Germany, Saxony, Church Book Indexes - FamilySearch Historical Records

What Is in This Collection?
This collection contains images of index cards that record christenings, marriages, and burial records kept in churches from 1600-1900. In 1616, a resolution required all parish clergy to keep a separate book to record names and events which took place in their parish district. During the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) record keeping may not have been as consistent. Records from previous years might have been lost or destroyed. This collection of card indexes to church records includes a number of localities in Saxony, Germany, including the following: • 4

Sample Images
Click on images for a larger view.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Birth Records may contain:
 * Birth date
 * Place of birth
 * Name at birth
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ residence
 * Gender
 * Date and number of record

Marriage records may contain:
 * Date and place of event
 * Name of bride and groom
 * Residence
 * Age of bride and groom
 * Names of parents
 * Names of witnesses

Death Records may contain:
 * Date and place of death
 * Name of deceased person
 * Age or birth date
 * Cause of death
 * Marital status
 * Name of spouse (if applicable)

Burial records may contain:
 * Date and place of death
 * Name of cemetery
 * Name of deceased person
 * Age or birth date

How Do I Search the Collection?
You can search the index or view record images. Before using either method, it is best to know: As you search, look for a record which matches this information.
 * Name of the person
 * Year of the record

Search the Index

 * 1) Go to the 
 * 2) Fill in the search boxes with the information you have.
 * 3) Click Search to bring up a list of possible matches

View the Images

 * 1) Go to the 
 * 2) Click on the correct Parish and Alphabetic Range link to open the image viewer
 * 3) Use the onscreen controls to move between images as you look for a match

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the age in the record to find an approximate birth year, which will help you find their other records.
 * Use the information in each record to find additional family members.
 * Repeat this process with additional family member’s records to find more generations of the family.

I Can’t Find Who 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 their 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.
 * Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Germany.
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Germany Record Finder

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.