Austria Evangelical-Lutheran Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Foreign Language Title
You can help FamilySearch Wiki by supplying a translation of the title in German here.

Collection Time Period
This collection of church records for the Evangelical churches in Vienna covers the years 1848 to 1900.

Record History
There are two different Evangelical churches in Austria. One belongs to the Lutheran tradition and is called the Evangelical Church A.B. (Augsburg Confession); the other one is part of the Reformed Tradition and is marked by the label, H.B. (Helvetic, meaning the Swiss Confession). The combined membership of the Evangelical churches in Austria make up close to 5% of the total Austrian population. The Lutheran Church has approximately 356.500 members; the Reformed Church has approximately 19.500 members.

The church books stored at the archive in Vienna are duplicates of the originals. The originals are still in parishes around the country. Often the originals include records for earlier years than the duplicates because the order to duplicate the church books was not given until 1848.

Why This Collection Was Created
Church records were created to record church sacraments associated with the life events of the parishioners, such as baptism, marriage, and burial.

Record Reliability
This collection of church books is a reliable and accurate source for genealogical research. Accuracy in the records for such information as dates, ages, and places is dependent upon the accuracy of the person giving the information and the accuracy of the recording by the ecclesiastical officer.

Record Description
These church book are duplicates from the Protestant Church of Vienna, Austria. The collection includes records such as: Taufen (baptism), Trauungen (marriage), Sterben (death or burial), Toten (death or burial), Taufregister (baptismal index), Trauungsregister (marriage index), and Sterberegister (death or burial index). The text of the records is in German. In the “Description,” a two-letter abbreviation is listed (either AB or HB). AB refers Evangelisch (Evangelical). HB refers to Evangelisch Reformiert. In the records, the abbreviation AB follows the city name.

Record Content
The key genealogical facts found on most birth or baptism records include the following:

• Names of the child, parents, and witnesses or godparents • Date and place of birth • Date of baptism • Sometimes the time of birth and baptism • House number where the event occurred • Residence and religion of the parents • Occupations of the father and other males listed in the record • Whether the child was legitimate or illegitimate

The key genealogical facts found on most marriage records include the following: • Names of the bride, groom, their parents (usually the fathers), and the witnesses • Dates and places of the marriage and the marriage proclamations or banns • Residences of the bride, groom, and their parents • House number where event occurred (usually, but not always, the groom’s residence) • Religion of the bride and the groom • Occupations of the groom and other males listed in the record

The key genealogical facts found on most death records include the following: • Names of the deceased • Sometimes the names of the deceased’s spouse or parents • Dates and places of death and burial • Age, residence, and house number where the death occurred • Cause of death

How to Use the Record
Use these Austrian church records to identify ancestors and make family connections in pedigrees.

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Related Wiki Articles
Austrian Church Records Online

Related Websites
Evangelical Church in Austria

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Sources of This Collection
• Digital copies of original duplicates found at the Evangelisches Kirchenamt AB, Severin Schrieber Gasse 3, A-1180 Wien.

• “Austria, Vienna Church Records”, database, FamilySearch, 2010; Austria, Protestant Church records, 1848-1900. Evangelisches Kirchenamt AB, Austria. FHL 284 digital folders. Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.

How to Cite Your Sources
Instructions on citing specific records or images within this collection. A full bibliographic record is available in the Family History Library Catalog.

Style Guide Link
A style guide for this article.