Austria Evangelical-Lutheran Church Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Österreich, Evangelische Kirchenurkunden

Record Description
This Collection will include records from 1848 to 1900.

The collection consists of church book duplicates from the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of the Augsburg Confession in Austria (Evangelische Kirche Augsburgischen Bekenntnisses in Österreich). The collection also includes records from the parishes of the Evangelical Church of the Helvetic Confession (Evangelische Kirche Helvetisches Bekenntnisses in Österreich). Original records are located in the Evangelischer Oberkirchenrat A.u.H.B., Vienna.

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 to Evangelisch (Luthern). HB refers to Evangelisch Reformiert (Reformed Luthern (Swiss)). In the records, the abbreviation AB follows the city name.

For a list of localities currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record History
There are two different Evangelical churches in Austria. One belongs to the Lutheran tradition and is called the Luthern Church A.B. (Augsburg Confession); the other one is part of the Reformed Luthern Tradition and is marked by the label, H.B. (Helvetic, meaning the Swiss Confession). The combined membership of the Luthern churches in Austria make up close to 5% of the total Austrian population. The Lutheran Church has approximately 356,500 members; the Reformed Lutheran 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. Church records were created to record church sacraments associated with the life events of the parishioners, such as baptism, marriage, and burial. 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.

Record Content
Birth or Baptism Records usually include:


 * Name of baptized child
 * Date and place of birth
 * Date of baptism and location
 * Gender
 * Parents' names, status, place of birth, religion
 * Names of godparents
 * Whether child was legitimate or illegitimate or stillborn
 * Additional remarks

Marriage Records usually include:


 * Date and Place of Marriage
 * Groom's Age, Marital Status, Occupation and Residence
 * Names of Groom's Parents, including Maiden Name of Mother
 * Bride's Age, Marital Status, Occupation and Residence
 * Names of Bride's Parents, including Maiden Name of Mother
 * Birthplaces of Bride and Groom
 * Witnesses' Names, Age and Occupation

Death and Burial Records usually include:


 * Date and Place of Death and Burial
 * Name and Age of Deceased
 * Cause of Death
 * Father of Deceased and his Occupation
 * Date and Birthplace of Deceased
 * Marital Status of Deceased
 * If Married, the Name of the Spouse

How to Use the Records
To search by image: To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒ Select the "Browse" link on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "Place" (Ort) ⇒ Select the "Event type" (Ereignistyp) ⇒ Select the "Year Range" (Zeitraum) 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.

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, and family relationships. 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.

For Help Reading the Records
These records are in German. For help reading the records, see the following wiki article:
 * German Word List
 * German Language and Languages

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Be aware that errors may have occurred at the time the record was created.
 * Check for variant spellings of the names.
 * Search the records of nearby localities (for example: Germany, Slovenia, etc.).

Related Websites

 * Evangelical Church in Austria
 * Evangelical Church of the Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions in Austria
 * Austria Websites
 * Kronlander Oesterreich Map 1855
 * Slovenia Maps

Related Wiki Articles

 * Austria
 * Austria Church Records
 * Austrian Church Records Online
 * Austrian Military Church Records by Regiment

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Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Records collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.