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For information about records for non-Christian religions in Denmark, go to the Religious Records page.

Historical Background
The official Church of Denmark is Evangelical Lutheran which is stated in the 4th paragraph of the Danish Constitution. Religion plays a role in the lives of the Danish during events such as births and deaths. But like other Scandinavian countries, Denmark is largely secularized, and with the exceptions of occasions such as births and deaths, religion does not play a large part in public life. Still, approximately 80-85% of Danes are members of the Church of Denmark with about 5% of Evangelical Lutherans attending weekly services. In Copenhagen, around 66% of the population is counted among the church membership. Roughly 13% do not adhere to any particular religious belief.

Church records [Kirkebøger] are excellent sources for accurate information on names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. Virtually every person who lived in Denmark was recorded in a church record.

Records of births, marriages, and deaths are commonly called vital records because critical events in a person's life are recorded in them. Church records are vital records made by the clergy. They are often referred to as parish registers or churchbooks. They include records of baptisms [Dåb], marriages [Giftemål], and burials [Begravelser]. In addition, church records may also include introductions, communions, absolutions, church accounts, confirmations, and lists of people moving into or out of the parish.

Religious freedom is strong in Denmark and many faiths can be found there. In addition to the Church of Denmark, 3% of the population is Roman Catholic and 2% are Muslim. A small percentage adheres to the Old Norse religion which was established in the Middle Ages by the Vikings. Some of the most common denominations have been:
 * Den Danske Folkekirke (records since 1617)
 * Roman Catholic (records since 1647)
 * French Reformed Church (records since 1685)
 * German Reformed Church (records since 1686)
 * Anglican (records since 1835)
 * Methodist (records since 1846)
 * The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (records since 1850)
 * Baptist
 * Jewish

References
 * Iverson, Hans, "Religion in Denmark."
 * "Religion in Denmark." denmark.net
 * National Museum of Denmark Danmarks Kirker - Information on churches on the island of Fyn and the Jylland peninsula

Roman Catholic Church Records
In Denmark, the Reformation took a strong foothold, resulting in the near extinction of Catholicism in Denmark. The few vestiges that did hold on, were in the larger cities, including Copenhagen. The church records kept by the Catholic Church are nearly identical to the Lutheran church records. They consist mainly of christenings, marriages, and burials, and a few miscellaneous records such as confirmations. One of the few differences is that the occurance of the Latin alphabet and language is a lot more frequent than in the Lutheran records.

FamilySearch Tutorials

 * Danish Church Records: Research Strategies
 * Danish Church Records: Finding Ancestors Through Witnesses