Germany - Marriage - 1500-1874 Search Strategy

Parish Register, Marriage: Church records
Beginning about 1500, churches required their clergy to keep marriage records. The marriage record may include the dates of the marriage banns or proclamations. Information found in a marriage record depends on how detailed the minister made his record. Usually it gives the name of the bride and groom and their parents. It may also give their ages or dates of birth.


 * What you are looking for: Before civil registers began, church marriage records were the best source for determining when a person was married.
 * Why go to the next record: Not all German marriage records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Parish Transcripts, Marriage: Church records
Beginning about 1500, churches required their clergy to keep marriage records. Before civil registration began, the government required churches to submit a copy of the marriage records. The records give the names of the bride and groom and usually their parents. These records may not begin the same year for every parish.


 * What you are looking for: The government required the church to submit copies of marriage records. If the original parish records have been destroyed, these copies are the best source for determining when a person was married.
 * Why go to the next record: Not all marriage transcripts have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Marriage Banns: Church records
Beginning about 1500, churches required their clergy to keep marriage records, which often included marriage banns or proclamations. Information found in the marriage banns depends on how detailed the minister made his record but usually includes the names of the bride and groom and the dates of the banns.


 * What you are looking for: If family register records do not exist, parish marriage banns are the best source for determining when a person was married. Marriage banns were published in the church three weeks prior to the marriage.
 * Why go to the next record: Not all parish marriage banns have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Parish Register, Christening, 1500-1874: Church records
Beginning about 1500, churches required their clergy to keep christening (or baptism) records. The records give the names of the parents and the child and include birth dates. Information found in a christening depends on how detailed the minister made his record.


 * What you are looking for: If parish marriage banns do not exist, parish christening records are the best source for determining when a person was married. The marriage date should be about one year before the first child's birth.
 * Why go to the next record: Not all christening records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Parish Transcripts, Christening: Church records
Beginning about 1500, churches required their clergy to keep christening records. Before civil registration began, the government required churches to submit a copy of these records. You can use the christening date of the first child to determine the approximate marriage date of the parents when marriage records are not available. These records may not begin the same year for every parish.


 * What you are looking for: If parish christening records do not exist, parish christening transcripts are the best source for determining when a person was married. The christening transcript of a couple's first child will not give a marriage date for the parents, but it does give their names. The marriage date should be about one year before the first child's birth.
 * Why go to the next record: Not all christening transcript records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Census: Census
The town's census or resident records were not kept with any consistency or regularity. You can estimate the marriage date of the parents from the age of the first child. Census records can also help identify all the members of a family and help determine where a family originated.


 * What you are looking for: When christening transcripts do not exist, census records are the best source for determining when a couple was married. A census record may not give a marriage date for the parents, but it does give their names. The marriage date should be about one year before the first child's birth.
 * Why go to the next record: Not all census records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Probate File: Probate records
The district court's probate records provide information on the birth, marriage, and death of the individual. They can also help identify the complete ancestral family.


 * What you are looking for: When census records do not exist, probate records are the best source for determining when a couple was married. A probate record may not give a marriage date for the deceased, but it does give the name of the spouse and surviving children. The length of the marriage may be indicated in the probate record, from which you can estimate the marriage date.
 * Why go to the next record: Not all probate records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Citizenship Record: Naturalization and citizenship
Citizenship records were kept by the town in which an ancestor lived. These records provide an ancestor's occupation, age or date of birth, and sometimes names of the parents or spouse.


 * What you are looking for: When probate records do not exist, citizenship records are the best source for determining when a person was married. Citizenship records may not give a marriage date, but they give a person's age, making it possible to determine his or her approximate marriage year. The average marriage age for a man was 29 years and for a woman was 28 years.
 * Why go to the next record: Not all citizenship records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.

Muster Rolls: Military records
Military records provide the date and place of birth of every male drafted in the army. The name of the father and his occupation may also be given. These records may also provide marriage and death information.


 * What you are looking for: When citizenship records do not exist, military records are the best source for determining when a male was married. Military records may not give a marriage date, but they give a person's age, making it possible to determine his approximate marriage year. The average marriage age for a man was 29 years and for a woman was 28 years.
 * Why go to the next record: Not all military records have been microfilmed, and the beginning date of these records varies from place to place.