Munich, Bavaria, Germany Genealogy

History And Geography


Munich (München) Germany Bavaria is the capital and the most populated city in the German state of Bavaria, on the banks of River Isar north of the Bavarian Alps. Munich is also the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg, and the 12th largest city in the European Union, with a population of around 1.5 million. The Munich Metropolitan Region is home to 6 million people. Munich lies on the elevated plains of Upper Bavaria, about 50 km (31.07 mi) north of the northern edge of the Alps, at an altitude of about 520 m (1,706.04 ft)

See Wikipedia for more information on Munich.
 * The first known settlement in the area was of Benedictine monks on the Old Salt Route.
 * In 1175, Munich received city status and fortification.
 * In 1180, with the trial of Henry the Lion, Otto I Wittelsbach became Duke of Bavaria, and Munich was handed to the Bishop of Freising. (Wittelsbach's heirs, the Wittelsbach dynasty, ruled Bavaria until 1918.) In 1240, Munich was transferred to Otto II Wittelsbach and in 1255, when the Duchy of Bavaria was split in two, Munich became the ducal residence of Upper Bavaria.

Online Records

 * Various records can be found through the Meta-Genealogy.net tool on the website of the German Society for Computer Genealogy. Just enter the last name and the town name and it will produce a list of people from that area with that surname that are in the data base.
 * Bavaria, Germany, WWI Personnel Rosters, 1914-1918 include soldiers from Munich on Ancestry.com
 * There is some Munich information at Find A Grave
 * This link takes you to the Familysearch Catalog where there is information about the records available on microfilm about Munich. Check with your local Family History Center or affiliate libraries. Eventually these will be digitized and available online.
 * Familysearch Search/Records is also a great resource. You can refine your search in the box on the left.

Civil Registration

 * The Standesumter (civil registration offices) only began keeping vital records (birth, death, marriage) after 1 Jan 1876.To find records before that time it is necessary to go to church records.

Munich Standesamt
Office of Vital Records Ruppertstr. 11 80466 München Germany Tel.: 089/233-44344 Fax: 089/233-44320 Website

Catholic Church Records
There are several Catholic Churches in Munich and the surrounding area. They can all be seen on Google Maps The churches will probably only have current parish records on site. So it would be necessary to check the Munich Archive for your ancestors.

Archiv des Erzbistums München und Freising
Karmeliterstraße 1 Munich Germany Telefon: 089 - 2137 1346 Telefax: 089 - 2137 1702 E-Mail: archiv@eomuc.de Website

All of the parish records that are in this archive have been digitized and can be viewed on computers there. They do not charge and are very helpful. It is best to contact in advance and make an appointment to use a computer. This can be done by email.

Lutheran Church Records
Bavaria was and is predominantly Catholic. If your ancestors lived in Munich, there is a chance they affiliated with the Catholic church. However, if you do not find them in Catholic records, you should search the Lutheran records. You can email to inquire about information for you ancestors.
 * The Lutheran Archive for Bavaria is in Nurnberg. It is a good idea to contact in advance and make an appointment to use any archive.

Veilhofstraße 8 90489 Nurnberg Germany E-Mail: archiv@elkb.de Website

Cemeteries
This is a google website that shows all of the cemeteries in and around Munich, Germany with addresses and web links. Just place the cursor over the one you are interested in to view details.

Munich Cemeteries If you want to find information on your ancestors in a cemetery, keep in mind that in most Bavarian cemeteries the grave plots are re-used as often as every 25 years. (sometimes 50 -100 years).

Additional Help
We hope that the above information will be useful to those seeking genealogy for their family from Munich, Bavaria, Germany. If you are still struggling be sure to use the "Bavaria Wiki Topics" guide on the upper right side of this page. Another wonderful resource available on Wiki is the Wiki Wizard German videos.