A census is a count and description of the popula-tion of a country, territory, province, state, county, city, or congregation. Census records usually list a large segment of the population and include names; relationships; ages; birthplaces; marital status; and occupations. Other information may be listed such as religion, ethnicity, and native language.

Censuses were taken to:

• Determine the demographics of the population, such as sex, age, religion, and education.
• Determine the demographics of the population, such as sex, age, religion, and education.
• Determine the number and identities of eligible voters.
• Determine potential tax base.
• Count potential military conscripts.
  

The enumeration can document an entire population or only specific classes of persons such as males, property owners, or Jews. However, there are few censuses that were taken specifically of Jews.

Other records were made that are similar in intent to census records, such as population registrations, communion lists, tax lists, and voter registration lists (see “Church Records” and “Population” in this outline). The information in some of these records may come from official census records. Revision lists from the Russian Empire are sometimes referred to as census records; see “Taxation” in this outline.

When using census records, consider the following:

• In countries that have primary sources, such as church records and civil registration or vital records, census records should be used to supplement information in these records
• In countries where civil registration or vital records begin late and other records are lacking, census returns may be the only source of information available for specific time periods
  

National Census. Most nations periodically take a census of their population. The United States has taken a census every decade since 1790. The Russian Empire, on the other hand, has only one national census (1897).

Some countries conducted censuses specifically of the Jewish population. Germany, for example, had a census of Jews in 1939. Microfilm copies of these census records are found at the Family History Library on 292 reels, 130 of which are for the city of Berlin. A register showing what films cover which parts of the German empire is:

Edlund, Thomas Kent. The German Minority Census of 1939, An Introduction and Register. Teaneck, NJ: Avotaynu, Inc., 1996. (FHL book 943 X22e.)

In addition to censuses of the general population, Hungary also took a special national census of Jews in 1848:

Conscriptio Judaeorum, 1848 (Census of Jews, 1848). Budapest: Magyar Országos levéltárban történt, 1970. (FHL film 0719823–0719828, 0754368 item 2.) This census gives the name, age, and specific birthplace of all members of the household. The birthplace is particularly useful in tracing families that have moved from another area or country.

Provincial. Some censuses, both general and Jewish specific, were carried out by province or other region. The following is an example:

Dénombrements nomitatifs des Juifs en Alsace, 1784 (Enumeration by Name of the Jews in Alsace, 1784). Colmar: Jean-Henri Decker, 1785. (FHL film 1069535 item 3.) Includes names all the Jews of Alsace-Loraine (Elsaß-Lothringen [German] or Bas-Rhin [French]) in the year 1784 and 1785 by town. Has an index to towns with the number of Jews in each town in the region.

Local. In some cases a census was taken on a local level. An example is the census of the inhabitants of the city of Debreczen, Hungary, taken in 1870. It includes a separate Jewish conscription list:

Népszámlálás 1868–1870 (Censuses, 1868–1870). Budapest: Magyar Országos Levéltárban történt, 1970. (FHL films 0722259–0722302.) This census is arranged by house numbers and includes surrounding communities. A conscription list of Jewish males is on films 0722262–0722263.

Another example is an 1814 census of Jews for many individual towns in Denmark. These are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under each town. The Jewish census of the town of Skćlskřr, Sorř, Denmark on FHL film 0041007 is representative.