Germany, Bavaria, Middle Franconia, Brenner Collection of Genealogical Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Deutschland, Bayern, Mittelfranken, Brenner-Archiv

Record Description
The collection consists of an alphabetical collection of family group sheets compiled from parish records and other sources in the district of Ansbach, Mittelfranken, Bavaria. Includes 97 parishes in the area for the period of about 1550-1945, the majority of the records are 1750-1900. The sheets were compiled by Tobias Brenner and others between about 1918 and 1945. The records are written in pencil on pre-printed forms in Gothic German handwriting. Many abbreviations were used for given names; there is a key to these abbreviations.

Record Content
The records may contain any of the following:


 * Names of family members
 * Birth dates and places
 * Marriage dates and places
 * Death dates and places

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * Name
 * Parish of residence

Search the Collection
Fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for clues to other records about your ancestors. If you are unable to find your ancestors look for variant spellings of the surnames.

Related Websites
Learning Center Resources:
 * Mittelfranken Genealogy
 * Genealogy Forum
 * My Ancestors Are from Germany, and I Don't Speak German!
 * German Script Tutorial
 * Germany Beginning Research Series Lesson 1: Getting Started
 * Germany Beginning Research Series Lesson 2: Learn about Historical Background
 * Germany Beginning Research Series Lesson 3: Using Maps, Gazetteers and Websites
 * German Church and Civil Records

Related Wiki Articles
Germany Genealogy

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation:

Record Citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image Citation