Bremen, German Empire Civil Registration

Civil registration records are records of births, marriages, and deaths kept by the government. In DUCHY(DUCHYGERMAN), they were started 1 January 1876. German terms for these records include Standesamtsregister, Zivilstandsregister, or Personenstandsregister. They are an excellent source for information on names and dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are kept by the civil registrar (Standesbeamte) at the civil registry office (Standesamt). Study these links to learn what information can be found in them:
 * Births (Geburtsregister)
 * Marriages (Heiraten, Ehen, or Trauungen)
 * Deaths (Sterberegister or Totenregister)

For a comprehensive understanding of civil registration, study the article Germany Civil Registration.

Determining the Location of a Civil Registration Office
Research your town name in MeyersGaz.org to find the location of the registry office (Standesamt). It is indicated by the abbreviation "StdA".

However, some of the offices were merged in 1970's, so the record location might be different than that listed in MeyersGaz.
 * For a small town within a larger municipality:
 * To find the current Standesamt, go to the German Wikipedia, and enter the name of the town in the search box. An article about the town will start with a first line such as: "Besse with about 3200 inhabitants is the largest district of the municipality Edermünde in Hessian Schwalm-Eder-Kreis ." It is probable that the Standesamt is now located in the municipality (in this example Edermünde).
 * To e-mail the municipality to verify that the civil registry for your town is there.
 * From the Wikipedia town article, click on the name of the municipality that links to that article.
 * There will usually be an infobox on the right side of page that lists the address and the website of the municipality.
 * Click on the website. Look for "Kontakt (Contact)" information, which should provide an e-mail address.
 * Send a message asking whether you have the correct office for your ancestors' home town. You can also use e-mail to request records and arrange payment.


 * For larger towns which constitute a municipality:
 * To find the current Standesamt, go to the German Wikipedia, and enter the name of the town in the search box.
 * This type of article will not state that the town belongs to another municipality, because it is itself a municipality.
 * The infobox that lists the address and the website of the municipality will appear directly on a this first page that comes up.
 * Follow the above instructions #2-4 above.

Privacy Laws
Since 2009, birth records have been public after 110 years, marriages after 80 years and deaths after 30 years. A direct relationship (direct descendants and direct ancestors) to the subject of the record sought will be required in cases where the required time period has not yet elapsed. Even then, the records may be accessible if it can be shown that all "participating parties" have died at least 30 years ago. Participating parties are both parents and the child in birth records, and both spouses in a marriage.

1. Online Records

 * Standesamt records, 1876 to privacy limit, ($)
 * Bremen, German Deaths of Sailors and Ship Passengers, 1834-1875 - at Ancestry.com, ($). Index and images. In German. Incomplete.
 * Bremen, Germany Births on Ships, 1867-1911 - at Ancestry.com, . Also available at Ancestry.com, ($). Also available on MyHeritage.com. Index and images.
 * Deaths in Bremen (Leichenbucheinträge der Stadtgemeinde Bremen), 1811-1965. Index., ($)

2. Digital Copies of Civil Registration From FamilySearch
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, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
 * a. Click on the Places within Germany, Bremen drop-down menu and select your town.
 * b. Click on the "Civil registration" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * c. Choose the correct record type and time period for your ancestor. "Geburten" are births. Heiraten are marriages.  "Verstorbene" are deaths.
 * d. 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.

Standesamt Addresses

 * Standesamt Bremen-Mitte (Registry Office of central Bremen) Hollerallee 79 D-28209 Bremen Email: mailto:standesamtmitte@stadtamt.bremen.de Web: http://www.stadtamt.bremen.de/sixcms/detail.php?gsid=bremen116.c.1624.de


 * Standesamt Bremen-Nord (Registry Office of north Bremen) Weserstrasse 75 D-28757 Bremen Email: mailto:StandesamtBremen-Nord@Stadtamt.Bremen.de Web: http://www.stadtamt.bremen.de/sixcms/detail.php?gsid=bremen116.c.1625.de


 * Staatsarchiv Bremen (State Archive of Bremen) Am Staatsarchiv 1 D-28203 Bremen Email: mailto:office@staatsarchiv.bremen.de Web: http://www.staatsarchiv.bremen.de/


 * Standesamt Bremerhaven (Registry Office of Bremerhaven) Stadthaus 5 Postfach 210360 D-27524 Bremerhaven Email: mailto:standesamt@magistrat.bremerhaven.de standesamt@magistrat.bremerhaven.de Web: http://www.bremerhaven.de/buergerservice/aemter-einrichtungen/stadtverwaltung/standesamt/

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.'''

State Archives
Duplicate registers from some towns are kept in state archives. The advice from these state archives is to use the Standesamt-Nord and Standesamt-Mitte records from the local offices first. State Archives Bremen Postal address: Staatsarchiv Bremen Am Staatsarchiv 1 28203 Bremen Germany Phone: 0421 / 361-6221 Fax: 0421 / 361-10247 E-mail: office@staatsarchiv.bremen.de Website:http://www.staatsarchiv.bremen.de/detail.php?gsid=bremen99.c.1580.de
 * The support is provided by the user advice in cooperation with the society for family research Bremen eV "Die Maus".

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:
 * . 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

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.


 * German Research Troubleshooting Strategies