Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany Genealogy

History and Geography


Augsburg is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It lies at the convergence of the Alpine rivers Lech and Wertach and on the Singold. It is located 48.37 latitude and 10.90 longitude and it is situated at elevation 489 meters above sea level. Augsburg has a population of 259,196 making it the 3rd biggest city in Bavaria. It operates on the CEMT time zone, which means that it the same time zone as Munich.

See Wikipedia for more information on Augsburg.
 * The city was founded in 15 BC by Drusus and Tiberius.
 * Early development was due to a 400-year affiliation with the Roman Empire.
 * It was a Free Imperial City for over 500 years, and is notable for the Augsburg Confession.
 * In 1806, when the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, Augsburg lost its independence and was annexed to the Kingdom of Bavaria.
 * In 1817, the city became an administrative capital of the Oberdonaukreis, then administrative capital in 1837 for the district Swabia and Neuburg.

Online Records

 * This link takes you to the online FamilySearch Catalog where there is information about the records on microfilm from Augsburg. Check your local Family History Center to see if they can be viewed there. Eventually these records will all be digitized and they will be available online. Check those that have a camera icon to see if that is possible yet. If not recheck periodically.
 * FamilySearch Search Records is also a great resource. You can refine your search by add a name.
 * Bavaria, Germany, WWI Personnel Rosters, 1914-1918 include information on soldiers from Augsburg on Ancestry.com If what you are looking for doesn't show up on the military search try the general search by entering the name and place of birth.
 * Various records can be found through the Meta-Genealogy.net tool on the website of the German Society for Computer Genealogy. Just enter the last name and the town name and it will produce a list of people from that area that are in the data base.
 * There is information from Augsburg on Find A Grave

Civil Registration
Augsburg Standesamt Adresse & Kontakte Maximilianstraße 69 86150 Augsburg Germany Telefon - 0821 324-3851 Fax - 0821 324-3853 E-Mail - standesamt@augsburg.de City of Augsburg Website

Civil records in most of Bavaria only go back to the late 1800's. To find family records before that time it is necessary to use church records. This is a good place to start.

Catholic Church Records
Diocese of Augsburg is a diocese of the Catholic Church in Germany. This diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Munich. Wikipedia

Augsburg Catholic Churches There are many Catholic Churches in this area. Keep in mind that the parish records of Bavaria are now in archives.

Archiv des Bistums Augsburg
Pfarrhausstrasse 4 86154 Augsburg Germany Telefon: 0821 - 3166 8561 Fax: 0821 - 3166 8569 E-Mail: archiv@bistum-augsburg.de Website It is best to contact the archive in advance and make an appointment. You can do this using the email address above. The archive of the Diocese of Augsburg does not accept private inquiries about family research.

Lutheran Church Records
Bavaria was and is predominantly Catholic. If your ancestors lived in Augsburg, there is a chance they affiliated with the Catholic church. However, if you do not find them in Catholic records, you should search the Lutheran records.
 * According to Meyer's Gazetteer, there were five Lutheran churches in 1871 in Augusburg. Today four Lutheran parishes serve this area. Information about the Augsburg Lutheran Churches can be seen at Google Maps. Click on the marker of a church to see the address and phone number of each parish. If the parish has a website or email address that information will be included.
 * Many records for the Lutheran (Evangelical) churches in Bavaria are digitized and available online through Archion ($). This is not a free site, but requires registration and a membership fee. This link gives instructions on How to Use Archion
 * Legacy Tree provides a detailed description of Archion that you may find valuable in deciding if this is a resource you want to use.

You can email to inquire about information for you ancestors.
 * The Lutheran Archive for Bavaria is in Nurnberg. It is always a good idea to contact in advance and make an appointment to use any archive.

Veilhofstraße 8 90489 Nurnberg Germany E-Mail: archiv@elkb.de Website

Cemeteries
If you are lucky enough to go to Augsburg and want to find a cemetery Find A Grave and Billion Graves both have great phone apps to help you locate cemeteries. In a city this large walking through cemeteries could be very time consuming, unless you know which cemetery to go to and use the cemetery map to find the grave of your relative. If you are hoping to find information on your ancestors in a cemetery, keep in mind that in most Bavarian cemeteries the grave plots are re-used as often as every 25 years. (sometimes 50 -100 years).
 * There are at least five cemeteries in the Augsburg area.Augsburg Cemeteries