Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany Genealogy

History And Geography



 * The region became a part of Bavaria in the late 12th century, when the line of the counts of Regensburg and Stefling came to an end. While Regensburg became a Free Imperial City (meaning subordinate to the emperor only), the surrounding lands were Bavarian property.
 * While the district dates back to medieval times, its present shape was established in 1972. For more information on the history of this area see Wikpedia

Catholic Church Records


There are several Catholic Churches in Regensburg. ( Regensburg's Catholic Churches ) They are all worth visiting because of their amazing beauty but not necessary when searching for genealogy because their parish records are at the Regensburg Bischöfliches Zentralarchiv. You can see the location and information about each of the churches on Google Maps For those with an interest in the genealogy of their Bavarian ancestors, the best part of Regensburg is the Catholic archive. The Diocese of Regensburg is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory seated in Regensburg, Germany. Its district covers parts of northeastern Bavaria; it is subordinate to the archbishop of Munich and Freising. The diocese has 1.22 million Catholics, constituting 81% of its population. The main diocesan church is Saint Peter in Regensburg. The diocese is divided into eight regions and 33 deaneries with 769 parishes.

The parish records of Catholic churches in the Diocese of Regensburg are kept in the Diocesan Central Archives. They have records for most of the parishes in the Oberpfalz region of Bavaria.

Regensburg Bischöfliches Zentralarchiv (Regensburg Diocesan Central Archive)

St. Peters-Weg 11-13 93047 Regensburg Germany Email: archiv@bistum-regensburg.de Website


 * Regensburg parish registers on Matricula Online. Taufen means baptisms, Trauungen means marriages, and Beerdigungen means burials.


 * If you are looking for records for the city of Regensburg, there are six parishes. It is helpful to know which part of the city they lived in or the parish they attended. If that info is not known, there is often an index on microfiche that lists the surnames names of the parish members.

The records in the Regensburg Bischöfliches Zentralarchiv are on microfiche and are written in German and Latin handwriting. If you are not familiar with reading old handwriting, you may be able to pick out certain last names, but do not confuse occupations with last names since many last names are similar to occupations. It is necessary to make an appointment to reserve the use of a microfiche reader. It is also advised to order microfiche for the parish in which you wish to research so that the box of microfiche will be waiting for you on the day you arrive. If you plan to work with another person, let the archivist know that you would like to use one of their small private rooms which has a microfiche reader in it. No talking is allowed except at the front desk, so even if you are in the small room, keep your voices to a whisper. There is a 7 Euro fee per day per person to do research. If you plan to research from Mon-Thurs, ask for a discounted fee of 20€ for four days. There is a 6€ charge per document if you want photocopies. Since 2018, the fee was 3€ per scan on a CD (mailed later). With the daily/weekly fee, you have permission to look at two parish books on microfilm per day, but only one box of fiche at a time is allowed on your table. If you want to look at more than two parishes per day, there is an extra fee. You can use a laptop computer to type the information you find, or use a pencil (not an ink pen) and paper and make notes. An archive worker will explain how to use their system and readers, but will not help with research. If you are not sure which parish would have the records you need, go to the front desk and look in the large book that lists parishes. If you order a copy of a church record, it can take up to 6 months to receive a copy in the mail, which may arrive on a CD. New since September 2018, the archive began allowing the use of a camera to take pictures of microfilm for free.

Lutheran Church Records
Bavaria was and is predominantly Catholic. If your ancestors lived in Regensburg, there is a chance they affiliated with the Catholic church. However, if you do not find them in the Catholic records, you should search the Lutheran records.

According to Meyer's Gazetteer, there have been four Lutheran Parishes in Regensburg since at least 1871. Today there are seven parishes. You can see them on Google Maps and by clicking on one you can see the name and information about that parish.


 * Many records for the Lutheran (Evangelical) churches in Bavaria are digitized and available online through Archion ($). This is not a free site, but requires registration and a membership fee. This link gives instructions on [[Media:1-Archion-Instruction.pdf|How to Use Archion]].
 * Legacy Tree provides a detailed description of Archion that you may find valuable in deciding if this is a resource you want to use.


 * The Lutheran Archive for Bavaria is in Nurnberg. It is always a good idea to contact in advance and make an appointment to use an archive.



Veilhofstraße 8 90489 Nurnberg E-Mail: archiv@elkb.de Website

Online Records

 * Various records can be found through the Meta-Genealogy.net tool on the website of the German Society for Computer Genealogy. Enter the name of the town name in the place box, then click search and it will produce an alphabetical list of people from that area that are in the data base. You can do a more specific search by entering a surname, also or just the surname if you don't know yet the birthplace of your ancestor.
 * Bavaria, Germany, WWI Personnel Rosters, 1914-1918 include soldiers from Regensburg on Ancestry.com
 * There is some Regensburg information at Find A Grave It is incomplete at this time, but it's a good idea to check occasionally for additions to the data base. The more information you enter them more specific the result, but add what you know and you may find a treasure!
 * FamilySearch Historical Records is a great resource. Use the search tools in the column on the left to refine your search, scroll and click on update.

Civil Registration
This is a picture of the old Rauthaus in Regensburg. It is an interesting historical site, but no records are kept there.

Below is information on the current Civil Records Office.

Standesant of Regensburg D.-Martin-Luther-Straße 3 93047 Regensburg

Email: Standesamt@regensburg.de Mailing address: Postfach 11 06 43 93019 Regensburg Germany

Regensburg Standesamt Website

The Standesamts (Civil Registration Offices) at the Rathaus (Town Hall) in most of Bavaria only have records back to the late 1800's. If you are seeking information concerning your family prior to that time it is necessary to go to church records. But this is definitely a good place to start. It is possible to contact them by mail or email requesting information. If you have an opportunity to go there in person it is best to make an appointment to ensure that the person that oversees the civil records will be available to assist you. Most of the time there will be a fee for a copy of a record.

Cemeteries
There are several large cemeteries in Regensburg. This link can be helpful. However in a city this large walking through cemeteries would be very time consuming, unless you know which cemetery to go to and use the cemetery map to find the grave of your relative. Regensburg Cemeteries If you are lucky enough to go to Regensburg and want to find a cemetery Find A Grave and Billion Graves both have great phone apps to help you locate cemeteries.

Additional Help
We hope that the above information will be useful to those seeking genealogy for their family from Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany. If you are still struggling be sure to use the "Bavaria Wiki Topics" guide on the upper right side of this page. Another wonderful resource available on Wiki is the Wiki Wizard German videos.