Bremen, German Empire Church Records

Church Records (Parish Registers) Definition
Church records (parish registers, church books) are an important source for genealogical research in Germany before civil registration began. They recorded details of baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. The vast majority of the population was mentioned. To learn more about the types of information you will find in church records, click on these links: For a comprehensive understanding of church records, study the article Germany Church Records.
 * Baptisms (Taufen)
 * Marriages (Heiraten)
 * Burials (Begräbnisse)
 * Confirmations (Konfirmationen)
 * Family Registers (Familienbücher)

Accessing Church Records
See Bremen Church Records to learn more. Church records were kept in the local parish of the church. The term parish refers to the jurisdiction of a church minister. Parishes are local congregations that may have included many neighboring villages in their boundaries.
 * You should try to determine whether your ancestors were Catholic or Lutheran (Evangelical).
 * Directories or address books might give you the address where your family lived in Bremen. This can help you determine which parish has their records.
 * Bremen Address Books (Bremer Addressbuecher),1794-1955. in German.
 * Directories on die Maus, 1794-1955, ($)
 * This index to most parish records for Bremen can also help identify which parish they lived in.
 * Die Maus, Index to Births, Marriages, and Deaths in Bremen Church Books, index, ($)

Church Records on the Internet

 * 1500-1971 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Die Maus, Index to Births, Marriages, and Deaths in Bremen Church Books, index, ($)
 * Matricula, Catholic Records of the Diocese of Hildesheim Online
 * Wedding Collections, A source for the determination of wedding dates in Bremen, 1656-1750, ($)
 * Baptisms St. Petri (Taufen im Bremer St. Petri Dom), ($)

Records at the Family History Library
The Family History Library has many Bremen church records on microfilm.


 * a. Click on the Places within Germany, Bremen drop-down menu] and select your town.
 * b. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * c. Choose the correct record type and time period for your ancestor. "Taufen" are baptisms/christenings. Heiraten are marriages.  "Tote" are deaths.
 * d. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

Local Parishes
Most church registers are still maintained by the parish. You might obtain information by writing to the parish. Parish employees will usually answer correspondence written in German. Your request may be forwarded if the records have been sent to a central repository.


 * Catholic church addresses in Bremen
 * Catholic parishes in Deanery of Bremen
 * Catholic parishes in Deanery of North Bremen
 * Catholic church addresses in Bremerhaven
 * Search for Lutheran parishes in Bremen and Bremerhaven

Writing the Letter
Write a brief request in German to the proper church using this address as a guide, replacing the information in parentheses: For a Protestant Parish:


 * An das evangelische Pfarramt
 * (Insert street address, if known.)
 * (Postal Code) (Name of Locality)
 * GERMANY

For a Catholic Parish:


 * An das katholische Pfarramt
 * (Insert street address, if known.)
 * (Postal Code) (Name of Locality)
 * GERMANY


 * Click herefor postal code help for Germany.

How to write a letter: Detailed instruction for what to include in the letter, plus German translations of the questions and sentences most frequently used are in the German Letter Writing Guide.'''

State Archives
State Archives Bremen Postal address: Staatsarchiv Bremen Am Staatsarchiv 1 28203 Bremen Germany Phone: 0421 / 361-6221 Fax: 0421 / 361-10247 E-mail: office@staatsarchiv.bremen.de Website:http://www.staatsarchiv.bremen.de/detail.php?gsid=bremen99.c.1580.de Please contact:
 * The Staatsarchiv Bremen holds most of the church books from before 1920.
 * The church books (with a few missing) of Bremen and formerly surrounding areas are available at the genealogical society "Die Maus". One can obtain copies up to 1875.

Die Maus Gesellschaft für Familienforschung in Bremen e.V. Am Staatsarchiv 1 28203 Bremen Germany Website: http://die-maus-bremen.de/die-maus/kontakt/

Help with genealogy questions: Christa Lütjen E-Mail: Luetjen@die-maus-bremen.de

Central Church Archives
In a few parts of Germany, church records or duplicates have been gathered from the local parishes into central archives. Some gaps in the church records of local parishes could be filled using these records. Church archives are often unable to handle genealogical requests, but they can determine whether they have specific records you need, or they may recommend a researcher who can search the records for you.


 * Catholic Diocese of Osnabrück
 * Dioezesanarchiv des Osnabrück
 * Grosse Domfreiheit 10
 * 49074 Osnabrück
 * Germany

Other Religious Groups

 * To learn how to determine the location of other religious records, namely Jewish, French Reformed, German Reformed, etc., watch Hansen’s Map Guides: Finding Records with Parish Maps beginning at 48:00 minutes, to learn how to locate these congregations. Then go back and watch from the beginning to understand how to use the reference book. This course teaches you how to use a set of reference books found at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you are not in Salt Lake City, use the Contact Us feature to request information from the books.

Jewish Records

 * See the Wiki article, Germany Jewish Records

Huguenots (French Protestants)
*German Huguenot Society eV, index.
 * See the Wiki article, ’’’Huguenots in Germany’’’

Reading the Records

 * It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French and German to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately.  Here are some resources for learning to read German records.
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * German Handwriting


 * These video webinars will teach you to read German handwriting:
 * Old German Script Part 1
 * Old German Script Part 2
 * Old German Script (German Church and Civil Records) Part 3


 * Also online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:
 * . In this lesson, you will explore several types of German genealogical records, including birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records.
 * German Script Tutorial
 * . In this lesson, you will explore several types of German genealogical records, including birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records.
 * German Script Tutorial

This converter will show you how any phrase or name might look in German script:
 * Kurrentschrift Converter (enter German genealogical word, click on "convert", view your word in Kurrentschrift (Gothic handwriting)

Latin Records
Records of the Catholic church will usually be written in Latin:
 * Latin Genealogical Word List

Research Strategies
Effective use of church records includes the following strategies:


 * Search for the relative or ancestor. When you find his or her birth record, search for the births of brothers and sisters.
 * Next search for the parents' marriage date and place. The marriage record will often lead to the parents' birth records.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records. If more than one possible candidate is found, search confirmation, marriage, and burial records to determine the correct individual. If available, census-type records or family books can be used as well.
 * Try to find the parents death/burial entries, since these records may give their age at death.
 * Use the above strategies for both the father and the mother.
 * If earlier generations are not in the record you are using, search neighboring parishes and other denominations.
 * Search the burial registers for all family members.


 * German Research Troubleshooting Strategies