Austria Evangelical-Lutheran Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Austria

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of church book duplicates from the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria (Evangelische Kirche Augsburgischen Bekenntnisses in Österreich) and records from 1848 to 1900. The collection also includes records from the parishes of the Evangelical Church of the Helvetic Confession (Evangelische Kirche Helvetisches Bekenntnisses in Österreich). Original records are located in the Evangelischer Oberkirchenrat A.u.H.B., Vienna.

The collection includes records such as: Taufen (baptism), Trauungen (marriage), Sterben (death or burial), Toten (death or burial), Taufregister (baptismal index), Trauungsregister (marriage index), and Sterberegister (death or burial index). The text of the records is in German. In the Description, a two-letter abbreviation is listed (either AB or HB).

There are two different Evangelical churches in Austria. One belongs to the Evangelisch Lutheran tradition and is called the Lutheran Church A.B. (Augsburg Confession); the other one is part of the Evangelisch Reformiert Reformed Lutheran Tradition and is marked by the label, H.B. (Helvetic Confession). In the records, the abbreviation AB follows the city name. The combined membership of the Lutheran churches in Austria make up close to 5% of the total Austrian population. The Lutheran Church has approximately 356,500 members; the Reformed Lutheran Church has approximately 19,500 members.

The church books stored at the archive in Vienna are duplicates of the originals. The originals are still in parishes around the country. Often the originals include records for earlier years than the duplicates because the order to duplicate the church books was not given until 1848.

Church records were created to record church sacraments associated with the life events of the parishioners, such as baptism, marriage, and burial. This collection of church books is a reliable and accurate source for genealogical research. Accuracy in the records for such information as dates, ages, and places is dependent upon the accuracy of the person giving the information and the accuracy of the recording by the ecclesiastical.

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

Reading These Records
These records are written in German. For help reading them see: FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * German Language and Languages
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * German Paleography Seminar

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

Birth or Baptism
 * Name of baptized child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date of baptism and location
 * Gender
 * Parents' names, status, place of birth, religion
 * Names of godparents
 * Whether child was legitimate or illegitimate or stillborn
 * Additional remarks

Marriage
 * Date and Place of Marriage
 * Groom's Age, Marital Status, Occupation and Residence
 * Names of Groom's Parents, including Maiden Name of Mother
 * Bride's Age, Marital Status, Occupation and Residence
 * Names of Bride's Parents, including Maiden Name of Mother
 * Birthplaces of Bride and Groom
 * Witnesses' Names, Age and Occupation

Death and Burial
 * Date and Place of Death and Burial
 * Name and Age of Deceased
 * Cause of Death
 * Father of Deceased and his Occupation
 * Date and Birthplace of Deceased
 * Marital Status of Deceased
 * If Married, the Name of the Spouse

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * given name
 * Residence
 * Age or birth date

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

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 it 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
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in Austria.
 * Austria Research Tips and Strategies
 * Austria 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.

Austria, registros de la iglesia Evangélica Luterana (Registros históricos de FamilySearch) Áustria, Registros da Igreja Evangélica Luterana (Regisros Históricos do FamilySearch)