Zwolle, Overijssel

Netherlands Overijssel

Guide to  ancestry, genealogy and family history birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Zwolle is a city and municipality in Overijssel. It is the capital city, and was historically the largest city. It is located on the IJssel river, near the mouth, in the north west part of the province. In 1967 it absorbed the former municipality Zwollerkerspel.

The municpality includes Zwolle, Windesheim, Brinkhoek, Bruggenhoek, Frankhuis, Haerst, Harculo, Herfte, Hoog Zuthem, Katerveer, Langenholte, De Lichtmis, Oldeneel, Schelle, Spoolde, Veldhoek, Wijthmen and Zalné

Church Records
Many different religions existed in Zwolle before 1811- Dutch Reformed, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Jewish, Wallonian Reformed and Mennonite(Doopsgezinde). Records can be accessed either from the Historich Centrum Overijssel, VPND or Sallands DTB. GeneaKnowHow is also a good source. For most records there are either transcriptions or indexes available from these sites. The earliest records start in the sixteenth century, but most start at least a hundred years later.

Dutch Reformed
In the city of Zwolle were the churches Sint Michiels (or the Grote Kerk), Bethlehem Kerk and the Broerenkerk. They shared registers except for baptisms in the Broerenkerk between 1774 and 1794. The first surviving records are marriages in 1581. On the outskirts of Zwolle (formerly part of Zwollerkerspel), there were churches in Mastenbroek and Windesheim. A cemetery also existed at the Bergklooster.

Catholic
There were 4 Roman Catholic parishes in Zwolle- Hoornsteeg, Spiegelsteeg, Bogenkerk and Koestraat. There were no rural parishes in Zwolle, so Catholics living in Zwollerkerspel had to attend an urban parish- not necessarily one of the Zwolle parishes. Catholics formed about 20% of the population. Most Catholics would have been buried in the Dutch Reformed Church, and would have had to marry in the Dutch Reformed Church as well as in their Catholic parish. Their records tend to start no earlier than 1700.

Other Religions
Wallonian Reformed (Waalse Gereformeered) records go back to 1686, Lutheran records back to 1684, Mennonite (Doopsgezinde) back to 1696 and Jewish records back to 1774.

Civil Records pre-1811
The civil authorities in the city of Zwolle kept birth records for non-Dutch Reformed children from around 1727 onwards, categorized by religion. Between 1774 and 1794 another more detailed register was also kept for these births- a very useful supplement to church records. Birth records for Dutch and Wallonian Reformed children were also kept from 1774.

Post-1794.when the Netherlands fell to French-inspired rule, the former authority of the Dutch Reformed church waned. It was now required to marry civilily (whereas previously all marriages had been registered by the Dutch Reformed church). From 1806-1811, more detailed death and burial registers were kept.

The HCO has online all images of these records, which include far more than is described here.

Civil Registration
In 1811 the Napoelonic Regime introduced civil registration of births, marriages and deaths.