Lübeck, German Empire Church Records

Church records (parish registers, church books) are an important source for genealogical research in Germany before civil registration began. They recorded details of baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. The vast majority of the population was mentioned. To learn more about the types of information you will find in church records, click on these links: For a comprehensive understanding of church records, study the article Germany Church Records.
 * Baptisms (Taufen)
 * Marriages (Heiraten)
 * Burials (Begräbnisse)
 * Confirmations (Konfirmationen)
 * Family Registers (Familienbücher)

Use census records as clues to finding family members in church and civil registration records.
You can find probable families in census records, then use church and civil registration records to determine if the family is a match, find additional information on the family, and document your family accurately. Church and civil registration records are primary sources and everything you find in a census record should be proven in primary sources.

Records at Ancestry.com

 * Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1857 (in German), ($). Index and images.
 * Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1851 (in German), ($). Index and images.
 * Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1845 (in German), ($). Index and images.
 * Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1831 (in German), ($). Index and images.
 * Germany, Census, 1815 (in German), ($). Index and images.
 * Germany, Census, 1812 (in German), ($). Index and images.
 * Lübeck, Germany, Census, 1807 (in German), ($). Index and images.

Finding Church Records

 * Lübeck Parish Registers List: Although the main article is in German, the chart on page 2 shows the existing parish registers.

1. Online Church Records

 * Lübeck Birth Records - Ancestry.com, ($). 1811-1875. Index and images.
 * Lübeck, Germany, Marriage Banns - Ancestry.com, ($). 1811-1871. Index and images.
 * Lübeck Deaths - Ancestry.com, ($). 1811-1875. Index and images.
 * Lübeck, Germany, Marriage Banns - Ancestry.com, ($). 1871-1875. Index and images.


 * 1518-1921 - Germany, selected Protestant church books 1518-1921 - at Ancestry.com ($), index and images. Ancestry.com collections can be viewed free-of-charge at a Family History Center  near you.

2. Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Try to find records in the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Many microfilms have been digitized for online viewing. Gradually, everything will be digitized, so check back occasionally. Some have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a Family History Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
 * a. Click on the of Germany, Lübeck'''.
 * b. Click on Places within Germany, Lübeck and a list of towns will appear.
 * c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Choose the correct record type and time period for your ancestor. "Geburten" are births. "Taufen" are christenings/baptisms. "Heiraten" are marriages.  "Tote" are deaths.
 * f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

3. Research in Church and State Archives
Church records or duplicates may have been gathered from the local parishes into central archives, either by the churches or the state. Older records are frequently given to these archives for safekeeping. Some gaps in the church records of local parishes could be filled using these records. Archives might be unable to handle genealogical requests, but they can determine whether they have specific records you need, sometimes perform very brief research, such as just one record, or they may recommend a researcher who can search the records for you.

E-mail

 * You can e-mail archives and ask whether they have records for a parish. Also, you should inquire whether they provide research services and what their fees are. You can communicate with the archives in English.

Lutheran Parishes
For information from the church records of Lübeck Evangelical Parishes, contact the church registry, which is now in Ratzeburg.

Evangelical Lutheran Church Duchy Ratzeburg - Church District Office - Am Markt 7 D - 23909 Ratzeburg Germany

Tel .: 04541/889 310, phone: 04541/889 317 (Monday Only) An inspection of the Church records is only by prior appointment by telephone. E-mail: verwaltung.kklauenburg@nordelbien.de

Catholic Parishes
Propsteikirche Sacred Heart Parade 4 23552 Lübeck Germany

4. Writing to a Local Priest for Church Records
Most church registers are still maintained by the parish. You might obtain information by writing to the parish. Parish employees will usually answer correspondence written in German. Your request may be forwarded if the records have been sent to a central repository.

Protestant

 * Clickable map of parishes, click on the number 35 for Lübeck, or study the map to find Lübeck. Enlarging the map will show individual parshes in Lübeck, but the numbers will change accordingly.

Catholic

 * The Catholic Directory. Click on "View Full Listing''' for websites.

E-mail

 * Because many churches now have known e-mail addresses, you can quickly check whether the parish records are stored at the parish church or have been moved to archives. If possible, do this before sending a more detailed inquiry or any money. Links for church addresses are found on the wiki pages for the individual states and counties  of Germany.

Writing to a Local Parish
Write a brief request in German to the proper church using this address as a guide, replacing the information in parentheses:

For a Protestant Parish:


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

For a Catholic Parish:


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


 * Click herefor postal code help for 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.'''

Town Genealogies (Ortssippenbuch or Ortsfamilienbuch )
See the class,, and Wiki article, Germany Town Genealogies and Parish Register Inventories on the Internet. Published town genealogies, Ortssippenbuch (town lineage book) or Ortsfamilienbuch (town family book), generally include birth, marriage, and death data for all persons found in the local records during a specified time period, compiled into families based on the opinion of the author. 'If one is available, it should only be used as an index or guide'' to finding the original records. They usually contain errors. Always verify their information in original records.

6. Sources in Print

 * The author Franz Schubert has extracted names from the oldest marriage books of Lübeck from the beginning to 1704. His books are available at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, International call number 943.512 K29s v. 7
 * Marriage records for the years 1705-1750 have been published in: Trauregister aus den ältesten Kirchenbüchern Schleswig-Holsteins, von 1705 bis 1750 by Franz Schubert; Volume 7. [Family History Library 943.512 K29sa vol. 7 pt. 1-3].  [Includes Dom, St. Marien, St. Petri, St. Jacobi, and St. Aegidien].
 * Petersen, Annie. "Ortsfremde - zumeist aus dem Osten - im Taufbuch von (Lübeck-) Travemünde 1655-1708," in Zeitschrift für Niederdeutschen Familienkunde, Vol. 56; Heft 1; page 14-19. [Individuals from areas outside of Lübeck - Travemünde (places include Mecklenburg, Königsberg, Denmark, etc.) found in the Lübeck-Travemünde baptismal records].
 * Foreigners in the marriage book of St. Marien in Lübeck 1633-1660
 * During the first half of the 17th century occurred a lot of baptisms and marriages of people who did not originate from Lübeck. Most of them came from the Eastern parts of Germany, especially from Mecklenburg, but also from as far as Königsberg. A great percentage came from Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The author, Annie Petersen has listed the marriages and published them in Archiv für Sippenforschung 38. Jahrgang, Heft 47 (1972). The periodical is available through FamilySearch, FamilySearch Catalog, call number 943 B2as.

German Records

 * It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French and German to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately.  Here are some resources for learning to read German records.
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * French Genealogical Word List
 * Latin Genealogical Word List


 * These video webinars will teach you to read German handwriting:
 * Old German Script Part 1
 * Old German Script Part 2
 * Old German Script (German Church and Civil Records) Part 3
 * Reading German Handwritten Records  (Three parts) Practice exercises to build your skills and confidence.
 * German Script Tutorial


 * List of Names in Old German Script A comprehensive list of German given names,  written in old script, with possible variations.
 * Old German Script Transcriber (alte deutsche Handschriften): See your family names in the script of the era. Type your name or other word into the font generator tool. Click on the 8 different fonts. Save the image to your computer and use it as you work with old Germanic records.

Downloadable Handouts

 * Print these handouts for ready reference when reading German Handwriting:
 * Kurrent Letters Handout
 * Numbers Handout
 * Birth Records Handout
 * Marriage Records Handout
 * Death Records Handout
 * Days and Months Handout
 * Common Symbols Handout
 * Common Abbreviations Handout
 * Fraktur Font--Many forms and books are printed in this font.

Latin Records
Records of the Catholic church will usually be written in Latin:
 * Latin Genealogical Word List

Feast Dates

 * Calendar Changes in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the Low Countries--class
 * Each day of the year had several patron saints and was a feast day to honor those saints. Some vital events are recorded in church records only by the holy day (feast day) on the church calendar. For example, the feast day called “All Saints Day” (Allerheiligentag) is “1 November.” An online feast date calculator may be found at the Albion College website. Simply enter the year and click "Calculate."

Search Strategy

 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find their birth record, search for the births of their brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of their parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.
 * Calculate the birth date of the parents, using age at death and/or marriage to search for their birth records.
 * Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
 * If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.