Germany, Hesse, Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Image Visibility
Whenever possible, FamilySearch makes images available for all users. However, ultimate rights to view images on our website are granted by the record custodians. The Germany, Hessen, Civil Registration collection is available to the Family History Library, FamilySearch Centers, and to members of the supporting organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The images can be viewed at a FamilySearch Center near you.

German Data Privacy rules prohibit viewing the following records: All birth images must be 110 years or older; all marriage images must be 75 years or older, and all death images must be 60 years or older.

Record Description
This collection contains civil registration of births, marriages, and death for Hesse, Germany. Birth records are available for 1874-1901, marriages only for 1874-1877, and deaths for 1874-1927. Also includes images of index volumes for births 1874-1901, marriages 1874-1927 and deaths 1874-1927. Not all localities are complete but records will continue to be added to this collection over time. Currently indexed are Darmstadt births 1876-1899 and Deaths 1878-1925. Original records are located in the Hessian State Archives in Marburg.

Record Content
Birth records found in this collection may contain the following information


 * Name of child
 * Names and status of parents
 * Place of residence
 * Gender
 * Date of birth

Marriage records found in this collection may contain the following information:


 * Name and status of groom
 * Name and status of bride
 * Place of residence
 * Name of bride’s parents
 * Name of groom’s parents
 * Groom’s date of birth and birthplace
 * Bride’s date of birth and birthplace

Death records found in this collection may contain the following information:


 * Name of deceased
 * Age at death
 * Place of residence
 * Date of death

How to Use the Record
To begin your search, it is helpful to know:


 * Your ancestor's full name
 * Identifying information such as residence and age

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in your ancestor’s name in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about those in the list to what you already know about your own ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person.

If you did not find the person you were looking for, you may need to search the collection by image. ⇒Select "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select "Collection" category ⇒Select "Civil registration office" category ⇒Select "Event type" category ⇒Select "Archival call number, record type and year range" category which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

With either search keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.
 * If your ancestor used an alias or a nickname, be sure to check for those alternate names.
 * Even though these indexes are very accurate they may still contain inaccuracies, such as altered spellings, misinterpretations, and optical character recognition errors if the information was scanned.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line article FamilySearch Search Tips and Tricks.

Help Reading These Records
These records are in German. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * German Word List
 * German Language and Languages

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached 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.

Related Websites

 * Germany GenWeb Project
 * DigiBib

Related Wiki Articles

 * Germany Genealogy
 * Germany Digital Resources

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite your sources. This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually. Collection Citation:

Image Citation:

Image Citation: