Schleswig-Holstein, German Empire Civil Registration

Das Standesamt (Vital Record Office)
On October 1, 1874 Prussia established civil registration in its territories and in 1876, January 1, all of Germany followed suit. Each city and county had a Standesamt. Big cities have several according to subdivisions. The Standesämter took over from parishes which recorded baptisms, marriages and burials as recorded by the parish clerk or the pastor himself. When the Standesamt took over, the clerk represented the state. For instance, he recorded before witnesses the start of the marriage, and so gave the union more legitimacy which also extended to the legitimacy and rights of the children. Today a marriage has to be recorded before the civil registrar first, and then a couple can proceed with a church wedding.

Source: Wikipedia: Standesamt

Time Period
The information from civil registration offices is not readily available to the public, except for Northern Schleswig that is now part of Denmark. In 1874, German civil authorities registered births, marriages, and deaths in Tønder, Haderslev, Åbenrå, and Sønderborg counties(Southern Jylland in modern Denmark). After 1874, almost all individuals who lived in these counties are recorded in both civil records and church records. Starting January 1, 1876, all of Germany was mandated to keep civil registration.

Content
The sections below—"Births [Geburten]," "Marriages [Heiraten]," and "Deaths [Toten]"—describe the German civil registration records for the counties that were under German administration.

Births [Geburten]
Birth records generally give the child's name, sex, and birth date and place and the parents' names. Later records provide additional details, such as the birthplace and parents' ages, father's occupation, mother's marital status, and number of other children born to the mother.

Families generally registered births within a few days of the child's birth. Corrections or additions to a birth record may be added as a marginal note.

Marriages [Heiraten]
Most couples had a church wedding. There may be both civil registration and church records. Civil marriage records may include more information than church records. When they are available, search both.

Deaths [Toten]
Civil death records are helpful because they may provide important information on a person's birth, spouse, and parents. Civil death records often exist for people who have no birth records. Deaths were usually registered within a few days of the death in the town or city where the person died.

Later death registers may contain the age or birth date and place, residence or street address, occupation, cause of death, burial information, and informant's name (often a relative). They often list the spouse or parents. Information may be inaccurate.

Locating Civil Registration Records
Civil registration records are kept at the local civil registration office in each district, town or city (municipality). Therefore, you must determine the town where your ancestor lived before you can find the records. The Landsarkivet located in Åbenrå has the records for Northern Schleswig which is now called Southern Jylland in Denmark.

Online Records

 * 1874-1983 - at | FamilySearch— index and images

Addresses of Offices
For list telling which civil registration office is responsible for a town in Schlesiwg-Holstein, see Standesämter.

Civil Registration in Hamburg for Schleswig-Holstein Localities
The State Archive in Hamburg has determined to make Civil Registration books for Hamburg proper (registration starts in 1876) and for Prussian territories, i.e., Altona. available. The books cover the time frame 1874 to 1898 (births), 1874 to 1928 (marriages) and from 1874 to 1978 (deaths).

The following possibilities for use of the archival records are available:

1. Research in research room of the archives (Lesesaal). 2. Online reservation of civil registers and research in research area (Leesesal). 3. Ordering and certifying documents 4. Help with research District Office Hamburg-Nord Headquarters Robert-Koch-Straße 17 20249 Hamburg Germany Phone: (040) 428 28-0 E-Mail (all departments): Standamt@hamburg-nord.hamburg.de E-mail (birth place): Geburten @ hamburg -nord.hamburg.de E-Mail (sterbefaelle): Sterbefaelle@hamburg-nord.hamburg.de

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.