Berlin, Brandenburg, German Empire Civil Registration

Back to Berlin Page►


 * Civil registration records are records of births, marriages, and deaths kept by the government.
 * In Berlin, they were started on 1 October 1874.
 * German terms for these records include Standesamtsregister, Zivilstandsregister, or Personenstandsregister.
 * These records are kept by the civil registrar (Standesbeamte) at the civil registry office (Standesamt).

History
On October 1, 1874, the Berlin government began recording all births, marriages, and deaths. Thirteen civil registration offices were formed, each assigned a number. With the increase in population new branch offices were added to the system with a number and a letter such as 13a and 13b added to district 13.

In 1912, the civil registration offices in Berlin were reorganized. The many outlying areas of Berlin were incorporated into Berlin's civil registration system. As a result 49 new offices were created. These offices remained the same until 1920.

Since then there have been several regroupings. At the end of World War II, the resulting sections were referred to as West Berlin and East Berlin. In 1991, Berlin was reunified. Today in the whole of Berlin there are twenty-three civil registration districts. There is no central register or index to the vital records held by these offices.

Contents

 * Study these links to learn what information can be found:
 * Births (Geburtsregister)
 * Marriages (Heiraten, Ehen, or Trauungen)
 * Deaths (Sterberegister or Totenregister)

Accessing the Records Method 1: Ancestry.com Indexed Civil Registration
There are comprehensive indexes of Berlin civil registration records available at Ancestry.com. Use your personal membership or '''Ancestry.com can be searched free of charge at your local Family History Center.
 * Berlin, Germany, Births, 1874-1906, index and browsable images.
 * Berlin, Germany, Marriages, 1874-1920, index and browsable images.
 * Berlin, Germany, Deaths, 1874-1920, index and browsable images.

The collection also contains the civil registers of births from cities and communities in the Teltow, Niederbarnim and Osthavelland rural districts in Brandenburg, which were later incorporated into greater Berlin starting October 1, 1920:

Adlershof, Altglienicke, Biesdorf, Blankenburg, Blankenfelde, Bohnsdorf, Boxhagen, Britz, Buch, (Französisch) Buchholz, Buckow, Charlottenburg, Dahme-Forst, Dahlem, Eiche, Falkenberg, Friedenau, Friedrichsfelde, Friedrichshagen, Frohnau, Grünau, Grunewald, Haselhorst, Heiligensee, Heinersdorf, Hellersdorf, Hermsdorf, Hohenschönhausen, Karlshorst, Karow, Kaulsdorf, Kladow, Köpenick, Johannisthal, Lankwitz, Lichtenberg, Lichtenrade, Lichterfelde, Lübars, Mahlsdorf, Malchow, Mariendorf, Marienfelde, Marzahn, Müggelheim, Niederschöneweide, Niederschönhausen, Nikolassee, Oberschöneweide, Pankow, Pfaueninsel, Pichelsdorf, Rahnsdorf, Reinickendorf, Rixdorf/Neukölln, Rosenthal, Rudow, Ruhleben, Rummelsburg, Schmöckwitz, Schöneberg, Schöneweide, Siemensstadt, Spandau, Staaken, Steglitz, Sternfeld, Tegel, Tempelhof, Treptow, Wannsee, Weißensee, Wilhelmsruh, Wilmersdorf, Wittenau, Zehlendorf.

Accessing the Records Method 2: Landesarchiv Berlin
The Landesarchiv Berlin provides a new research portal to search for archived civil registration records. The indexes of names on the birth, marriage and death registers are systematically scanned in the Landesarchiv Berlin.
 * from 1874 to 1906 for birth certificates
 * from 1874 to 1936 for marriage certificates
 * from 1874 to 1986 for death certificates.

1. Find the street address for your ancestors' residence in Berlin.
To determine where civil registration records were kept, you must find the actual address(es) where your ancestors lived.
 * Use the online directories at BERLIN ADDRESS, TELEPHONE AND SECTOR BOOKS 1707 - 1991/1992 to find your ancestors' address in Berlin. Directories for some years not yet digitized may be found in the FamilySearch collections option given next.
 * Or, use Many of the films are readily available, but some are restricted. To view these restricted images do one of the following: 1) Access the site at a family history center, or 2) Access the site at a FamilySearch affiliate library.
 * In an address directory for the time period your ancestor lived in Berlin find the alphabetical listing of names section. (Other sections of the directories are businesses, public offices, societies, inhabitants' addresses listed under the street they resided, rather than by their name. Skip over these.)
 * When you find your ancestor listed, write down the street and house number where they resided.

Melderegister (Moving Records)
Moving records can be used to determine which civil registry office might have your ancestors' records by giving you a history of all the addresses where they resided. Police began keeping records of each German's residence in the 1840s. Citizens were required to tell the police at the local registration office (Meldeamt or Einwohnermeldeamt) when they moved. The records created are called registrations (Melderegister) or residents lists (Einwohnerregister). The old Berlin registration index from 1875 to 1960 is available in the Landesarchiv Berlin for information on former residents.
 * Dates covered: The index contains information about people whose registration of residence in West-Berlin has generally been cancelled by 31/1/1960 (due to relocation or death). For East-Berlin the cut off year is 1948. Later registration documents can be found in the Landeseinwohneramt (Friedrichstraße 219, Referat Meldeangelegenheiten, 10958 Berlin). There is as yet little data available on people who were born before 1850.
 * Information from the index can be obtained, if surname, forenames, date of birth and (with married people) previous name are provided.
 * Married women can normally only be searched for with the data of their husbands.
 * Where under age persons are searched for, details about both parents need to be given.
 * Addresses are not a search criterion; they serve only as confirmation in the case of a successful search.
 * Documents such as birth, marriage and death certificates cannot be issued from the index. The moving records just help determine which civil trgistry office to consult.
 * Use of the index is subject to a charge. A fee of € 10,- for each person investigated is payable per enquiry.

A request form for records is available: Order Form.

2. Determine the civil registry office (Standesamt) with jurisdiction over that address.
Research in Berlin is complicated by the great size of the city and the large number of civil registration offices. '''The next step is to determine which office had jurisdiction for your ancestors' addresses at the dates covered in the Landesarchiv Berlin indexes. '''
 * Street Indexes were included in the city directories from 1874-1919. These tell the civil registration office that each address was assigned to.
 * The reference book, Berlin Civil Registration Jurisdictions,is intended to help you identify the civil registration district in which your ancestor may have been recorded.
 * In this register, you will find a listing of all the streets in Berlin and the civil registration jurisdictions for three different years including 1876, 1892, and 1919.
 * This is a typical page in the register.

Tips For Searching

 * All listings are street names (Straße) unless otherwise noted as an alley or lane (Allee), (Gasse), place, square (Platz), or other similar designations.
 * The inconsistent spelling of street names from one directory to the next is a problem.
 * In the cases where alternate spellings were used, such as the street name of "Colonie" which was also listed as "Kolonie", they are listed twice in the Street Register for easier reference.
 * Other variations in street names are handled the same way as in the case of "Ostbahnhof" which is also listed as "Am Ostbahnhof".
 * In the original street indexes the street called "Unter den Linden" is listed as, "Linden, Unter den". The register lists this Street alphabetically as "Unter den Linden". This method has been applied consistently also for "Am, An der, Alte, Neue, Hinter dem, Klein, Groß," and similar prefixes on street names.
 * Words with an Umlaut (ä, ë, ï, ö, ü) are alphabetized as though there were no Umlaut.
 * The German letter "ß" is alphabetized as "ss".
 * Some directories list civil jurisdictions by house numbers; others list the jurisdictions by a street-to-street description such as "From Mühlen street to Spree". When only descriptions are given, it may be necessary to search the records of each civil registration district listed for the street your ancestor lived on.

3. Search birth, marriage, or death register indexes of the Landesarchiv Berlin civil registration collections.
The Landesarchiv Berlin provides a new research portal to search for archived civil registration records. The indexes of names on the birth, marriage and death registers are systematically scanned in the Landesarchiv Berlin.
 * from 1874 to 1906 for birth certificates
 * from 1874 to 1936 for marriage certificates
 * from 1874 to 1986 for death certificates.
 * These date ranges are as of 2019. New records become available each year. For updates on records available, see The civil registry (Landesarchiv Berlin).

To browse the indexes, go directly to the Search Engine and enter the name of the Standesamt (registry office) you wish to search. Detailed Instructions.
 * Search under the "old" Standesamt name, found in Berlin Civil Registration Jurisdictions (instructions below).
 * If you have found the person you are looking for, please make a note of:
 * the registry office (preferably with archive abbreviation)
 * type of certificate (death, marriage or birth)
 * year
 * number of the entry.

For Records in the Landesarchiv Berlin
Next, using listed document numbers found in the Landesarchiv Berlin indexes in step #3 above, copies of the respective civil status certificates can be ordered directly from the Landesarchiv Berlin.

Send your application in writing to Landesarchiv Berlin. An order form can be found here::
 * By email: info@landesarchiv.Berlin.De
 * By mail:
 * Landesarchiv Berlin
 * Eichborndamm 115-121
 * D - 13403 Berlin
 * Germany

Instructions and translation for filling out the form:
 * 1) In the section labeled "Absender", fill in your name, address, telephon, and e-mail.
 * 2)  Sterbeurkunde  Heiratsurkunde  Geburtsurkunde: Check Sterbeurkunde for death certificate, Heiratsurkunde for marriage certificate, or Geburtsurkunde for birth certificate.
 * 3) zu folgender Person: Fill in the name, birthdate, parents, spouse, marriage date, death date, any of these that you know about the person you are requesting the record for. It is O.K. to use English labels like "death, husband, etc.
 * 4) Urkundennummer …/… des Standesamts………………"""Fill in the reference numbers you found in the index and the name of the office (Berlin I, Berlin II, etc. or oder: Berliner Adresse und (vermutliches) Jahr der Urkundenausstellung:'''If you found the family in a directory and know their address at the probable year of the event, fill that in here.
 * 5) Ich benötige eine Beglaubigung der Kopien (6,- € pro Vorgang/Dokument). Check the box. You are asking for copies at the cost of EU 6.00 each.
 * 6) Bemerkungen: Here you describe the copies you want, such "one copy of each", "two copies of the birth certificate", and so on.
 * 7) Die mit der Bearbeitung meiner Anfrage entstehenden Gebühren und Kosten (mind. 30 €) werde ich übernehmen/ wird mein Auftraggeber (Rechnungsadresse bitte angeben) übernehmen. Datum……(Date)………………… Unterschrift: ……(Signature)………..…………………:  Sign and date this. You are agreeing to pay the minimum cost of EU 30.00 and asking them to send you an invoice with the address where you will send payment.

For More Recent Records in Civil Registries (not in Landesarchiv Berlin)
Records too recent to be available in Landesarchiv Berlin may still be obtained by writing to the local civil registry office. Write to the current Standesamt.

Determining Which Standesamt to Contact
Use the online directories at BERLIN ADDRESS, TELEPHONE AND SECTOR BOOKS 1707 - 1991/1992''' to find your ancestors' address in Berlin for a given year when you know they lived there. ''' Earlier directories may give the Standesamt number and the neighborhood district if the street.

Old Berlin (Alt-Berlin) Registry (Standesamt number known)
Earlier directories can give the registry number as a Roman numeral. Registry Office Berlin Mitte: Berlin Standesamt Mitte manages records for the former registry offices: Records for the other offices in Old Berlin:
 * Center (Mitte) of Berlin,
 * Tiergarten of Berlin and
 * Wedding of Berlin, and before the 01.07.1938 the registry offices
 * Berlin 1,
 * Berlin 2,
 * Berlin 3,
 * Berlin 6
 * Berlin 9
 * Berlin 10a
 * Berlin 11
 * Berlin 12a and 12b
 * Berlin 13a and 13b
 * RVK

When the Directory Only Gives a Street Address, Including Greater Berlin
If the directory only gives the street address this method to find the Standesamt for that street. Also, through growth and annexation, Berlin now includes a much larger metropolitan area, consisting of 12 boroughs and 96 neighborhoods. Some directories might name the neighborhood for the street address.
 * a. Use Google Maps to locate the street in modern Berlin. Enter the street name, then "Berlin, Germany" in the search field.
 * b. Use this map of Berlin's 12 boroughs (click 2-4 times to enlarge) to determine which borough has your street. Or, look up the borough or neighborhood in this alphabetical list.



Find the Current Standesamt Address
Find the address for the Standesamt here by entering the name of the Standesamt from #1 above or the name of the borough from #2 above.
 * Standesamt Addresses for Berlin

German Letter Writing Guide
For help writing a request letter in German, use the German Letter Writing Guide.

Reading the Records

 * It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French and German to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately.  Here are some resources for learning to read German records.
 * German Genealogical Word List


 * These video webinars will teach you to read German handwriting:
 * Old German Script Part 1
 * Old German Script Part 2
 * Old German Script (German Church and Civil Records) Part 3
 * German Script Tutorial


 * List of Names in Old German Script A comprehensive list of German given names,  written in old script, with possible variations.
 * Old German Script Transcriber (alte deutsche Handschriften): See your family names in the script of the era. Type your name or other word into the font generator tool. Click on the 8 different fonts. Save the image to your computer and use it as you work with old Germanic records.

Search Strategy

 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find their birth record, search for the births of their brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of their parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.
 * The marriage certificate will show the birth date, birth place, and parents of the bride and the groom.
 * Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
 * If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.