Berlin, Brandenburg, German Empire Church Records

GermanyBerlin, Germany Genealogy  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)

Church Record Inventories
Church record inventories are essential tools for finding German records. They identify what records should be available for a specified parish and where to write for information on these records. They list the church records, their location, and the years they cover. Sometimes inventories explain which parishes served which towns at different periods of time.
 * Gemeindelexikon für das Königreich Preußen: Berlin and Brandenburg
 * Tutorial

Church Records on the Internet

 * Many parishes in Berlin have been indexed and names appear in the International Genealogical Index.
 * Archion: Land Archive Archive in Berlin. Lutheran digital parish records.
 * 1500-1971 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1558-1898 - at FamilySearch Historical Records.  Index.
 * 1582-1958 - 	 at FamilySearch Historical Records. Index.
 * 1558-1929 - at FamilySearch Historical Records.  Index.

Records at the Family History Library
Many of the church records for Greater Berlin have been microfilmed. 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. They are listed in the FamilySearch Library catalog. Parish records for municipalities in the state of Berlin outside the central city, will be listed in Places within Germany, Preußen, Brandenburg with a "Berlin-" prefix. 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 the Family History Centers near you. To find records:


 * a. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * b. Choose the correct record type and time period for your ancestor. "Taufen" are baptisms/christenings. Heiraten are marriages.  "Tote" are deaths.
 * c. 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.

Local Parishes
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.

For a list of addresses of churches in Berlin this is a helpful site.

Writing the Letter
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.'''

Research in Church Archives
Church records at these archives may be searched in person, by written inquiry (for reasonably brief requests), or by hiring a researcher.

Archives of the Catholic Diocese of Berlin
Dioezesanarchiv Berlin Bethaniendamm 2a 10997 Berlin (Kreuzberg) Germany Website: http://www.dioezesanarchiv-berlin.de Phone: +49 (0) 30 22504580 Fax: +49 (0) 30 22504583 E-Mail: info@dioezesanarchiv-berlin.de Please provide your full name and postal address for all inquiries.
 * List of holdings.
 * Fees

Online Database
Online records from this archive are available on Archion: Land Archive Archive in Berlin. Do not go to the Evangelical Central Archives, Berlin. They cover Prussia, Silesia, and so on, not Berlin itself.

Contact Information
If you visit the archives, reservations to use the reading room must be made 2-3 months in advance. Evangelical Land Archives Archive in Berlin (ELAB) Bethaniendamm 29 10997 Berlin (Kreuzberg) Germany

Telephone:+49 (0) 30 2250 4565 Fax:+49 (0) 30 2250 4510 E-mail:Elab@ekbo.de
 * Evangelische Landeskirchliches Archiv in Berlin, List of holdings.

Communion Card Index
The communion card index stored in the ELAB is a general help tool for Old Berlin. Alt-Berlin means here the six inner city districts Mitte, Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg, Kreuzberg, Tiergarten and Wedding. These index cards contain, in alphabetical order, all Protestant baptisms in Alt-Berlin from 1750 to 1874. The garrison community and the French-reformed community are not taken into consideration. For information about requesting research, Click here. A request for a search of this index can helpnarrow down which parish the family lived in.

Other Religious Groups

 * To learn how to determine the location of other religious records, namely Jewish, French Reformed, German Reformed, etc., watch Hansen’s Map Guides: Finding Records with Parish Maps beginning at 48:00 minutes, to learn how to locate these congregations. Then go back and watch from the beginning to understand how to use the reference book. This course teaches you how to use a set of reference books found at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you are not in Salt Lake City, use the Contact Us feature to request information from the books.

Jewish Records

 * See the Wiki article, Germany Jewish Records

Huguenots (French Protestants)
*German Huguenot Society eV, index.
 * See the Wiki article, ’’’Huguenots in Germany’’’

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
 * 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:
 * . In this lesson, you will explore several types of German genealogical records, including birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records.
 * German Script Tutorial
 * . 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)

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

Research Strategies
Effective use of church records includes the following strategies:


 * Search for the relative or ancestor. When you find his or her birth record, search for the births of brothers and sisters.
 * Next search for the parents' marriage date and place. The marriage record will often lead to the parents' birth records.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records. If more than one possible candidate is found, search confirmation, marriage, and burial records to determine the correct individual. If available, census-type records or family books can be used as well.
 * Try to find the parents death/burial entries, since these records may give their age at death.
 * Use the above strategies for both the father and the mother.
 * If earlier generations are not in the record you are using, search neighboring parishes and other denominations.
 * Search the burial registers for all family members.


 * German Research Troubleshooting Strategies