Austria, Vienna Population Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Österreich, Wien, Meldezettel, 1850-1898

Record Description
The cards include name, birth date and place, marital status, old and new places of residence, dates of arrival and departure. Occasionally the name of spouse and children are listed. Most records range from 1890 to 1925. Many people from the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Eastern Europe passed through Vienna and are included on these cards. All the forms are in German and the majority of the names are in German. However, because Vienna was the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire some names are written in the languages of the Empire. The records were in a generally good state of preservation at the time that they were microfilmed from 1981-1995. This collection contains 3.8 million hand written entries recorded on pre-printed cards.

For a list of localities currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

The registration of Vienna residents began in the middle of the 15th century. The city was divided into 8 districts around 1850. Between 1850 and 1904 these 8 were subdivided and supplemented bringing the number of districts to 21. The Zentralmeldeamt (central registration office) was created in 1889 and associated with the Vienna police department. The cards cover most of the population of Vienna.

These cards represent residence registrations from 1890 until 1928, with most cards dating between 1910 and 1925. Although the registrations took place during this range, the birth dates recorded in the registrations can date back several previous decades.

The registration of Vienna residents began in the middle of the 15th century. The city was divided into 8 districts around 1850. Between 1850 and 1904 these 8 were subdivided and supplemented bringing the number of districts to 21. The Zentralmeldeamt (central registration office) was created in 1889 and associated with the Vienna police department. The cards cover most of the population of Vienna.

This type of registration informed the government of who was in the city of Vienna and where they resided within the city.

These are generally very reliable records, being information directly reported by residents about themselves and their families.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

This publication is a cooperation with the Vienna City and Provincial Archives.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Vienna Population Cards contain the following genealogical facts:


 * District and street address
 * Name of the individual registering
 * Occupation
 * Place and country of birth
 * Home town and home country
 * Birth date, religion, and marital status
 * Name(s) and age(s) of spouse and children
 * Previous residence
 * Date of the registration
 * Date of departure
 * Departure destination

How to Use the Records
Use the date and place of birth or marriage to locate christening or marriage records in church records.

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the ancestors in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to find your ancestor.

To search the collection you must follow a series of links: ⇒Select "Browse" link in the initial collection page ⇒Select the “DGS Film Number” which will take you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

Related Wiki Articles

 * Austria
 * Austria Vienna Population Registers

Known Issues for this Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from the record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find th record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you do not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Austria, Vienna Population Cards, 1850-1895," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FR81-PTL : accessed 19 June 2012), Karl Austingel, 4 November 1881; citing Wien (Niederosterreich) Meldeamt. Austria, Vienna population cards. Municipal and Provincial Archives of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.