Austria, Upper Austria, Family Records Compiled from Parish Registers - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Österreich, Oberösterreich, Familienbogen

What is in This Collection?
This collection will include records from 1650-1900.

These records include family group records compiled from Roman Catholic parish registers from Upper Austria. The original records are in the Oberösterreichischen Landesarchiv, Linz, Austria.

Record History
Austria is divided into 2 ecclesiastical provinces for the Roman Catholic Church: the ecclesiastical province of Salzburg and the ecclesiastical province of Vienna. The Diocese of Linz and other parishes in Upper Austria are part of the Vienna province. Up until the past few hundred years, religions were the most faithful in keeping vital records. As such, these records have high validity. However, keep in mind that errors may have occurred at the time of documentation.

Collection Contents
These records may contain the following information:


 * Names of Each Family Member
 * Birth Dates and Places of Each Family Member
 * Baptism Dates and Places of Each Family Member
 * Marriage Dates and Places of Each Family Member
 * Name of Children’s Spouses
 * Death Dates and Places of Each Family Member
 * Burial Dates and Places of Each Family Member

How Do I Search the Collection?
It is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's name
 * Residence
 * Age or birthdate
 * Names of family members

Fill in the requested information in the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information in the list to what you already know about your ancestor to determine if it is the correct family or person. You may need to compare several persons in the list before you find your ancestor.

To search the collection by image: ⇒ Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the appropriate "Name Range" which takes you to the images.

What Do I Do Next?
Whenever possible, view the original records to verify the information and to find additional information that might not be reported. These pieces of information can lead you to additional records and family members.

I Found Who I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the age in the record to find an approximate birth year, which will help you find their other records.


 * Use the information to find your ancestors in Censuses. These can help you find additional family members.


 * Repeat this process with additional family members found to find more generations of the family.

I Can’t Find Who I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Try viewing the original record to see if there were errors in the transcription of the name, age, residence, etc.


 * 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. *Remember that sometimes individuals went by nicknames or alternated between using first and middle names. Try searching for these names as well.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Austria.
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Austria Record Finder

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


 * German Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * Germany Resources

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.