Württemberg Census

The German state of Baden-Württenberg was created in 1945 by merging the German Empire states of Baden, Württemberg, and Hohenzollern. When searching in the FamilySearch Library catalog, use the German Empire state name, as that catalog was organized by place names in the 1871 Meyers gazetteer.

History
Read more about census takingin Germany. This article includes illustrations of census records.

Baden
The first census for Baden was taken in 1811 and repeated every year. These censuses were for statistical purposes showing that between 1811 and 1852 the population grew from 1 mill. to 1.3 mill. Since 1864 the censuses looked at individual households.

Census of the parish Stiftskirche in Baden-Baden from 1765
The Catholic parishes used to establish at Easter time each year a list of their parishioners, the so called Status animarum. The list of 1765 issued by the Stiftskirche contains the full name of the head of household, the full name of his wife, also if she happens to be a widow. Then follow the children with their ages and the number of servants. The Stiftskirche had jurisdiction over the following places: city of Baden, Scheuern, Dollen, Gunzenbach, Fremersberg and all farms, Ebersteinburg, Ober- and Unterbeuern, Geroldsau, Schmalbach, Geisbach, Mahlbach, Mühlenbach, Neuhaus. Not on the list are the places Oos and Balg as well as the monastery Lichtental.

The author Karl Becker has published the list in three sections of the periodical Archiv für Sippenforschung, 18 Jahrgang, Heft 7 (1941), starting with page 152. The periodical is available through FamilySearch, FamilySearch Catalog, call number 943 B2as.

Karl Becker continues with listing parishioners for the year 1782 in Archiv für Sippenforschung Jahrgang 20, Heft 3 (1943), starting with page 49.

Deutsche Zollverein and the German Reich (1834-1919)
Population statistics before 1816 can be retrieved through church registers. In 1816 the first census took place in Prussia (how many public and private houses. Population was listed according to gender and age, i.e., under 14 years, 14-60 years and over 60 years. Furthermore religion was an important factor, how many were married, how many were enlisted) When Prussia became part of the Zollverein, further censuses were levied. The Zollverein was a union of German states for easing customs regulations and tariffs so that, for instance, goods travelling from Königsberg to Köln would not have to be inspected 80 times. The idea of custom free home markets within their territory came from the Rheinbundstaaten. Here are two maps explaining which states belonged to the Rheinbund and the Zollverein.

Years Covered
Wuerttemberg (since 18 January 1828 at the Süddeutsche Zollverein) with the attached states - Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (since 28 July 1824), Hohenzollern-Hechingen (since 28 July 1824) was a member of the Zollverein. Baden (by contract of 12 May 1835) (a part of the Klettgau (including the municipality of Büsingen on the Hochrhein) remained outside the Zollverein customs territory.

Between 1834 and 1867 the Deutsche Zollverein conducted a census every three years: Censuses were also taken during the years of the German Empire (1871-1918) in:

Content
The format of census taking was more or less underdeveloped. The execution of the census taking was in the hands of the local police. The emphasis was on numbers of population in order to distribute equal taxes etc.
 * For the time from 1834-1852 the censuses were divided into civil and military population, gender, age, i.e., those under 14 years and those over 14 years old and furthermore those who were wives and those who were unmarried women. How these numbers were retrieved was pretty much up to the individual states.
 * In 1843 the guideline was issued to take a census house by house. This method was more accurate and produced better results.
 * In 1867 for the first time a census was taken in all German states simultaneously. Still, the results were not even. Within the states of the Zollverein, the residents were counted while the Norddeutsche Bund as well as Baden and Hessen counted the factual population. The data was derived via household lists, which each head of household had to fill out. He had to count:
 * All persons who resided in his household on the night of the census taking
 * All members of households who were absent on the day of census taking
 * The census was to contain each person with full name, gender, age, profession, nationality, why present or why not.
 * Was a person of a different nationality, the following questions had to be answered: was the person a citizen of that state, or of another and which one?
 * While earlier censuses were mainly taken for statistical and tax purposes, only in 1870 the commission decided to include information about names, standing in household, gender, place of birth, family status, confession, profession, nationality and place of residence.

Seelenregister 1764-1806
A census in Württemberg was taken yearly from 1764 to 1806 by locality. The so called Seelenregister (soul registers) can be found in '''church books. '''Parallel to these, statistics from 1769 on counted dwellings, cattle and occupations etc. and even a Wanderungsstatistik (journeymen record) was kept.

Spource: Pfister, Christian. Bevölkerungsgeschichte und historische Demographie, page 72

Yearly Population Registers 1816-1933
Until 1823 a yearly registration of the population was required going back to the 16th century. The tables listed all persons who belonged to the parish and were registered in family registers independent if absent or not. Such tables were prepared by ministers. By royal decree it was determined that the natural flow of the population should be recorded. Thus all births (legitimate or illegitimate) and deaths were registered beginning in 1832. After 1832 only every 10 years a census was to be taken. In them the following information was found: In 1834 the censuses were taken according to Zollverein modifications.

In 1858 the age groups were modified:
 * under 1 years old,
 * 1-6
 * 7-13
 * 14-14
 * 25-39
 * 40-59
 * 60-79
 * above 80 years old.

With the forming of the German Empire in 1871, censuses were taken with uniform guidelines, executions and evaluations asking for the following information:
 * Standing in household
 * Gender
 * Place of birth
 * Year of birth
 * Family status
 * Religion
 * Profession
 * Nationality
 * Residence
 * All persons present at time of census

Besides this data the individual states could ask for further information but not more than the following:
 * Date of birth instead of just year of birth
 * Mother tongue
 * Education (can read and write)
 * Special deficiencies
 * Reasons for non-household persons’ stay

Sources: Michel, Harald. Volkszählungen in Deutschland. Die Erfasung des Bevölkerungsstandes von 1816 bis 1933 see http://www.digitalis.uni-koeln.de/JWG/jwg_104_79-91.pdf

Stuttgart
Extracts of the 1939 German census concerning non-Germanic minorities living in Stuttgart, Württemberg, Germany. Emphasis is on the Jews.

Freiberg am Neckar, Heutingsheim, Beihingen, Geisingen
History of Heutingsheim, Württemberg, Germany; since 1972, incorporated with Beihingen am Neckar and Geisingen am Neckar into Freiberg am Neckar. Includes biographies of prominent citizens, historical background on local families, a transcription of a 1560 tax census, an alphabetical list of emigrants, and a historical gazetteer of place names. Includes index.

For Breitenstein, Neuweiler, Dettenhausen
Parish register of baptisms, marriages, deaths, confirmations, pastors, statistics, fatherhood declarations, communicants, census and family registers for Weil im Schönbuch, (OA. Böblingen), Württemberg, Germany. Includes Breitenstein, Neuweiler, Dettenhausen, etc. Text in German.