Anhalt Church History

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In the 16th century Anhalt accepted the Lutheran doctrine. Thus the area is entirely Evangelical Lutheran. The area was divided over the centuries into four principalities: Dessau, Bernburg, Cöthen and Zerbst. In 1548 a decree was issued to create church registers in which pastors had to record marriages, baptisms and deaths with year, month and day. A church book from Rieder was established in 1539 and is henceforth the oldest church book in Anhalt. Others from the 16th century are:

Hohnsdorf (1559)

Rathmannsdorf (1577)

Coswig (1586)

Lausigk (1590)

Bernburg (1595)

Nienburg a. S. (1563)

Dessau (St. Marien) (1578)

Bernburg-Waldau (1587)

Ratho (1593)

Wedlitz and Hoym (1597)

For other parishes in Anhalt see Anhalt Gazetteers