Austria, Upper Austria, Linz Citizen Rolls - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Österreich, Oberösterreich, Linz Bürgerbücher

Record Description
This collection of citizen records includes the years 1658 to 1937.

This collection of citizen records for the city of Linz may give the name, residence, age, occupation, and tax information for each citizen. The collection also includes citizen land registers (burgerkataster), tax invoices (rechnungen), orphan books (waisenbuch), lists of proprietors (hauserverzeichnis), and certificates of family origin (heimatschein).

The text is handwritten in German. Some documents are written in ledger type format, others in narrative style. For help with translating the documents, see the For Help Reading the Records section of this article.

This collection has a variety of legal records, all relating to citizen records of residence status, property, taxes, heirs, etc.

These records were created to track the identification, property, and taxes of all citizens and people applying for citizenship.

Citizen records are reliable, but keep in mind that these do not have as much information as church and civil records. Use these records when vital information can’t be found elsewhere.

For a list of records by date or locality currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Citizen lists may include the following:


 * Date issued
 * Name of principal
 * Occupation
 * Marital status
 * Residence
 * Age
 * Physical description
 * Spoken language

Outstanding tax records may include the following:


 * Name of person
 * Marital status
 * Place of residence

Citizenship and oath of allegiance lists may include the following:


 * Name of person
 * Age or date of birth
 * Place of residence
 * Occupation
 * Signature of person swearing the oath
 * Name of representative (if any)

Inheritance tax records may include the following:


 * Name of the deceased person
 * Names of heirs
 * Taxes information

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, some tips on how to find records, and what to do if no record is found.

When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, estimated [event] year, and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒ Select the "Item of Interest" which takes you to the images.

Indexes are available on some of these groups of images. If indexes are available, check these for the name first. Indexes are usually located at the beginning of a group of images or at the end. Find your ancestors name and look for the locator information next to the name (such as page, entry, or certificate number). This will help you find the record you are looking for in the collection.

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

For Help Reading the Records
These records are in German. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * German Word List
 * German Language and Languages
 * Germany Handwriting
 * Germany Resources

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank, or status within the community.
 * Be aware that errors may have occurred at the time the records were made.

Related Websites

 * Austrian Citizenship
 * Citizenship Act
 * Obtaining Austrian Citizenship
 * Austrian Nationality Laws
 * Oberosteriches Landesarchiv
 * Research in Austria

Related Wiki Articles

 * Austria
 * Austria Church Records
 * Austria Births and Baptisms (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Austria, Upper Austria, Linz, Miscellaneous City Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information (often called citing your sources). This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation:

Image citation: