Denmark, Copenhagen City, Civil Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
This collection consists of marriage licenses and records for the city of Copenhagen for the years 1739 to 1964. If you have ancestors who were married in the city of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg or Gentofte during this time period they may be found in the records that make up this collection. This collection can also be used in connection with the Copenhagen Police Department's Registerblade, a list of all persons living in Copenhagen.

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of marriage licenses and records for the city of Copenhagen for the years 1851 to 1961. Civil marriages (Borgerlige vielser) were first allowed in Denmark in 1851. In Copenhagen city the marriage was recorded by a magistrate. The marriage was recorded in special notarial registers called Borgerlige vielsesprotokoller, Ægteskabsprotokoller, or Ægtegkabsjournaler.

These registers vary in content and arrangement by area. Some include a considerable number of supporting documents, such as baptismal certificates, while others record only the names and residences of the the bridal couple. In 1923 the registration process was changed by legislation enacted in 1922. This made the mayor the registering officer in the cities and the parish sheriff the registrar in rural areas. The registration form was also standardized into a columnar format and renamed to Lysningsjournal.

Not all of these records include a date when the marriage was performed. If no date is recorded look at the image of the record to determine the date when the application was made.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Danish. For help reading them see:
 * Denmark Handwriting
 * Danish Genealogical Word List
 * Denmark Language and Languages

What Can These Records Tell Me?
These records are an excellent source for validating the date and place of a marriage. If a marriage record for a couple cannot be found in the church registers, the civil marriage registers are an excellent source to check.

Coverage Table
This table shows the number of marriage records per year included in this collection as of 25 June, 2021. Only records where a marriage date was recorded are listed on this table.

Digital Folder Number List
This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at Denmark, Copenhagen City, Civil Marriages Digital Folder Number List. The list can be sorted by DGS number, record type, and year.

How Do I Search this Collection?
You can search the index or view the images. Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of the person you are looking for
 * About when the marriage took place

View the Images
To view images in this collection:
 * 1) Look at the Denmark, Copenhagen City, Civil Marriages Digital Folder Number List article to determine the folder/film number for the images you want to see
 * 2) Go to the Browse Page
 * 3) Select the Film number to view the images

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?

 * Try searching by surname only
 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

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

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.

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