Hungary Civil Registration

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Hungary

Civil Registration

Definition

Civil Registration (Állami anyakönyvek) refers to records of births, marriages, and deaths maintained by civil authorities. One of the main reasons for the introduction of Hungarian civil registration in 1895 was the conflict in the late 1800s over the baptism of children of mixed marriages.

Time Coverage

Hungarian Civil registration began on October 1, 1895 and continues to the present.

Information Content

The format varies slightly over time: prior to 1907 records were kept with a single event per page, beginning with 1907 the format is tabular with many events listed on the same page (examples of both appear below).

Births

• name of child,
• date of entry,
• place and date of birth;
• names, ages and residence of parents
• until 1948, also the religion of parents,
• names of witnesses.

Marriages

• date and place of marriage
• names, occupations, dates and places of birth and residences of groom and bride
• names and residences of parents and witnesses
• until 1948, also the religion.

Deaths

• name,
• occupation,
• residence and age of the deceased
• dates of death and burial
• names of surviving spouse and parents
• place and cause of death
• until 1948, also the religion.

Locating Records

The originals of these registers are kept at Civil Registrars’ offices (anyakönyvi hivatal) in town halls (állami nyilvántartási hivatal). Up to 1980 the registrars’ offices sent transcripts of these volumes to the county archives, or, in the case of Budapest, to the municipal archives.

• Some information can be obtained by correspondence or by visit if proof of relationship is given.
• Hungary’s so-called “personality law” prohibits archives from providing access to birth registers for 90 years, marriage registers for 60 years, and death registers for 30 years.

Online Civil Registration

Civil registration records from Budapest are now available on FamilySearch website:

• 1895-1980 Hungary Civil Registration, 1895-1980 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images; Also at MyHeritage ($)

Research by Mail

If the records you want are not available through the FamilySearch Library, you can write to the Hungarian Embassy to request information. For instructions on how to obtain birth, marriage or death certificate from Hungary go to: Obtaining Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Death Certificates From Hungary The fee is $57.00 per certificate.

Civil Registration Record Forms with Translations

Birth Civil Registration Record Translation (pre-1907)

Hungarian birth civil registrations were recorded on pre-printed standard civil registration forms. Small variations may occur in different areas of the country. A translation of this form will help you in reading the birth civil registration record. The birth registration forms from 1895 to 1906 were one to a page/side. All of the civil registration forms were revised to a tabular format in 1907.

Marriage Civil Registration Record Translation (1898-1906)

Hungarian marriage civil registrations were recorded on pre-printed standard civil registration forms. Small variations may occur in different areas of the country. A translation of this form will help you in reading the marriage civil registration record. The pre-1907 marriage registration format was two pages: the right-hand side on one image and the left-hand side on the next image. The initial format had the mother of the bride on the second page; this was revised in 1898 to move all of the parents to the first page, with only the witnesses, remarks, and signatures on the second page. All of the forms were completely revised to a tabular format in 1907.

Death Civil Registration Record Translation (pre-1907)

Hungarian death civil registrations were recorded on pre-printed standard civil registration forms. Small variations may occur in different areas of the country. A translation of this form will help you in reading the death civil registration record. The death registration forms from 1895 to 1906 were one to a page/side. All of the civil registration forms were revised to a tabular format in 1907.

Post-1907 Civil Registration Records (tabular format)

• 

  Birth record

• 

  Marriage record

• 

  Death record

Tabular format birth record headers and translations

Header		Translation
Folyó szám		Entry number
A bejegyzés ideje (év, hó, nap)		Date of entry (year, month, day)
A születés ideje (év, hó, nap)		Date of birth (year, month, day)
A gyermek utóneve, neme, vallása		The child's given name, sex, religion
A szülők		The parents'
	Családi és utóneve, állása (foglalkozása), lakhelye		Family and given name, position (occupation), residence
	vallása		religion
	életkora		age
A születés helye, ha a születés nem az anya lakásán történt		Place of birth, if the birth did not happen at the mother's residence
Aláírás előtti esetleges megjegyzések. Aláírások.		Pre-signature remarks, if any. Signatures.
Utólagos bejegyzések. Kiigazítások.		Addenda. Corrections.
Bejelentő		Informant
Anyakönyvvezető		Registrar

Tabular format marriage record headers and translations

Header		Translation
Folyószám		Entry number
A házasságkötés helye és ideje (év, hó, nap)		Place and date of marriage (year, month, day)
A vőlegény		The groom('s)
	családi és utóneve, állása (foglalkozása), vallása, születési helye és ideje, lakhelye szül. lak.		family and given name, position (occupation), religion, place and date of birth, residence birth residence
	szüleinek családi és utóneve		family and given names of parents
A menyasszony		The bride('s)
	családi és utóneve, állása (foglalkozása), vallása, születési helye és ideje, lakhelye		family and given name, position (occupation), religion, place and date of birth, residence
	szüleinek családi és utóneve		family and given names of parents
A házasságkötési tanuk családi és utóneve, lakhelye		The wedding witnesses' family and given names, residence
Házasságkötési kijelentések. Aláírás előtti esetleges megjegyzések. Aláírások. tanu férj feleség anyakönyvvezető		Marriage declarations. Pre-signature remarks, if any. Signatures. witness husband wife registrar
Utólagos bejegyzések. Kiigazítások.		Addenda. Corrections.

Tabular format death record headers and translations

Header		Translation
Folyószám		Entry number
A bejegyzés ideje (év, hó, nap)		Entry date (year, month, day)
Az elhalálozás ideje (év, hó, nap, napszak, óra)		Death date (year, month, day, a.m./p.m., time)
Az elhalt		The deceased('s)
	családi és utóneve, állása (foglalkozása), lakhelye		Family and given name, position (occupation), residence
	vallása		religion
	életkora		age
	házastársának családi és utóneve		spouse's family and given name
	szüleinek családi és utóneve		parents' family and given names
Az elhalálozás helye, ha az elhalálozás nem az elhalt lakásán történt		Place of death, if death did not occur at deceased's residence
A halál oka		Cause of death
Aláirás előtti esetleges megjegyzések. Aláírások. bejelentő anyakönyvvezető		Pre-signature remarks, if any. Signatures. informant registrar
Utólagos bejegyzések. Kiigazítások.		Addenda. Corrections.

There were variations in the preprinted register-books over time, but the changes were minor until the 1953 revision, which completely re-arranged the locations of fields, did away with the religion, and added fields for things like the deceased's birth and marriage.

Post-1953 death record headers

Folyószám	A halálozásra vonatkozó adatok	A halott személyi adatai			A halál oka	Megjegyzések	A bejegyzés ideje, aláírások	Utólagos bejegyzések
1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.
	a halálozás helye: a halálozás ideje: év hó nap	családi és utóneve: neme: családi állapota: foglalkozása: lakóhelye:	születési helye: születési ideje: év hó nap szüleinek családi és utóneve:	házastársának családi és utóneve: házasságkötésének helye: házasságkötésének éve:			év hó nap bejelentő anyakönyvvezető

Post-1953 death record translations

Entry number	Data pertaining to the death	The deceased person's data			Cause of death	Remarks	Date of entry, signatures	Addenda
1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.
	place of death: date of death: year month day	family and given name: sex: marital status: occupation: residence:	place of birth: date of birth: year month day parents' family and given names:	spouse's family and given name: place of marriage: year of marriage:			year month day informant registrar

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