How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Hamburg, German Empire

Germany Hamburg

A genealogy guide to Hamburg, Germany civil registration and church records to trace ancestry and compile family history.

How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records in Hamburg
Most of your genealogical research for Hamburg will be in three main record types: civil registration, church records, and, when available, a compiled town genealogy ("'Ortssippenbuch" or "Ortsfamilienbuch" in German). This article will teach you how to use these records on digital databases, as microfilms, or by writing for them.
 * How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records
 * Civil Registration
 * Church Records
 * Town Genealogies

Find Important Information About Your Ancestors' Town

 * To begin using the records of Germany, knowing that your family came from Hessen will not be enough to use the records of Germany. Records are kept on the local level, so you will have to know the town they lived in.
 * Details about the town will also help:
 * the county or "Kreis" of that town,
 * where the closest Evangelical Lutheran or Catholic parish church was (depending on their religion),
 * where the civil registration office ("Standesamt") was, and
 * if you have only a village name, you will need the name of the larger town it was part of.

Gathering Information to Locate Place of Origin
If you do not yet know the name of the town of your ancestor's birth, there are well-known strategies for a thorough hunt for it.
 * Use Gathering Information to Locate Place of Origin as a guide in exhausting every possible record to find what you need.

Important Emigration Records for Hamburg

 * Hamburg Passenger Lists (Hamburger Passagierlisten), {$). 1850-1934.Index and images. In German.
 * Hamburg Passenger Lists, Handwritten Indexes (Hamburger Passagierlisten, handschriftliche Indizes), ($). 1855-1934. Index and images. In German.
 * Emigrants from Hamburg to Australasia, 1850 - 1879, ($). Index. Incomplete.
 * Mennonite Immigrants to Canada Departing from Hamburg, Germany, 1890-1898]: Compiled by Richard D. Thiesse

Meyers Gazetteer
Once you know the town name you need, the other facts you need are contained in Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-lexikon des deutschen Reichs, the gazetteer on which the FamilySearch catalog for Germany is based.
 * Use MeyersGaz, the digital gazetteer, to find the details you need, particularly the Kreis (county) it belonged to, found after "Kr".
 * MeyersGaz Help Guide
 * Abbreviation Table

Here is part of an entry from MeyersGaz.org. (The whole entry can be studied at Heusenstamm, MeyersGaz.)

Town Compilation of Records (Ortssippenbuch or Ortsfamilienbuch )
See class Online Ortsfamilienbücher at Genealogy.net.
 * An Ortssippenbuch (town lineage book) or Ortsfamilienbuch (town family book) generally includes birth, marriage, and death data for all persons found in the local records during a specified time period, compiled into families. If one is available, it can act as an index or guide to finding the original records. However, they may contain errors, so it is best to verify their information in original records.
 * Sources may include the local parish registers, civil registration records, court and land records, and sometimes published material. In the printed book, this information is then arranged in a standardized format, usually alphabetically by surname and chronologically by marriage date.

Finding an OFB

 * Click here to see the hundreds of OFBs at GenWiki. These are indexed and searchable. Links to a town with a searchable OFB are added in the town list above, if available.  OFB Instructions.


 * A bibliography of OFBs held by the Central Office for Person and Family History, and available in their archive in Frankfurt am Main-Höchst, is listed here. You can arrange for copied pages to be sent to you for a fee or donation.


 * A comprehensive list of published town genealogies is found at Ortsfamilienbuch zu Hessen'''.  If you find an OFB listed, search the Family History Library holdings by title.


 * A map containing information on the status of family history research in the individual Hessian communities is available at Hessian Family History Association.  From the Bearbeitungsstand (German) or Processing Level (English) page, click on the LINK in the section with this logo: [[File:Hessen-Karte.png]].  A pdf map will download.  Enlarge the view.  Towns with published books will display a [[File:Book symbol.png]] symbol. Hover over the symbol, and the book title will appear. A color key indicates where the book is available.


 * This link will take you to a listing of the online books of the Hessian Family History Association.

Civil Registration (Standesamtsregister, Zivilstandsregister, or Personenstandsregister)

 * Civil registration records are government records covering birth, marriage, and death. They are an excellent source of names, dates, places, and relationships.
 * Civil registration began in Hessen in 1876. Online databases have made it available to search generally up to 1984.
 * Find the location of the Standesamt (civil registry office) used by your locality by consulting Meyer's Gazetteer Online. The abbreviation "StdA" is followed by the name of the Standesamt.

1. Online Digital Records for Civil Registration
Digital copies of civil registration can be searched online. "Geburten" are births. Heiraten are marriages.  "Verstorbene" are deaths.
 * Hamburg, Germany, Births, 1874-1901, index and images, ($)
 * Hamburg, Germany, Marriages, 1874-1920, index and images, ($)
 * Hamburg, Germany, Deaths, 1874-1950, index and images, ($)
 * This pdf outlines the different localities in Hamburg, and gives the appropriate Standesamt office for that locality: Directory, 1876 to 1944, Hamburg Standesamts
 * This Standesamt finder allows you to enter a street adress to determine the correct Standesamt: Hamburg Authority Finder
 * Some street addresses can be determined by consulting one of these directories, if the time period fits your research problem:
 * Hamburg Address Book (Hamburgisches Adress-Buch) für 1847, ($).
 * Business Directory of Hamburg, Altona und Ottensen, 1886
 * Hamburg Empire post office in Hamburg (Registration Fernsprechbuch for the Reichspost Direktionsbezirk Hamburg), ($). 1934.

2. Microfilm Copies of Civil Registration Records Searched at a Family History Center
If the locality and time period you need are not included in the online records, the next step is to check for them in the microfilm collection of the Family History Library. These microfilms may be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers around the world. To find a microfilm:


 * a. Click on your town name in the above list.
 * b. Click on the "Civil registration" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * c. Choose the correct record type and time period for your ancestor. "Geburten" are births. Heiraten are marriages.  "Verstorbene" are deaths.
 * d. 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. Clicking on the microfilm reel will lead to information on how to rent the film. Family History Center staff will assist you in ordering the film.

3. Writing for Civil Registration Certificates

 * If the records are not online or on microfilm, civil registration records for Germany can be obtained by writing to the local civil registry (Standesamt). Research your town name in MeyersGaz.org to find the location of the Standesamt. It is indicated by the abbreviation "StdA". However, some of the offices were merged in 1970's, so the record location might be different than that listed in MeyersGaz.
 * Standesamt Finder for Hamburg

Write a brief request in German to the proper office using this address as a guide, replacing the information in parentheses:


 * An das Standesamt
 * (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 Germany Letter Writing Guide.'''

Church Records (Kirchenbuch or Kirchenbuchduplikate)
See Germany Church Records to learn more.
 * Entries for baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials in the local church records are the main source prior to 1876, when civil registration began. Often two and sometimes three generations are indicated in the registers, with personal information on the family.
 * You should try to determine whether your ancestors were Catholic or Lutheran (Evangelical).
 * You will need to determine the parish that had jurisdiction over your town. Praetorius Kirchenbuecher 1939 (Kirchenbücher und Standesregister für alle Wohnplätze im Land Hessen) is a parish inventory on GenWiki has an excellent list of towns and their respective parishes in Hessen.
 * On the project page, use the Alphabetical Navigation in the right sidebar to find the town name.
 * After the name, a bold "e" indicates that the locality has its own Lutheran parish, as does a bold "k" indicate a Catholic parish. The years for which records exist follow that.
 * A lower case "e" (Evangelical or Lutheran) or "k" (Catholic) will be followed by the name of the parish that has records for a locality that did not have its own church.
 * For a full explanation of the abbreviations used, Click here.

1. Online Church Records
Many records for the Lutheran (Evangelical) church are digitized and available online through Archion.
 * Central Archives of the Evangelical Church in Hessen and Nassau, ($). Detailed Instructions

2. Microfilm Copies of Church Records Searched at a Family History Center
First, try to find church records in the microfilm collection of the Family History Library. These microfilms may be ordered for viewing at Family History Centers around the world. To find a microfilm:


 * a. Click on the town name in the above list.
 * b. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * c. Choose the correct record type and time period for your ancestor. "Geburten" are births. Heiraten are marriages.  "Verstorbene" are deaths.
 * d. 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. Clicking on the microfilm reel will lead to information on how to rent the film. Family History Center staff will assist you in ordering the film.

3. Writing to a Priest for Church Records

 * Baptism, marriage, and death records may be searched by contacting the local Catholic or Lutheran church.


 * Contact links for Catholic Parishes Click on "Parishes and communities."

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 Germany Letter Writing Guide.'''

4. State Archives

 * The Staatsarchiv Hamburg houses the church books of the Protestant-Lutheran church communities in Hamburg before 1866 and the Reformed communities before 1884, the church books of the Mennonite community, and the Jewish communities.
 * For the area of ​​cities (Altona, Harburg, Wandsbek) and municipalities which had been transferred from Prussia to Hamburg in 1937, the records of the Protestant Lutheran congregations are located in the local parishes.
 * The church books of the Evangelical Lutheran churches in Old Hamburg, dating back to 1865.
 * The church books of the Catholic church communities are not located in the State Archives of Hamburg, but in the responsible church offices.

Reading the 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
 * German Handwriting


 * 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


 * Also online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:
 * Reading German Handwritten Records Lesson 1: Kurrent Letters
 * Reading German Handwritten Records Lesson 2: Making Words in Kurrent
 * Reading German Handwritten Records Lesson 3: Reading Kurrent Documents. In this lesson, you will explore several types of German genealogical records, including birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records.
 * German Script Tutorial

This converter will show you how any phrase or name might look in German script:
 * Kurrentschrift Converter (enter German genealogical word, click on "convert", view your word in Kurrentschrift (Gothic handwriting)

Search Strategy

 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record, search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.
 * 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.