Austria, Upper Austria, Linz, Death Certificates - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Österreich, Oberösterreich, Linz, Totenbeschauzettel

Record Description
This collection contains certificates of death issued by the Stadtpfarrkirche Linz. The certificates include the name of the deceased, age, occupation, birthplace, country of origin, last residence, date &amp; time of death, cause of death, and date of burial. Original certifcates are housed in the Oberösterreichischen Landesarchiv, Linz. The collections covers the years 1818 to 1899.

These records are in German. Refer to the For Help Reading the Records section of this article for further translation tools.

Record Content
Death certificates usually include the following information:


 * Name of the deceased
 * Age
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace
 * Country of origin
 * Last residence
 * Date and time of death
 * Cause of death
 * Date of burial

How to Use the Record
This section provides information on how to search the collection, what to do with information once found, some tips on how to find records, and what to do if no record is found.

When searching: As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor's given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence, age, estimated [event] year, and family relationships.

Search the Collection
To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the “Quellengattung, Zeitraum, und Bandnummer” (record type, years, and number) which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination.

Using the Information

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the soldier's age and location of the military unit to find his family in census, church, and land records.
 * Use the county code and the certificate number to obtain a copy of the original death certificate from the county.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.
 * Titles may be clues to property ownership, occupations, rank or status within the community.
 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * If you are unable to find your ancestor look for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Search the records of nearby localities.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. In addition local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (or military units, counties, parishes, etc.).

For Help Reading the Records
These records are in German. For help reading the records, see the following wiki articles:


 * German Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * Germany Resources

Related Websites

 * Gedcom Index, Austria
 * A Beginner’s Guide to Austrian Research
 * Stadtpfarrkirche – Linz Parish Church
 * Austria Websites
 * Research in Austria

Related Wiki Articles

 * Austria
 * Research in the Austro-Hungarian Empire
 * Austria, Upper Austria, Linz Citizen Rolls (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Austria, Upper Austria, Linz, Miscellaneous City Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information (often called citing your sources). This will help people find the record again and evaluate the reliability of the source. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records. Citations are available for the collection as a whole and each record or image individually.

Collection citation:

Image citation: