfilmed. They may be cataloged under "court records", "civil registration", or "public records."


marriages: 80 years
==== Marriage Records  ====
'''Marriage Registers (Heiratsregister).''' Civil officials recorded the marriages they performed, usually on preprinted forms bound in a book and kept in the civil registration office. Marriage registers give:
*the date and time of the marriage
*bride's and groom's names,
*bride's and groom's ages, birth dates, birthplaces,
*bride's and groom's residences, occupations, and
*whether they were single or widowed.
*the parents' names, residence, occupations, marital status, and whether they were living at the time of the marriage.
*witnesses' names, ages, and relationships to the bride or groom
*the couple's religion, especially after 1874.
<br>
'''Certificates (Heiratsscheine).''' Some couples were given a marriage certificate or a book [Stammbuch] with the marriage entry and space for entering children's births. The certificate or book may be in the possession of the family or the civil registrar.


deaths: 30 years
=== Deaths  (Sterberegister or Totenregister)===
Death records are especially helpful because they may provide important information on a person's birth, spouse, and parents. Civil death records often exist for individuals for whom there were no birth or marriage records.


A direct relationship to the subject of the record sought will only be required in cases where the required time period has not yet elapsed. Even then, the record may be accessable if it can be shown that all "participating parties" have died at least 30 years ago. Participating parties in a birth record are both parents and the child, and both spouses in a marriage.  
Early death records usually give:
*the name of the deceased and
*the date, time, and place of death
*the age, birthplace, residence, occupation, and marital status of the deceased
*the name of the parents or spouse and their residences
*the informant's name, age, occupation, residence, and relationship
*the person's religion.  


Special regulations apply to records of adoptees and other special-needs groups.  
Information about parents, the birth date, the birthplace, and other information about the deceased may be inaccurate, depending on the informant's knowledge.


=== Information Recorded in Civil Registers  ===
=== Stamps and Notes on Civil Registration Records===


The information recorded in civil registration records varies slightly over time. Each state used a different format for civil registration. Preprinted forms have often been used for civil registration. In these instances, the form determined what information the record contains. The early French records sometimes give slightly more complete information than the later records. The most important civil records are birth, marriage, and death registers.  
The following table illustrates which types of stamps and notes may be found on which type(s) of German civil registration records.


=== Births [Geburtsregister]  ===
{| width="100%" border="1"  cellpadding="10" "0"
|-
| width="10.5%" style="background: #87B940" <th align="center">|{{color|white|'''Record Type'''}}
| width="10.5%" style="background: #87B940" <th align="center">|{{color|white|'''Birth Stamp'''}}
| width="15%" style="background: #87B940" <th align="center">|{{color|white|'''Marriage Stamp'''}}
| width="12.5%" style="background: #87B940" <th align="center">|{{color|white|'''Divorce Note'''}}
| width="12.5%" style="background: #87B940" <th align="center">|{{color|white|'''Death Stamp'''}}
| width="12.50%" style="background: #87B940" <th align="center">|{{color|white|'''Paternity Note'''}}
| width="15%" style="background: #87B940" <th align="center">|{{color|white|'''Name Change Note'''}}
| width="12.50%" style="background: #87B940"  <th align="center">|{{color|white|'''Correction Note'''}}
|-
|  '''Birth'''
|
| <center>'''✓'''
| 
|<center> '''✓'''
|<center>'''✓''' (note)
| <center>'''✓'''
|<center>'''✓'''
|-
|  '''Marriage'''
|<center>'''✓ '''(of children)
|     
|  <center>'''✓'''
|<center>'''✓'''
|<center>'''✓ '''(paragraph)
| <center>'''✓'''
| <center>'''✓'''
|-
|  '''Death'''
|
|     
|
|
|
|
|<center> '''✓'''
|-
|}


Birth records usually give the child's name; sex; and birth date, time, and place. The father's name, age, occupation, and residence are also usually listed. The mother's maiden name, age, and marital status are usually given, although her age is sometimes omitted. The names, ages, and residences of witnesses are usually provided. The parents' religion is also listed in some states.  
Stamps and notes are added after the event the record is created for—as such, these additions refer to events that took place later. The exception is the paragraph space on the second page of a civil marriage record, which is filled out at the time of the marriage and contains information about any premarital children of the now married couple.


Births were usually registered within a few days of the child's birth by the father, a neighbor, or the midwife. Corrections and additions to a birth record may have been added as marginal notes.  
For more information about stamps and notes, see the "Reading German Civil Birth, Marriage, and Death Records" Instruction sheet on the [[Germany "How to" Guides|Germany "How to" Guides]] FamilySearch Wiki page.


=== Marriages [Heiraten, Ehen, or Trauungen] ===
== Locating Records ==


Marriages were usually recorded where the bride lived. After 1792 a civil marriage ceremony was required in areas of Germany under French control. In 1876 this law was applied to all of Germany. Most couples also had a church wedding, so records may exist for both the civil and church ceremonies. The civil marriage records may include more information than the comparable church records. When possible search both the civil registration and church records.  
Civil registration records were kept at the local civil registration office (Standesamt). Most civil registers are still located at the local civil registration offices, but some are collected in city or state archives.


=== Records of Intention to Marry  ===
<br>Since 2009 birth records have been public after 110 years, marriages after 80 years and deaths after 30 years. However in places where records are online, the records recently made public may have not yet been placed online.


If you believe a marriage took place but cannot find a marriage record, search records that indicate the couple's “intent to marry.” Various records may have been created to show a couple's intent to marry:
A direct relationship to the subject of the record sought will only be required in cases where the required time period has not yet elapsed. Even then, the records may be accessible if it can be shown that all "participating parties" have died at least 30 years ago. Participating parties are both parents and the child in birth records, and both spouses in a marriage.


*'''Proclamations'''[Aufgebote or Eheverkündigungen] were made a few weeks before a couple planned to marry. The couple may have been required to announce their intentions in order to give other community members the opportunity to object to the marriage.
====FamilySearch Catalog====
*'''Marriage Supplements''' [Heiratsbeilagen] were often filed by the bride or groom to support their marriage application. Information included may document their births, their parents' deaths, and the groom's release from military service. Sometimes the records contain information about earlier generations.  
FamilySearch has microfilmed many civil registration records. To find civil registration records in the FamilySearch Catalog, search the Place Search under:
*'''Contracts'''[Ehekontrakte] are documents created to protect legal rights and property of spouses. These may give the same information as the marriage supplements noted above. They also list property and are usually found in court records rather than in civil registration records.
*'''Marriage Permission Papers '''[Verehelichungsakten] are documents created in the process of obtaining permission to get married. Some states required prospective spouses to get permission fom the local city council or mayor before they could be married. For Bavaria and Hessen-Nasssau many of these files have been microfilmed. They may be cataloged under "court records", "civil registration", or "public records".


=== Marriage Records [Heiratsregister] ===
:GERMANY, [STATE], [TOWN] - CIVIL REGISTRATION


You may find the following records documenting civil marriages:
The collections of FamilySearch continue to grow as new records are microfilmed or digitized. To view some digitized records you may need to be at a FSC or Affiliate Library, or be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


*'''Marriage Registers [Heiratsregister].''' Civil officials recorded the marriages they performed, usually on preprinted forms bound in a book and kept in the civil registration office. Marriage registers give the date and time of the marriage. They list the bride's and groom's names, ages, birth dates, birthplaces, residences, occupations, and whether they were single or widowed. The registers also give the parents' names, residence, occupations, marital status, and whether they were living at the time of the marriage. Witnesses' names, ages, and relationships to the bride or groom are supplied. Often a note is made as to whether a parent or other party gave permission for the marriage. The couple's religion is often mentioned, especially after 1874.
====Hessen Civil Registration====
*'''Certificates [Heiratsscheine].''' Some couples were given a marriage certificate or a book [Stammbuch] with the marriage entry and space for entering children's births. The certificate or book may be in the possession of the family or the civil registrar.
All the civil registration records for the state of Hessen are online:
*Through LAGIS: [http://www.lagis-hessen.de/en/subjects/index/sn/pstr LAGIS Hessian Vital Records].  


=== Deaths [Sterberegister or Totenregister] ===
*Through Ancestry.com:
**[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=61117 Hesse, Germany, Births, 1851-1901], images ($).
**[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=61118 Hesse, Germany, Marriages, 1849-1930], images ($).
**[https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=61119 Hesse, Germany, Deaths, 1851-1985], images ($).


Death records are especially helpful because they may provide important information on a person's birth, spouse, and parents. Civil death records often exist for individuals for whom there were no birth or marriage records. Deaths were usually registered within a few days of death in the town or city where the person died.
====Other Online Records====
<span style="color:DarkViolet">Additional online records for the individual provinces of the German Empire are listed on the Civil Registration page for each province:</span>
{|style="vertical-align:top;; padding-right:1em"
|-
|style="vertical-align:top; width:25%; padding-right:1em"|
'''Independent From Prussia'''<br>
*[[Anhalt, German Empire Civil Registration|Anhalt]]
*[[Baden, German Empire Civil Registration|Baden]]
*[[Bavaria (Bayern), German Empire Civil Registration|Bavaria (Bayern)]]
*[[Brunswick (Braunschweig), German Empire Civil Registration|Brunswick (Braunschweig)]]
*[[Elsass-Lothringen, German Empire Civil Registration|Elsass-Lothringen]]
*[[Hesse (Hessen), German Empire Civil Registration|Hesse (Hessen)]]
*[[Lippe, German Empire Civil Registration|Lippe]]
*[[Mecklenburg-Schwerin, German Empire Civil Registration|Mecklenburg-Schwerin]]
*[[Mecklenburg-Strelitz, German Empire Civil Registration|Mecklenburg-Strelitz]]
*[[Oldenburg, German Empire Civil Registration|Oldenburg]]
*[[Saxony (Sachsen), German Empire Civil Registration|Saxony (Sachsen)]]
*[[Schaumburg-Lippe, German Empire Civil Registration|Schaumburg-Lippe]]
*[[Waldeck and Pyrmont, German Empire Civil Registration|Waldeck]]
*[[Württemberg, German Empire Civil Registration|Württemberg]]
|style="vertical-align:top; width:30%; padding-right:1em"|
'''Prussia (Preussen)'''<br>
*[[Brandenburg, German Empire Civil Registration|Brandenburg]]
**[[Berlin, Brandenburg, German Empire Civil Registration|Berlin]]
*[[East Prussia (Ostpreussen), German Empire Civil Registration|East Prussia (Ostpreussen)]]
*[[Hanover (Hannover), German Empire Civil Registration|Hanover (Hannover)]]
*[[Hesse-Nassau (Hessen-Nassau), German Empire Civil Registration|Hesse-Nassau (Hessen-Nassau)]]
*[[Hohenzollern, German Empire Civil Registration|Hohenzollern]]
*[[Pomerania (Pommern), German Empire Civil Registration|Pomerania (Pommern)]]
*[[Posen, German Empire Civil Registration|Posen]]
*[[Province of Saxony (Provinz Sachsen), German Empire Civil Registration|Province of Saxony (Provinz Sachsen)]]
*[[Rhineland (Rheinland), German Empire Civil Registration|Rhineland (Rheinland)]]
*[[Silesia (Schlesien), German Empire Civil Registration|Silesia (Schlesien)]]
*[[Schleswig-Holstein, German Empire Civil Registration|Schleswig-Holstein]]
*[[Westphalia (Westfalen), German Empire Civil Registration|Westphalia (Westfalen)]]
*[[West Prussia (Westpreussen), German Empire Civil Registration|West Prussia (Westpreussen)]]
|style="vertical-align:top; width:35%; padding-right:1em"|
'''Thuringia (Thüringen)'''<br>
*[[Reuss Younger Line (jüngere Linie), German Empire Civil Registration|Reuss Younger Line (jüngere Linie)]]
*[[Reuss Elder Line (ältere Linie), German Empire Civil Registration|Reuss Elder Line (ältere Linie)]]
*[[Saxe-Altenburg (Sachsen-Altenburg), German Empire Civil Registration|Saxe-Altenburg (Sachsen-Altenburg)]]
*[[Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha), German Empire Civil Registration|Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha)]]
*[[Saxe-Meiningen (Sachsen-Meiningen), German Empire Civil Registration|Saxe-Meiningen (Sachsen-Meiningen)]]
*[[Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach), German Empire Civil Registration|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach)]]
*[[Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, German Empire Civil Registration|Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt]]
*[[Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, German Empire Civil Registration|Schwarzburg-Sondershausen]]


Early death records usually give the name of the deceased and the date, time, and place of death. The age, birthplace, residence, occupation, and marital status of the deceased may also be given, along with the name of the parents or spouse and their residences. The informant's name, age, occupation, residence, and relationship may also be listed. Post¬1874 death registers also include the person's religion. Information about parents, the birth date, the birthplace, and other information about the deceased may be inaccurate, depending on the informant's knowledge.
'''City-States'''<br>
*[[Bremen, German Empire Civil Registration|Bremen]]
*[[Hamburg, German Empire Civil Registration|Hamburg]]
*[[Lübeck, German Empire Civil Registration|Lübeck]]
<br>
|}


=== Locating Civil Registration Records ===
=== Writing for Records===


Civil registration records are kept at the local civil registration office [Standesamt]. You must therefore determine the town where your ancestor lived before you can find the records. In a few places, such as Detmold and Speyer, duplicates have been gathered into a central archive.  
Civil registration records from many towns and states are available on microfilm or online. However, many civil registration records, especially those created in 1876 or later, are still only available in the local civil registration office or archive in Germany that has the originals. Civil birth, marriage, and death records may be found by contacting or visiting the local civil registration office or archive.
:*To e-mail the municipality to '''verify that the civil registry for your town is there'''. 
::#Consult this address list for the exact contact information, which should include an e-mail address: [https://www.Standesamt.com/ '''Standesamt.com''']. In the horizontal menu bar, hover over "+registry office" or "+Standesämter", then the name of the modern state, for a drop-down list of links to modern cilvil registrars.
::#Send a message asking whether you have the correct office for your ancestors' home town. You can also use e-mail to request records and arrange payment. Use the [[German Letter Writing Guide|'''German Letter Writing Guide''']] to write your questions in German.


If your ancestor lived in a small village, the civil records may have been kept in a larger nearby town. You may need to use gazetteers and other geographic references to identify the place where your ancestor lived and the civil registration office that served it (see [[Germany Gazetteers|Germany Gazetteers]]). You also need to know at least an approximate year in which the birth, marriage, or death of your ancestor occurred.
=== Civil Registration Offices ===


Large cities often have many civil registration districts. City directories can sometimes help identify which civil registration district a person lived in. The Family History Library Catalog lists books showing registration districts for street addresses in Berlin, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Breslau, and Stettin.
Civil officials will usually answer correspondence that is written to them in German. Your request may be forwarded if the records have been sent to an archive or central repository.
Write a brief request in German to the proper office using this address as guide, replacing the information in parentheses:<br>


=== Records from Towns now in Poland  ===
::An das Standesamt<br>
::(Insert street address, if known.)<br>
::([http://postalcode.globefeed.com/Germany_Postal_Code.asp Postal Code]) (Name of Locality)<br>
::GERMANY <br>


Extracts of German records requested from towns now in Poland will be written in Polish. Addresses of civil registration offices in formerly German areas of Poland, along with an inventory of available German civil registration records, are found in:<br>Brόzka, Tomascz. Deutsche Personenstandsbücher und Personenstandseinträge von Deutschen in Polen 1898 bis 1945. Frankfurt a/Main und Berlin: Verlag für Standesamtswesen, 2000. [[/w/index.php?title=Special:Booksources&isbn=3801956741|ISBN 3-8019-5674-1]]. (Int’l Ref area 943.8 V23b copy 3).<br> [http://www.usc.pl/s_urzedy.php?akcja=info1&id=2405074 The addresses of Civil Registration Offices in Poland can be found online at this link.]
*[http://postalcode.globefeed.com/Germany_Postal_Code.asp '''Click here''' ]for postal code help for Germany.


=== Indexes to Civil Registration Records  ===
'''How to write a letter: '''Detailed instruction for what to include in the letter, plus German translations of the questions and sentences most frequently used are in [[German Letter Writing Guide|the '''German Letter Writing Guide'''.]]'''


Births, marriages, and deaths were written in the civil registration records as they occurred, and thus they are arranged chronologically. Where available, indexes can help you find your ancestor more easily. The indexes usually cover one year at a time and are located at the beginning or end of each year. You will sometimes also find an alphabetical index at the beginning or the end of a volume. These indexes and volumes may cover many years.
=== City Archives ===


Each civil registrar [Mairie or Bürgermeisterei] in Elsaß-Lothringen has cumulative indexes that cover ten-year periods [Tables décennales]. To use these indexes, you need to know the town or district where a person lived; the approximate year of birth, marriage, or death; and at least his or her surname. The indexes are alphabetical by at least the first letter of the surname. The Family History Library Catalog usually indicates which records have index listings.  
Large cities have many civil registration offices. Most civil registers are still located at the local offices, but some are collected in city archives. Many German cities have established archives to preserve their older records. Often they cannot handle genealogical requests, but they can determine whether specific records are available for you or your agent to search.  


=== Records at the Family History Library  ===
=== State Archives ===


The Family History Library has microfilmed civil registration records up to around 1900 for Alsace-Lorraine, and from 1874 to approximately 1884 for various parts of Prussia, as well as various records from the Napoleonic era and a few sets that go beyond 1900. The use of sets containing post- 1900 records may be restricted.<br>In Hannover, Hessen-Nassau, and Westfalen the filmed civil registration records mostly cover 1808 to 1812, and sometimes 1874-1875. In the Pfalz [Palatinate] early 19th century marriage supplements are often cataloged under "[town name] - civil registration".
Duplicate registers from some towns are kept in state archives. For more recent records and for those not yet microfilmed, you may write to the state archives of Germany and request searches of the records. See [[Germany Archives and Libraries]]. If the archivist cannot do the research your request, you can hire a professional genealogist to search the records for you. You may also find archive inventories that describe the record-keeping systems and available civil registration records in Germany (see Germany Archives and Libraries). These and other guides are found in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under: <br>


The Family History Library has records from many towns and states. However, the library does not have records that were destroyed, have not been microfilmed, were not available in the registrar's office at the time of microfilming, or are restricted from public access by the laws of the country. You may use the records at the library for your family research, but you must contact the civil office holding the records if you want an official certificate for living or deceased individuals.
    GERMANY - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES<br>    GERMANY, [STATE] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES


To find civil registration records in the Family History Library Catalog, search the Place Search under:
After determining who has jurisdiction over the records for the time period you need, write a short request to the proper office. Be careful not to ask for too much when writing to German archives. They can briefly answer questions about the records in their collection, but are often reluctant to do research in these records. You may have more success if you ask for a referral or a list of local researchers you could hire to search the archive's records. See [[German Letter Writing Guide]] for more information about writing letters to Germany.


GERMANY - CIVIL REGISTRATION<br>GERMANY, [STATE], [TOWN] - CIVIL REGISTRATION
===Deaths of German Citizens Abroad===
*'''1939-1955''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61888/ Germany, Deaths of German Citizens Abroad, Registers from Berlin Standesamt 1, 1939-1955] at Ancestry - Index and images ($)
*'''1939-1945''' [https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61887/ Deaths, German Occupied Territories, 1939-1945] at Ancestry - index and images ($); countries covered in the collection include Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and areas of Ukraine, Russia, and the Baltics designated 'Eastern Territories' in the records.


The library's collection continues to grow as new records are microfilmed and added to the collection. Do not give up if the records you need are not available. The Family History Library Catalog is updated regularly. Check it periodically to see if the records you need have been added to the library's collection.
=== Records from Towns Now in Poland  ===


Learn more about [[Germany locating civil registration records not at the Family History Library|Locating Records Not at the Family History Library]]. {{Place|Germany}}
Extracts of German records requested from towns now in Poland will be written in Polish. Addresses of civil registration offices in formerly German areas of Poland, along with an inventory of available German civil registration records, are found in:<br>Brόzka, Tomascz. Deutsche Personenstandsbücher und Personenstandseinträge von Deutschen in Polen 1898 bis 1945. Frankfurt a/Main und Berlin: Verlag für Standesamtswesen, 2000. ISBN 3-8019-5674-1. (Int’l Ref area 943.8 V23b copy 3).


[[Category:Germany|Civil Registration]]
[[Category:Germany Civil Registration]]
[[es:Alemania – registro civil]]

Latest revision as of 12:08, 20 March 2024


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Overview[edit | edit source]

Civil registration records are records of births, marriages, and deaths kept by the government. German terms for these records include Standesamtsregister, Zivilstandsregister, or Personenstandsregister. They are an excellent source for information on names and dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are kept by the civil registrar [German: Standesbeamte] at the civil registry office (Standesamt). Because they cover about 98% of the population and often provide more information than church records, civil registration records are important sources for German genealogical research, especially after 1876 when the entirety of Germany established civil registration.

Civil registration: Napoleonic period[edit | edit source]

Areas where civil registration was instituted between 1798 and 1815.

During the Napoleonic time period, many areas of modern-day Germany were invaded and annexed by the French Empire. In annexed areas, civil registration was fully implemented. After Napoleon's defeat, areas east of the Rhine river stopped civil registration and returned to church records as the primary means of recording their populations, mainly because these areas were annexed very late (as late as 1811) and had only been keeping civil records for a few years. Areas west of the Rhine river continued keeping civil registration records, mainly because these areas had been keeping them for upwards of 15+ years. The following list of principalities indicate the time frame civil registration records began, and if and when they ended:

  • Alsace-Lorraine: 1792
  • Rheinland (west of the Rhine): 1798
  • Hessen, province of Rheinhessen (west of the Rhine): 1798
  • Grand Duchy of Berg: 1806-1815
  • Kingdom of Westphalia: 1807-1815
  • Hamburg: 1811-1815
  • Hannover (parts): 1811-1815
  • Hessen-Kassel: - 1811-1815
  • Lübeck: 1811-1815
  • Oldenburg: 1811-1815

Civil registration in all of Germany[edit | edit source]

German civil registration. Red indicates areas that began before 1876. Prussia (green) started in October 1874.

Between 1850 and 1876, all territories instituted civil registration. The two main time periods were October 1874, when all of Prussia begain their registers, and 1 January 1876, when the rest of the constituent members of the German Empire followed. The list below includes areas that established civil registration before this time period:

  • Anhalt: 1850
  • Hamburg: (restarted) 1866
  • To learn more about when German Civil Registration began in individual provinces or states, click here.
Herne Stadtarchiv Standesamt Baukau


Determining the Location of a Civil Registration Office[edit | edit source]

Research your town name in MeyersGaz.org to find the location of the registry office (Standesamt). It is indicated by the abbreviation "StdA". 'This is the Standesamt location you will use when searching for civil registration records anywhere in the FamilySearch catalog and collections. Ancestry.com collections will also use this location name. Records in archives will use this location prior to the consolidation of registration offices in the 1970's.

However, some of the offices were merged in 1970's, so the modern record location might be different than that listed in MeyersGaz. When writing for records, first find the modern registrar for your town.

  • To find the current Standesamt, go to the German Wikipedia, and enter the name of the town in the search box. An article about the town will start with a first line such as: "Besse with about 3200 inhabitants is the largest district of the municipality Edermünde...." It is probable that the Standesamt is now located in the larger municipality (in this example, Edermünde).
  • For larger towns which constitute a municipality:
  • To find the current Standesamt, go to the German Wikipedia, and enter the name of the town in the search box.
  • This type of article will not state that the town belongs to another municipality, because it is itself a municipality.
  • To find the email address of the Standesamt, go to Standesamt.com and enter the name of the town the Standesamt is in into the Ort search box at the top right.

Information Recorded[edit | edit source]

The information recorded in civil registration records varies slightly over time. Each state used a different format for civil registration. Preprinted forms have often been used for civil registration. In these instances, the form determined what information the record contains. The early French records sometimes give slightly more complete information than the later records. The most important civil records are birth, marriage, and death registers.

Births (Geburtsregister)[edit | edit source]

Birth records usually give:

  • the child's name;
  • sex; and
  • birth date, time, and place.
  • father's name, age, occupation, and residence
  • mother's maiden name, age, and marital status
  • names, ages, and residences of witnesses
  • parents' religion is also listed in some states.

Marriages (Heiraten, Ehen, or Trauungen)[edit | edit source]

Marriages were usually recorded where the bride lived. After 1792 a civil marriage ceremony was required in areas of Germany under French control. In 1876 this law was applied to all of Germany. Most couples also had a church wedding, so records may exist for both the civil and church ceremonies. The civil marriage records may include more information than the comparable church records. When possible search both the civil registration and church records.

Intention to Marry[edit | edit source]

If you believe a marriage took place but cannot find a marriage record, search records that indicate the couple's “intent to marry.” Various records may have been created to show a couple's intent to marry:

  • Proclamations [Aufgebote or Eheverkündigungen] were made a few weeks before a couple planned to marry. The couple may have been required to announce their intentions in order to give other community members the opportunity to object to the marriage.
  • Marriage Supplements [Heiratsbeilagen] were often filed by the bride or groom to support their marriage application. Information included may document their births, their parents' deaths, and the groom's release from military service. Sometimes the records contain information about earlier generations.
  • Contracts [Ehekontrakte] are documents created to protect legal rights and property of spouses. These may give the same information as the marriage supplements noted above. They also list property and are usually found in court records rather than in civil registration records.
  • Marriage Permission Papers [Verehelichungsakten] are documents created in the process of obtaining permission to get married. Some states required prospective spouses to get permission from the local city council or mayor before they could be married. For Bavaria and Hessen-Nasssau many of these files have been microfilmed. They may be cataloged under "court records", "civil registration", or "public records."

Marriage Records[edit | edit source]

Marriage Registers (Heiratsregister). Civil officials recorded the marriages they performed, usually on preprinted forms bound in a book and kept in the civil registration office. Marriage registers give:

  • the date and time of the marriage
  • bride's and groom's names,
  • bride's and groom's ages, birth dates, birthplaces,
  • bride's and groom's residences, occupations, and
  • whether they were single or widowed.
  • the parents' names, residence, occupations, marital status, and whether they were living at the time of the marriage.
  • witnesses' names, ages, and relationships to the bride or groom
  • the couple's religion, especially after 1874.


Certificates (Heiratsscheine). Some couples were given a marriage certificate or a book [Stammbuch] with the marriage entry and space for entering children's births. The certificate or book may be in the possession of the family or the civil registrar.

Deaths (Sterberegister or Totenregister)[edit | edit source]

Death records are especially helpful because they may provide important information on a person's birth, spouse, and parents. Civil death records often exist for individuals for whom there were no birth or marriage records.

Early death records usually give:

  • the name of the deceased and
  • the date, time, and place of death
  • the age, birthplace, residence, occupation, and marital status of the deceased
  • the name of the parents or spouse and their residences
  • the informant's name, age, occupation, residence, and relationship
  • the person's religion.

Information about parents, the birth date, the birthplace, and other information about the deceased may be inaccurate, depending on the informant's knowledge.

Stamps and Notes on Civil Registration Records[edit | edit source]

The following table illustrates which types of stamps and notes may be found on which type(s) of German civil registration records.

Record Type Birth Stamp Marriage Stamp Divorce Note Death Stamp Paternity Note Name Change Note Correction Note
Birth
✓
✓
✓ (note)
✓
✓
Marriage
✓ (of children)
✓
✓
✓ (paragraph)
✓
✓
Death
✓

Stamps and notes are added after the event the record is created for—as such, these additions refer to events that took place later. The exception is the paragraph space on the second page of a civil marriage record, which is filled out at the time of the marriage and contains information about any premarital children of the now married couple.

For more information about stamps and notes, see the "Reading German Civil Birth, Marriage, and Death Records" Instruction sheet on the Germany "How to" Guides FamilySearch Wiki page.

Locating Records[edit | edit source]

Civil registration records were kept at the local civil registration office (Standesamt). Most civil registers are still located at the local civil registration offices, but some are collected in city or state archives.


Since 2009 birth records have been public after 110 years, marriages after 80 years and deaths after 30 years. However in places where records are online, the records recently made public may have not yet been placed online.

A direct relationship to the subject of the record sought will only be required in cases where the required time period has not yet elapsed. Even then, the records may be accessible if it can be shown that all "participating parties" have died at least 30 years ago. Participating parties are both parents and the child in birth records, and both spouses in a marriage.

FamilySearch Catalog[edit | edit source]

FamilySearch has microfilmed many civil registration records. To find civil registration records in the FamilySearch Catalog, search the Place Search under:

GERMANY, [STATE], [TOWN] - CIVIL REGISTRATION

The collections of FamilySearch continue to grow as new records are microfilmed or digitized. To view some digitized records you may need to be at a FSC or Affiliate Library, or be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Hessen Civil Registration[edit | edit source]

All the civil registration records for the state of Hessen are online:

Other Online Records[edit | edit source]

Additional online records for the individual provinces of the German Empire are listed on the Civil Registration page for each province:

Independent From Prussia

Prussia (Preussen)

Thuringia (Thüringen)

City-States


Writing for Records[edit | edit source]

Civil registration records from many towns and states are available on microfilm or online. However, many civil registration records, especially those created in 1876 or later, are still only available in the local civil registration office or archive in Germany that has the originals. Civil birth, marriage, and death records may be found by contacting or visiting the local civil registration office or archive.

  • To e-mail the municipality to verify that the civil registry for your town is there.
  1. Consult this address list for the exact contact information, which should include an e-mail address: Standesamt.com. In the horizontal menu bar, hover over "+registry office" or "+Standesämter", then the name of the modern state, for a drop-down list of links to modern cilvil registrars.
  2. Send a message asking whether you have the correct office for your ancestors' home town. You can also use e-mail to request records and arrange payment. Use the German Letter Writing Guide to write your questions in German.

Civil Registration Offices[edit | edit source]

Civil officials will usually answer correspondence that is written to them in German. Your request may be forwarded if the records have been sent to an archive or central repository. Write a brief request in German to the proper office using this address as guide, replacing the information in parentheses:

An das Standesamt
(Insert street address, if known.)
(Postal Code) (Name of Locality)
GERMANY

How to write a letter: Detailed instruction for what to include in the letter, plus German translations of the questions and sentences most frequently used are in the German Letter Writing Guide.

City Archives[edit | edit source]

Large cities have many civil registration offices. Most civil registers are still located at the local offices, but some are collected in city archives. Many German cities have established archives to preserve their older records. Often they cannot handle genealogical requests, but they can determine whether specific records are available for you or your agent to search.

State Archives[edit | edit source]

Duplicate registers from some towns are kept in state archives. For more recent records and for those not yet microfilmed, you may write to the state archives of Germany and request searches of the records. See Germany Archives and Libraries. If the archivist cannot do the research your request, you can hire a professional genealogist to search the records for you. You may also find archive inventories that describe the record-keeping systems and available civil registration records in Germany (see Germany Archives and Libraries). These and other guides are found in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under: 

    GERMANY - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES
     GERMANY, [STATE] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

After determining who has jurisdiction over the records for the time period you need, write a short request to the proper office. Be careful not to ask for too much when writing to German archives. They can briefly answer questions about the records in their collection, but are often reluctant to do research in these records. You may have more success if you ask for a referral or a list of local researchers you could hire to search the archive's records. See German Letter Writing Guide for more information about writing letters to Germany.

Deaths of German Citizens Abroad[edit | edit source]

Records from Towns Now in Poland[edit | edit source]

Extracts of German records requested from towns now in Poland will be written in Polish. Addresses of civil registration offices in formerly German areas of Poland, along with an inventory of available German civil registration records, are found in:
Brόzka, Tomascz. Deutsche Personenstandsbücher und Personenstandseinträge von Deutschen in Polen 1898 bis 1945. Frankfurt a/Main und Berlin: Verlag für Standesamtswesen, 2000. ISBN 3-8019-5674-1. (Int’l Ref area 943.8 V23b copy 3).

FamilySearch Center (FSC); formerly called, Family History Center (FHC)

This website requires a paid subscription for full access. Some subscription websites are available for free at your local FamilySearch Center or Affiliate Library.

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