Slovakia Church and Synagogue Books - FamilySearch Historical Records

Slovakia

What is in This Collection?
This collection contains images of christenings, marriages, and burials for the years 1592-1935, and includes records from Roman Catholic, Evangelical Lutheran, and Reformed Church parishes, as well Jewish congregations in Slovakia.

The earliest Slovak church book was created in 1587 (a book of christenings from Košice). A few Catholic registers date from the early and mid 1600s, but most date from the early 1700s. Protestant churches usually did not begin to maintain parish registers until the late 1600s. Many church books from earlier time periods were lost during the Turkish invasions and Slovak rebellions around 1600-1700.

In the mid-twentieth century, many of the church books of Slovakia were nationalized, and the state began to transfer books to one of seven state regional archives (Štátné oblastné arhívy): Prešov, Košice, Bratislava, Levoča, Nitra, Banská Bystrica, and Bytča. It is from these national archives that this collection comes. Many records are still located in local city halls or other institutions; these will be added to the collection as they become available.

Reading These Records
These records are in German, Jewish, Latin, Hungary, and Russian. For help reading these records see the following guides:


 * German Language and Languages
 * Jewish Language and Languages
 * Latin Genealogical Word List
 * Hungarian Genealogical Word List
 * Russian Genealogical Word List
 * [[Media:Old_Church_Slavonic_Numbers,_Dates,_and_Months_by_Matthew_Bialawa.pdf|Old Church Slavonic reading guide]]
 * [[Media:German Gothic Handwriting Guide.pdf|German Gothic Handwriting Guide]]

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Baptismal Marriage Burial
 * Name and gender of child
 * Date and place of baptism
 * Child's birth date and place of birth
 * Names of parents and their civil status
 * Residence and religion of parents
 * Legitimacy of child
 * Occupation of father
 * Names of godparents
 * Names of witnesses
 * Names of maternal and paternal grandparents
 * Name of priest performing baptism
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Groom's name, age, and civil status
 * Bride's name, age, and civil status
 * Groom's occupation, religion, and residence
 * Bride's occupation, religion, and residence
 * Names of groom's parents
 * Names of bride's parents
 * Date and place of death
 * Name, age, and gender of deceased
 * Residence and marital status of deceased
 * Spouse's name (if married)
 * Names of parents (if deceased is a minor)
 * Cause of death
 * Burial information

Coverage Table
The Slovakia Church and Synagogue Books - FamilySearch Historical Records Coverage Table shows the places and time periods covered in the indexed records for this collection. Most of the records in the collection are from the time periods listed in the table; however, the collection may have a few records from before or after the time period.

Consult the Slovakia Church and Synagogue Books, Place Names Table for more information about places in Slovakia.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Year of the record

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Copy down all the information from the record
 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see the section Citing This Collection for assistance. Save or print a copy of the image
 * Use the information to find the person in census or church records

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * When looking for an individual with a common name, look at all the search results before deciding which is the correct person. Use other information, such as place of birth, age, occupation, or names of parents, to help with this decision
 * Try variations of given names and surnames. A person might have been listed under a middle name, nickname, or abbreviation of their given name
 * Vary the search terms. For example, expand the date range or search by either the given name or surname to return a broader list search results
 * Search the records of nearby locations

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Slovakia.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.