Germany, Prussia, Brandenburg and Posen, Church Book Duplicates - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes images and indexes of births, marriages, and deaths from state copies of some parish registers (Kirchenbuchduplikate) from the provinces of Brandenburg and Posen, Germany. Original records are located in the Brandenburgisches Landeshauptarchiv, Potsdam, Germany. German states successively began creating church book duplicates from 1792 to 1876. This collection of church records covers the years 1794–1874 and are good sources to find information of ancestors before the institution of civil registration in 1876.

A parish is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction made up of many villages and hamlets, with one of the villages designated as the main parish. This set of church book duplicates do not usually include records from all of the villages within a parish, but only records from one village, or from a few of the villages within the parish. In larger cities, where there was more than one church, each church is listed separately. Outside of Prussia, the clergy were required to record the vital events (births, marriages and deaths) of people living within their jurisdiction regardless of their religion. For example, Catholic or Jewish people living in an area that did not have a Catholic church or Jewish synagogue were often recorded in the Lutheran records. The reverse was also true in Catholic areas, where Lutherans and Jews were recorded in Catholic records. However, in Prussia--including Brandenburg and, from 1793 onward, Posen--this was not the common practice. Some Posen church books have entries for Jews during the period 1807-1814, i.e., the Napoleonic occupation.

German church book duplicates, like the originals, are the most reliable and accurate family history source until 1876 when civil registration of births, marriages and deaths began in all of Germany. Church book duplicates may differ slightly from the originals because of transcription variations. They are often more legible than the originals. Entries are usually arranged in chronological order in a column format. The baptisms, marriages and deaths for one year are grouped together before the baptisms, marriages and deaths for the next year.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are written in German and Polish. For help reading them see:
 * Germany Language and Languages
 * German Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * Poland Language and Languages
 * Polish Word List

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records usually include the following:

Marriage
 * Names of bride, groom, their parents, and witnesses
 * Date and place of marriage and marriage proclamations or banns
 * Age of bride, groom, and their parents
 * Residence of bride, groom, and their parents
 * Religion of bride and groom
 * Occupation of groom and fathers

Death
 * Names of deceased, spouse, and parents
 * Date and place of death and burial
 * Age and residence of deceased (sometimes date and place of birth)
 * Cause of death

Baptismal
 * Names of child, parents, and witnesses or godparents
 * Date of birth and place of baptism
 * Residence and religion of parents
 * Occupation of father
 * Whether child was legitimate or illegitimate

Collection Content
For more information about these records see Germany, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before beginning a search in these records, it is best to know the full name of the individual in question, as well as an approximate time range for the desired record. When entered into the search engine on the Collection Page, this information provides the quickest, most reliable path to finding the correct person. Of course, other information can be substituted as necessary.

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * 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 the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Consult the Germany Record Finder to find other records
 * 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

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.

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