Hungary, Catholic Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Hungary

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes baptism/christening records from 1636 to 1895.

The text of these records varies among Latin, Hungarian, and German. Earlier records hold less information than more contemporary records.

Roman Catholic parishes were first required to keep church registers in 1563 by order of the Council of Trent. Unfortunately, most of Hungary was under Turkish rule at that time and was unable to comply. Only a few Franciscan registers exist from the Turkish period, and these start in the 1660s. Most Catholic records begin shortly after the Turks departed in 1686. Before 1781, the Roman Catholic Church was charged with keeping records for individuals from all religions, including the Jews. Therefore, prior to 1781, all vital records were kept by the Roman Catholic Church; after 1781, however, you must know the religious affiliation of your ancestors to find their records.

Church registers were created to record the baptism, marriage, and death in the parishioner’s life.

Church records were official records and are some of the most reliable sources of information available for genealogical research in Hungary. They are the property of the state and are stored in the archives of the various Hungarian counties of the National Archives of Hungary [Országos Leveltár] in Budapest.

Reading These Records
These records are in Hungarian, German, Latin. For help reading these records see the following guides:
 * Latin Genealogical Word List
 * Hungary Genealogical Word List
 * Hungary Language and Languages
 * German Word List

What Can These Records Tell Me?

 * Names
 * Dates
 * Place of baptism and christenings
 * Marriage
 * Death

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


 * Place and date of baptism
 * Infant’s name
 * Sometimes the birth date
 * Names of the father and mother
 * Names of godparents
 * Sometimes names of grandparents
 * Residence

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The county or diocese where the birth or baptism occurred
 * The name of the person at the time of the event
 * The approximate event date
 * The event place

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?

 * Make sure to fully transcribe and cite the record entry for future reference; see below for assistance in citing this collection. Save or print a copy of the image if possible
 * Use the information which has been discovered to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Continue to search the index to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives. Note that family members often appear on an individual's vital records, such as in the role of witnesses to a marriage

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * Collect entries for every person who has the same surname. This list can help you identify possible relations that can be verified by records
 * If you cannot locate your ancestor in the locality in which you believe they lived, then try searching records of a nearby locality in an area search
 * Standard spelling of names typically did not exist during the periods our ancestors lived in. Try variations of your ancestor’s name while searching the index or browsing through images

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Hungary.
 * 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.