Germany, Saxony, Bautzen, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of Lutheran Church records for Bautzen covers the years 1699-1915. The records include notices of births, marriages, and deaths as well as marriage applications and documentation

Reading These Records
These records are written in German. For help reading them see:
 * German Language and Languages
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records usually include the following:

Baptism
 * Names of the child, parents, and witnesses or godparents
 * Date and place of birth and baptism
 * Residence and religion of the parents
 * Occupation of the father
 * Whether the child was legitimate or illegitimate

Marriage
 * Names of the bride, groom, their parents (usually the fathers), and witnesses
 * Date and place of the marriage and the marriage proclamations (called "banns")
 * Age of the bride and groom (sometimes the date and place of birth)
 * Residence of the bride, groom, and their parents
 * Religion of the bride and groom
 * Occupation of the groom and of the fathers

Death
 * Names of the deceased, spouse, and parents
 * Date and place of the death and burial
 * Age and residence of the deceased (sometimes the date and place of birth)
 * Cause of death

Collection Content
For more information about these records see Germany, Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found The Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the age to find an approximate birth year to begin your search in church or civil records
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have moved, been recruited or lived nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify. Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual. This compiled list can help you identify possible relations that can be further verified by researching vital records in the country
 * When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. Save a copy of the image or transcribe the information. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details such as a title, an occupation, or land ownership. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors
 * Church Records often were kept years before government records were required and are a good source for finding ancestors before 1900

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Consult the Germany Record Finder to find other records
 * Switch to a different record collection. Depending on the time period, either German Civil Registration records or German Church records may be more useful
 * While searching, it is helpful to know such information as the ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as an ancestor and that the ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times
 * Keep in mind that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * 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. Pay special attention to how the name should have been pronounced and try variations on the pronunciation
 * Search the indexes and records of local genealogical societies

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

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

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.

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