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

Finding Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Bremen
'''Most of the information you need to identify you ancestors and their families will be found in two major record groups: civil registration and church records. To locate these records, follow the instructions in these Wiki articles.'''

1. Find the name of your ancestor's town in family history records.
Records were kept on the local level. You must know the town where your ancestor lived. If your ancestor was a United States Immigrant, use the information in the Wiki article Germany Finding Town of Origin to find evidence of the name of the town where your ancestors lived in Germany. Also, see:
 * Bremer Passagierlisten
 * Seaman's Licenses, 1806-1878. Index, ($)
 * Bremen, Germany Ships Crew Lists, 1815-1917 - at Ancestry.com,($). Index and images. In German.
 * Bremen, Germany Sailors Registry, 1824-1917 - at Ancestry.com, ($). Index and images. In German.
 * Bremen, German Desertions of Sailors, 1855-1874 - at Ancestry.com, ($). Index and images.
 * Germany, Bremen, Select Passenger Departure Lists, 1904-1914. - at Ancestry.com, ($). Index and images. In German.
 * - at FamilySearch. Index. Incomplete.
 * Bremen passenger lists, 1920-1939

2. Use gazetteers and/or parish inventories to learn more important details.
Bremen and Bremerhaven have several smaller towns or parishes. Find the location of the Catholic or Lutheran (Evangelical) parish that served your ancestor's locality. Find the name of the civil registration office (standesamt) that serves your ancestor's locality. Use the Wiki article Studying Your German Locality for step-by-step instructions. The records you find might not state the specific smaller town or parish.
 * Directories or address books might give you the address where your family lived in Bremen. This can help you determine which parish has their records.
 * Bremen Address Books (Bremer Addressbuecher),1794-1955. in German.
 * Directories on die Maus, 1794-1955, ($)
 * This index to most parish records for Bremen can also help identify which parish they lived in.
 * Die Maus, Index to Births, Marriages, and Deaths in Bremen Church Books, index, ($)

3. For birth, marriage, and death records after 1 January 1876, use civil registration.
Follow the instructions in Bremen, German Empire Civil Registration.

4. For baptism, marriage, and death records, use church records or parish registers.
Follow the instructions in  Bremen, German Empire Church Records.

Town Genealogies (Ortssippenbuch or Ortsfamilienbuch )
See the class and the Wiki article, Germany Town Genealogies and Parish Register Inventories on the Internet. Published town genealogies, Ortssippenbuch (town lineage book) or Ortsfamilienbuch (town family book), generally include birth, marriage, and death data for all persons found in the local records during a specified time period, compiled into families based on the opinion of the author. 'If one is available, it should only be used as an index or guide'' to finding the original records. They usually contain errors. Always verify their information in original records.

Finding an OFB

 * 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. Use the "Find" function on your keyboard to search the bibliographies, as they are not alphabetical.
 * Ortsfamilienbuch Bremen und Vegesack Familiennamenliste Searchable.
 * Ortsfamilienbuecher Online,Die Maus. Index, ($)
 * OFBs for Bremen

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


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


 * 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

List of Names in Old German Script A comprehensive list of German given names,  written in old script, with possible variations.

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)

Downloadable Handouts

 * Print these handouts for ready reference when reading German Handwriting:
 * Kurrent Letters Handout
 * Numbers Handout
 * Birth Records Handout
 * Marriage Records Handout
 * Death Records Handout
 * Days and Months Handout
 * Common Symbols Handout
 * Common Abbreviations Handout
 * Fraktur Font--Many forms and books are printed in this font.

Feast Dates

 * Calendar Changes in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the Low Countries--class
 * Each day of the year had several patron saints and was a feast day to honor those saints. Some vital events are recorded in church records only by the holy day (feast day) on the church calendar. For example, the feast day called “All Saints Day” (Allerheiligentag) is “1 November.” An online feast date calculator may be found at the Albion College website. Simply enter the year and click "Calculate."

Search Strategy

 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find their birth record, search for the births of their brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of their parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.
 * The marriage certificate will show the birth date, birth place, and parents of the bride and the groom. If you only have a church marriage record, calculate the birth date of the parents, using age at death and/or marriage to search for their birth records.
 * 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.