Germany, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Germany

What is in This Collection?
This article describes records held by FamilySearch, International. For information on a specific record collection or record publication please refer to the FamilySearch Catalog or the FamilySearch Historical Record Collection.

Church records, also called parish registers or church books, are the main source of genealogical information in Germany before civil registration began in 1876. They record details of baptisms, marriages, confirmations, deaths and burials. Generally, the majority of the population can be found in the records. Additionally, these records can contain financial account books which may detail expenses incurred in performing marriages, funeral masses, etc., Lists of persons receiving communion, penance registers, lists of church members and registers naming members of each family.

There are two major Christian churches in Germany: Evangelical Lutheran and Roman-Catholic. While different in their organizational hierarcy, they are very similar on major doctrinal points, and the content of their records.

It is important to know the religious affiliation of your ancestors as Catholic and Protestant parishes kept separate records. Catholic registers, especially the earliest volumes, are generally written in Latin. In many regions, it was also common for the local church records to function in the role of civil registrar.

The earliest records begin in the mid-1500s. Most churches were keeping records by the 1650s. Many parishes in Europe have experienced records loss. For more information see Germany Church History.

Reading These Records
Records of the Evangelical Lutheran church are generally written in German, while records of the Catholic are written in Latin. More recent Catholic records may also be written in German. For help reading these records see the following: FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Germany Languages
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * Latin Genealogical Word List
 * Brigham Young University Script Tutorial : The German Documents
 * Reading German Handwritten Records

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

Baptism (Taufen)
 * Date of baptism
 * Name of child
 * Date of birth
 * Gender
 * Parents’ names (including mother’s maiden name)
 * Witnesses or godparents

Confirmation
 * Name of confirmand
 * Age
 * Parent's names

Marriage (Heiraten)
 * Date of marriage
 * Name of bride and groom
 * Names of bride and groom’s parents
 * Age of bride and groom
 * Birth year of bride and groom

Death (Tote) and Burial (Begräbnisse)
 * Date of death
 * Name of deceased
 * Parents’ names
 * Spouse’s name (if married)
 * Occupation of deceased

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

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if if provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

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

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only

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

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.