Germany, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Censuses - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Records
Deutschland, Großherzogthum Mecklenburg Volkszählungen

Record Description
This collection of census records pertains to the census of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin conducted in 1867, 1890, and 1900. (Mecklenburg censuses were conducted intermittently from 1636 to 1939.) These records are in German/Gothic.

A census of citizens of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was collected as of 2/3 December 1867. Authorized enumerators went from house to house in their appointed areas, recording in a “household list” of each person who was present at the time in the apartment or house. Household members who were not physically present at the time of the census were recorded in an addendum. The following information was recorded about each person: first and last name, gender, year of birth, religious affiliation, marital status, occupation or social standing, citizenship, the reason why visitors were in the census area, and distinguishing physical characteristics. Based on the 1867 census, the population of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was determined to be 560,668. Of those, 193,882 people lived in the cities.

A name index and images for a portion of The 1890 census consist of a name index arranged by towns under their enumeration district. Two types of forms are found for each town: Zählkarten and Namenslisten. The Zählkarten list individuals and give the date and place of birth, occupation, residence, gender and marital status, etc. The Namenslisten list the inhabitants of a given household and show relationship to the head of the household. Most of the census did not survive.

The 1900 census consist of two forms: the individual forms (Zählkarten), which list information about each person, and the household lists (Haushaltungslisten), which identify the members of a family and their relationship to the head of household; both forms are filed by place. These places are then arranged alphabetically by each manorial district or city (Ritteramt, Domänenamt, Klosteramt, Stadt).

The censuses cover territory controlled by the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. For the 1900 census, takers went to each house in each of the 2,559 districts and recorded all the inhabitants as of December 1, 1900, therefore covering about 95 to 98 percent of the population living in Mecklenburg-Schwerin in December of 1900.

For a list of records by date or locality currently published in the Germany, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Census collections:


 * 1867
 * 1890
 * 1900

Record Content
Records found on most individual forms generally contain the following information:


 * Enumeration District
 * Full Name and Gender
 * Birth Date and Place
 * Marital Status
 * Place of Residence
 * Occupation
 * Religion

Records found on most household forms generally contain the following information:


 * Household Number and Street Address
 * Name of Head of Household
 * Full Names of All Members of Household
 * Relationship to Head of Household

How to Use the Records
To begin your search, it is helpful to know the name and some other identifying information such as the birth place or birth date.

The censuses were taken to assess military and taxation capacity, as well as for religious, occupational, and language background. Census information was provided by any member of the household. If some information was incomplete, the census taker had to return to the household to complete the information. Each record was signed by the census taker as verification of its accuracy.

The original records are preserved at the German State Archives in Schwerin. The Family History Library has copies on microfilm also.

Search the Collection
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 look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

To search the collection, ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select “Place: Place number (District or City)" which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image 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.

Next to parish registers, census records provide more family information than any other Mecklenburg record for the time period. You must know how to read German Gothic script. You also need to know at least the name of your ancestor and the approximate place of residence at the time of the census.

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


 * German Word List
 * Deciphering German Script (Kurrentschrift)

Known Issues with 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.

Related Websites

 * German Census Taking-Before 1871
 * AKVZ Database Menu - In German

Related Wiki Articles

 * German Census Records
 * Germany Census
 * Germany

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information (often called citing 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 for Germany, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Census 1867:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation:

Collection citation for Germany, Mecklenburg-Schwerin Census, 1890:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation:

Collection citation for Germany, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Census 1900:

Record citation (or citation for the index entry):

Image citation:

This collection may include information previously published in the International Genealogical Index or Vital Records Index collections.