Hesse (Hessen) Town Genealogies

Town Compilation of Records (Ortssippenbuch or Ortsfamilienbuch )

 * An Ortssippenbuch (town lineage book) or Ortsfamilienbuch (town family book) generally includes birth, marriage, and death data for all persons found in the local records during a specified time period, compiled into families. If one is available, it can act as an index or guide to finding the original records. However, they may contain errors, so it is best to verify their information in original records.
 * Sources may include the local parish registers, civil registration records, court and land records, and sometimes published material. In the printed book, this information is then arranged in a standardized format, usually alphabetically by surname and chronologically by marriage date.

Finding an OFB

 * Click here to see the hundreds of OFBs at GenWiki. These are indexed and searchable. Links to a town with a searchable OFB are added in the town list above, if available.  OFB Instructions.


 * 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.


 * A comprehensive list of published town genealogies is found at Ortsfamilienbuch zu Hessen'''.  If you find an OFB listed, search the Family History Library holdings by title.


 * A map containing information on the status of family history research in the individual Hessian communities is available at Hessian Family History Association.  From the Bearbeitungsstand (German) or Processing Level (English) page, click on the LINK in the section with this logo: [[File:Hessen-Karte.png]].  A pdf map will download.  Enlarge the view.  Towns with published books will display a [[File:Book symbol.png]] symbol. Hover over the symbol, and the book title will appear. A color key indicates where the book is available.


 * This link will take you to a listing of the online books of the Hessian Family History Association.