Jump to content

Germany Church Records: Difference between revisions

Germany Church Records (view source)

Revision as of 08:18, 30 March 2011

52 bytes added ,  30 March 2011
no edit summary
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 1: Line 1:
Back to [[Portal:Germany|Germany Page]]►
Church records (Kirchenbücher) are excellent sources for reasonably accurate information on names, dates and places of birth/baptism, marriage, and death/burial. They are the most significant source of genealogical information for Germany before 1876. Most people who lived in Germany were recorded in a church record.  
Church records (Kirchenbücher) are excellent sources for reasonably accurate information on names, dates and places of birth/baptism, marriage, and death/burial. They are the most significant source of genealogical information for Germany before 1876. Most people who lived in Germany were recorded in a church record.  


Line 36: Line 38:
Unfortunately, some of Germany's church records were destroyed in wars or when parsonages burned.&nbsp;Concerns about such destruction led authorities in some areas&nbsp; to require copies of church books, mostly&nbsp;beginning in the late 18th century. Copies were either stored separately or sent to a central archive each year. <br>After civil registration was discontinued in many parts of Germany, local governments often found it helpful to have access to the births, marriages, and deaths recorded by the clergy. Soon local pastors were required to provide the town administration with a yearly copy of these records. These copies are called transcripts or duplicates [Kirchenbuchduplikate], and most are housed in central church archives or state archives. For example, the parish register duplicates of 62 parishes in the Sondershausen Evangelical diocese from 1813 to 1846 were all gathered into the diocese's central archive.  
Unfortunately, some of Germany's church records were destroyed in wars or when parsonages burned.&nbsp;Concerns about such destruction led authorities in some areas&nbsp; to require copies of church books, mostly&nbsp;beginning in the late 18th century. Copies were either stored separately or sent to a central archive each year. <br>After civil registration was discontinued in many parts of Germany, local governments often found it helpful to have access to the births, marriages, and deaths recorded by the clergy. Soon local pastors were required to provide the town administration with a yearly copy of these records. These copies are called transcripts or duplicates [Kirchenbuchduplikate], and most are housed in central church archives or state archives. For example, the parish register duplicates of 62 parishes in the Sondershausen Evangelical diocese from 1813 to 1846 were all gathered into the diocese's central archive.  


Use duplicates, where available, to supplement parish registers that are missing or illegible. Keep in mind that duplicates often differ slightly from the originals.<br>
Use duplicates, where available, to supplement parish registers that are missing or illegible. Keep in mind that duplicates often differ slightly from the originals.<br>  


Parish register duplicates often differ from the originals&nbsp;in their arrangement. Baptisms, marriages, deaths, and sometimes confirmations for each year are grouped together year by year.<br>
Parish register duplicates often differ from the originals&nbsp;in their arrangement. Baptisms, marriages, deaths, and sometimes confirmations for each year are grouped together year by year.<br>  


A parish may have kept separate books for affiliated villages, both in the original and as duplicates. Sometimes only part of the record set has survived and is available in an archive or on microfilm. This is especially important to understand in regard to records filmed by the Family History Department. Descriptions in the Family History Library Catalog may only list the name of the parish and thus give the impression that the complete book has been filmed. If the ancestor is not found, the researcher needs to check the film carefully to determine which parts&nbsp;of the church records it contains.&nbsp;  
A parish may have kept separate books for affiliated villages, both in the original and as duplicates. Sometimes only part of the record set has survived and is available in an archive or on microfilm. This is especially important to understand in regard to records filmed by the Family History Department. Descriptions in the Family History Library Catalog may only list the name of the parish and thus give the impression that the complete book has been filmed. If the ancestor is not found, the researcher needs to check the film carefully to determine which parts&nbsp;of the church records it contains.&nbsp;  
Line 128: Line 130:
[[Germany, Baden Church Book Duplicates (FamilySearch Historical Records)|Germany, Baden Church Book Duplicates (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]  
[[Germany, Baden Church Book Duplicates (FamilySearch Historical Records)|Germany, Baden Church Book Duplicates (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]  


[[Germany, Ludwigshafen Church Family Registers Extraction (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
[[Germany, Ludwigshafen Church Family Registers Extraction (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]  


=== Church Record Inventories  ===
=== Church Record Inventories  ===
Line 143: Line 145:
*GERMANY, [STATE] - CHURCH RECORDS - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS
*GERMANY, [STATE] - CHURCH RECORDS - INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS


=== Church Records on the Internet ===
=== Church Records on the Internet ===


The new [http://www.kirchenbuchportal.de/inhalt.htm Kirchenbuchportal] (church book portal) has been created by the Association of Church Archives,&nbsp;ecumenical orgnization,&nbsp;to facilitate access to German-language church records. As of July 2010 several archives have posted detailed inventories of the parish registers in their collections. Details about the participating archives, including links to posted inventories, are found [http://www.kirchenbuchportal.de/visit.htm here]. A database of all inventoried records, arranged by archive, is found [http://www.kirchenbuchportal.findbuch.net/php/main.php?ar_id=3708 here].  
The new [http://www.kirchenbuchportal.de/inhalt.htm Kirchenbuchportal] (church book portal) has been created by the Association of Church Archives,&nbsp;ecumenical orgnization,&nbsp;to facilitate access to German-language church records. As of July 2010 several archives have posted detailed inventories of the parish registers in their collections. Details about the participating archives, including links to posted inventories, are found [http://www.kirchenbuchportal.de/visit.htm here]. A database of all inventoried records, arranged by archive, is found [http://www.kirchenbuchportal.findbuch.net/php/main.php?ar_id=3708 here].  


As of&nbsp;July 2010 digized records are not accessible from this site.&nbsp;The immediate goal is to facilitate access to parish registers by making it easier to see which&nbsp;records are available at a given archive&nbsp;and what years they cover.&nbsp;This is accomplished through online inventories and church records database. &nbsp;Longer term, however, the participating archives intend to make digital images of their church records available on the&nbsp;Internet. Access will be fee-based to help defray the cost of the neccessary equipment. A pilot project can be viewed at [http://www.matricula.findbuch.net/php/main.php?ar_id=3670 Matricula.eu], where church books for several Catholic parishes from the Passau, Bavaria area and Evangelical church books from the Gelnhausen, Hessen-Nassau area are already available without charge.
As of&nbsp;July 2010 digized records are not accessible from this site.&nbsp;The immediate goal is to facilitate access to parish registers by making it easier to see which&nbsp;records are available at a given archive&nbsp;and what years they cover.&nbsp;This is accomplished through online inventories and church records database. &nbsp;Longer term, however, the participating archives intend to make digital images of their church records available on the&nbsp;Internet. Access will be fee-based to help defray the cost of the neccessary equipment. A pilot project can be viewed at [http://www.matricula.findbuch.net/php/main.php?ar_id=3670 Matricula.eu], where church books for several Catholic parishes from the Passau, Bavaria area and Evangelical church books from the Gelnhausen, Hessen-Nassau area are already available without charge.  


=== Records at the Family History Library  ===
=== Records at the Family History Library  ===
Line 155: Line 157:
The Family History Library has mostly pre-1875 church records. Use the catalog to determine whether the library has records for the place your ancestor came from. The library does not have records that were not available in the archive at the time of microfilming, were not microfilmed, or were restricted from public access by the laws of the country.  
The Family History Library has mostly pre-1875 church records. Use the catalog to determine whether the library has records for the place your ancestor came from. The library does not have records that were not available in the archive at the time of microfilming, were not microfilmed, or were restricted from public access by the laws of the country.  


On FamilySearch™ at [http://www.familysearch.org/ www.familysearch.org] , search for the name of the town where the parish was located (not necessarily the town where your ancestor lived).
On FamilySearch™ at [http://www.familysearch.org/ www.familysearch.org] , search for the name of the town where the parish was located (not necessarily the town where your ancestor lived).  


=== Locating Records Not at the Family History Library  ===
=== Locating Records Not at the Family History Library  ===
Line 190: Line 192:
Sometimes each side of a book is found on a separate microfilm. In that case, it may be helpful to load both films on adjacent readers. More often, however, both sides are on the same roll of microfilm. Each page is clearly marked with a page number and the designation 'links' [left] or "rechts' [right] above the picture.  
Sometimes each side of a book is found on a separate microfilm. In that case, it may be helpful to load both films on adjacent readers. More often, however, both sides are on the same roll of microfilm. Each page is clearly marked with a page number and the designation 'links' [left] or "rechts' [right] above the picture.  


When the entries on each page are self-contained, searching them is not that difficult. However, the researcher must be aware that '''two '''sets of records [odd and even pages] must be searched. If the entries go across both pages in the book, the side that identifies the key individuals [such as child and parents] must be searched first. Often the child and parents are listed on the left side of the page, and the year and birth/baptism date on&nbsp; the right. Thus it is very important to note the sheet numbers on the tag and identify the relevant entry with its position on the page [for example:third entry from the bottom up]. Also note any other clues that can help you positively identify the correct other half of the entry.
When the entries on each page are self-contained, searching them is not that difficult. However, the researcher must be aware that '''two '''sets of records [odd and even pages] must be searched. If the entries go across both pages in the book, the side that identifies the key individuals [such as child and parents] must be searched first. Often the child and parents are listed on the left side of the page, and the year and birth/baptism date on&nbsp; the right. Thus it is very important to note the sheet numbers on the tag and identify the relevant entry with its position on the page [for example:third entry from the bottom up]. Also note any other clues that can help you positively identify the correct other half of the entry.  


[[Germany, Bavaria, Neumarkt Archive Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]
[[Germany, Bavaria, Neumarkt Archive Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)]]  


== References  ==
== References  ==
Line 198: Line 200:
{{Place|Germany}}  
{{Place|Germany}}  


[[Category:Germany|Church Records]] [[Category:Lutherans]] [[Category:Roman_Catholics]] [[Category:Church records|Germany]]
[[Category:Germany|Church Records]] [[Category:Lutherans]] [[Category:Roman_Catholics]] [[Category:Church_records|Germany]]
NishimotoSR
5,793

edits

Retrieved from "https://integration-ru.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/591157"