How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Württemberg, German Empire

Guide to Württemberg, German Empire ancestry, family history, and genealogy before 1945: birth records, marriage records, death records, family history, and military records.

Finding Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Württemberg
'''Most of the information you need to identify you ancestors and their families will be found in two major record groups: civil registration and church records. To locate these records, follow the instructions in these Wiki articles.'''

1. Find the name of your ancestor's town in family history records.
Records were kept on the local level. You must know the town where your ancestor lived. If your ancestor was a United States Immigrant, use the information in the Wiki article Germany Finding Town of Origin to find evidence of the name of the town where your ancestors lived in Germany. Also, see:
 * Auswanderungen, 1500-1819.
 * Neue Beiträge zur Auswanderung nach Amerika im 18. Jahrhundert aus Altwürttembergischen Kirchenbüchern unter Hinzuziehung anderer Quellen. The Gerber lists. Emigrants in 18th century listed in church books and other sources.
 * Auswanderungsgesuche und Auswanderungen, 1799-1898
 * Wuerttemberg, Germany Emigration Index, ($). late 1800's-1900's. Index. Incomplete.
 * Auswanderung aus Südwestdeutschland, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, 1751-1920. Index.
 * Familienurkunden Auswanderer und Familien aus Bessarabien. Copies of original documents, pedigrees, and other certificates of migration, emigration and documentation for those leaving Bessarabia and entering Germany, 1940-1941.
 * Reisepässe und Visum, 1845-1920. Passport and visa applicants recorded at the passport office in Stuttgart, Württemberg, Germany. Includes names, birth dates and places, dates of application, and intended destination.
 * Jewish emigration from Württemberg to the United States of America, names list begins on page 253.
 * Blackforest emigrant database


 * Emigrants from Gechingen
 * Emigrants from Neuhausen ob Eck
 * Emigrants from Odenheim
 * Emigrants from Schwaikheim
 * Emigrants from Verrenberg
 * Emigrants from Grafschaft Wertheim

2. Use gazetteers and/or parish register inventories to learn more important details.
Your ancestor's town might have been too small to have its own parish church or civil registration office. Find the location of the Catholic or Lutheran (Evangelical) parish that served your ancestor's locality. Find the name of the civil registration office (standesamt) that serves your ancestor's locality. Use the Wiki article Finding Aids For German Records for step-by-step instructions.

Germany was first unified as a nation in 1871. An important gazetteer, Meyers Orts- und Verkehrs-lexikon des deutschen Reichs, "Meyer's Gazetter" for short, details the place names of villages, towns, counties (kreise), and higher jurisdictions used at that time. In the Research Wiki, FamilySearch Catalog, and FamilySearch Historical Records, the records of Germany are organized using those place names.

At the end of both World Wars, the boundaries of the states were changed dramatically, as areas of Germany were distributed among the Allied nations. Eventually, after re-unification in 1990, the states of Germany settled into what they are today. It is also necessary to understand Germany by this system, as it affects the locations of civil registration offices, archives, and mailing addresses used in correspondence searches.

3. For birth, marriage, and death records after 1 January 1876, use civil registration.
Civil registration records are records of births, marriages, and deaths kept by the government. In Württemberg, they were started 1 January 1876. German terms for these records include Standesamtsregister, Zivilstandsregister, or Personenstandsregister. They are an excellent source for information on names and dates and places of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are kept by the civil registrar (Standesbeamte) at the civil registry office (Standesamt). Study these links to learn what information can be found in them:
 * Births (Geburtsregister)
 * Marriages (Heiraten, Ehen, or Trauungen)
 * Deaths (Sterberegister or Totenregister)

For a comprehensive understanding of civil registration, study the article Germany Civil Registration.

Determining the Location of a Civil Registration Office
Research your town name in MeyersGaz.org to find the location of the registry office (Standesamt). It is indicated by the abbreviation "StdA". This is the Standesamt location you will use when searching for civil registration records anywhere in the FamilySearch catalog and collections. Ancestry.com collections will also use this location name. Records in archives will use this location prior to the consolidation of registration offices in the 1970's.'''

'''However, some of the offices were merged in 1970's, so the modern record location might be different than that listed in MeyersGaz. When writing for records, first find the modern registrar for your town.'''
 * To find the current Standesamt, go to the German Wikipedia, and enter the name of the town in the search box. An article about the town will start with a first line such as: "Besse with about 3200 inhabitants is the largest district of the municipality Edermünde...." It is probable that the Standesamt is now located in the larger municipality (in this example, Edermünde).
 * For larger towns which constitute a municipality:
 * To find the current Standesamt, go to the German Wikipedia, and enter the name of the town in the search box.
 * This type of article will not state that the town belongs to another municipality, because it is itself a municipality.


 * To e-mail the municipality to verify that the civil registry for your town is there.
 * Consult this address list for the exact contact information, which should include an e-mail address: Standesamt.com. In the horizontal menu bar, hover over "+registry office" or "+Standesämter", then the name of the modern state, for a drop-down list of links to modern cilvil registrars.
 * Send a message asking whether you have the correct office for your ancestors' home town. You can also use e-mail to request records and arrange payment. Use the German Letter Writing Guide to write your questions in German.

Privacy Laws
Since 2009, birth records have been public after 110 years, marriages after 80 years and deaths after 30 years. A direct relationship (direct descendants and direct ancestors) to the subject of the record sought will be required in cases where the required time period has not yet elapsed. Even then, the records may be accessible if it can be shown that all "participating parties" have died at least 30 years ago. Participating parties are both parents and the child in birth records, and both spouses in a marriage.

1. Online Records
'''Ancestry.com can be searched free of charge at your local Family History Center.
 * Ravensburg, Germany, birth register, 1876-1905, index and images.
 * Ravensburg, Germany, marriage register, 1876-1922, index and images.
 * Ravensburg, Germany, death records, 1876-1950, index and images.
 * Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, parish registers 1559-1829, index and images.
 * Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, birth register, 1876-1903, index and images.
 * Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, marriage register, 1876-1922, index and images.
 * Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, death records, 1876-1950, index and images.

2. Digital Copies of Civil Registration From FamilySearch
Try to find records in the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Many microfilms have been digitized for online viewing. Gradually, everything will be digitized, so check back occasionally. Some have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at the Family History Centers near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
 * a. Click on the of Germany, Württemberg'''.
 * b. Click on Places within Germany, Württemberg and a list of towns will appear.
 * c. Click on your town. If the town or village is not listed, find the town in '''Meyer's Gazetteer. See where the Standesamt (StdA.) was. It may have been in different place, because of the size of the town. Use the town found in Meyer's Gazetteer, not the current, merged office.
 * d. Click on the "Civil registration" topic, if available. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Choose the correct record type and time period for your ancestor. "Geburten" are births. Heiraten are marriages.  "Verstorbene" are deaths.
 * f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

3. Writing for Civil Registration Certificates
Civil registration records for Germany can be obtained by writing to the local civil registry (Standesamt) for recent records or the district archives for earlier records. Records may have been lost at one location of the other, so you might end up checking both. The first office you contact might choose to forward your request to the other location if necessary. Write a brief request in German to the proper office using this address as guide, replacing the information in parentheses:

Local Standesamt Addresses

 * Standesamt Addresses for Baden-Württemberg . Use this address format:
 * An das Standesamt
 * (Insert street address, if known.)
 * (Postal Code) (Name of Locality)
 * GERMANY


 * Click herefor postal code help for Germany.

Addresses for District Archives

 * List of Links for District and City Archives
 * Towns and communities in Baden-Württemberg with internet sites

How to Write the Letter
Detailed instruction for what to include in the letter, plus German translations of the questions and sentences most frequently used are in the German Letter Writing Guide.

4. For baptism, marriage, and death records, use church records or parish registers.
Church records (parish registers, church books) are an important source for genealogical research in Germany before civil registration began. They recorded details of baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. The vast majority of the population was mentioned. To learn more about the types of information you will find in church records, click on these links: For a comprehensive understanding of church records, study the article Germany Church Records.
 * Baptisms (Taufen)
 * Marriages (Heiraten)
 * Burials (Begräbnisse)
 * Confirmations (Konfirmationen)
 * Family Registers (Familienbücher)

Parish Register Inventories
Church record inventories are essential tools for finding German records. They identify what records should be available for a specified parish and where to write for information on these records. They list the church records, their location, and the years they cover. Sometimes inventories explain which parishes served which towns at different periods of time.
 * Verzeichnis der württembergischen Kirchenbücher, e-book.

1. Online Church Records
The church books at Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg are fully digitized and no longer available for searching in the archive.
 * Links to digitial church books at Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg Click on the district links in the left sidebar to change church districts, even though the clumsy English translation refers to them as court districts.
 * '''Archion: Archive Stuttgart Online Lutheran records for Württemberg.


 * Catholic Church Book Duplicates at Ludwigsburg Archives


 * 1500-1985 - Württemberg, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1985, index and images, ($). This collection contains church books from over 1000 communities from Württemberg. The cities included include Aalen, Calw, Crailsheim, Esslingen, Göppingen, Heilbronn, Ludwigsburg, Ravensburg, Reutlingen, Schwäbisch Hall, Stuttgart, Tübingen and Ulm.


 * 1518-1921 - Germany, selected Protestant church books 1518-1921 - at Ancestry.com ($), index and images. Ancestry.com collections can be viewed free-of-charge at a Family History Center near you.

2. Digital Copies of Church Records in the FamilySearch Catalog
Try to find records in the collection of the FamilySearch Library. Many microfilms have been digitized for online viewing. Gradually, everything will be digitized, so check back occasionally. Some have viewing restrictions, and can only be viewed at a Family History Center near you, and/or by members of supporting organizations. To find records:
 * a. Click on the records of Germany, Württemberg.
 * b. Click on Places within Germany, Württemberg and a list of towns will appear.
 * c. Click on your town if it appears, or the location which you believe was the parish which served your town or village.
 * d. Click on the "Church records" topic. Click on the blue links to specific record titles.
 * e. Choose the correct record type and time period for your ancestor. "Geburten" are births. "Taufen" are christenings/baptisms. "Heiraten" are marriages.  "Tote" are deaths.
 * f. Some combination of these icons will appear at the far right of the microfilm listed for the record. FHL icons.png. The magnifying glass indicates that the microfilm is indexed. Clicking on the magnifying glass will take you to the index. Clicking on the camera will take you to an online digital copy of the microfilm.

3. Research in Church and State Archives
Church records or duplicates may have been gathered from the local parishes into central archives, either by the churches or the state. Older records are frequently given to these archives for safekeeping. Some gaps in the church records of local parishes could be filled using these records.


 * [[Media:Localities.pdf|Pdf Archive Inventory]]: "Part 1 of 2: Church records in Archives" - is an inventory of localities and the location or archive where their records should be found. The sixth column, "Archives", gives a number. To find the name and contact information, look up that number in the second column of this .pdf:  [[Media:Archive_Add_.pdf|Part 2: Archive Addresses.]]  It is not clear how up-to-date this inventory is.

Some archives offer searches for a fee. Archives might be unable to handle genealogical requests, but they can determine whether they have specific records you need, sometimes perform very brief research, such as just one record, or they may recommend a researcher who can search the records for you. Archivists are required to speak English.

E-mail

 * You can e-mail archives and ask whether they have records for a parish. Also, you should inquire whether they provide research services and what their fees are. You can communicate with the archives in English.

Lutheran Archives
Many records are digitized and online at Archion. However, digitizing the records is not complete. For records held by these archives but not yet digitized, you may wish to visit the archives. Landeskirchliches Archiv in Württemberg Balinger Str. 33/1 70567 Stuttgart Germany Tel .: 0711-2149-373 Fax: 0711-2149-180 E-Mail: archiv@elk-wue.de Website: http://www.archiv.elk-wue.de
 * Inventory of holdings
 * Family Research page Also includes information on research requests and recommended professional researchers.
 * "We own microfilms of the church registers (Kirchenbücher) of all parishes of the Evangelical Church of the State of Württemberg (Evangelische Landeskirche in Württemberg). Since 1952 the State of Württemberg (up to 1918 Kingdom of Württemberg) has been part of the present day State of Baden Württemberg (see map). There are more than 1200 protestant congregations in Württemberg whose registers we have microfilmed.These microfilms include all registers (baptisms, marriages, deaths) in some cases beginning in the late 1500s up to the year 1875. From 1876 to the present day births, marriages and deaths are recorded at the local Register offices (Standesamt). Our microfilms also include the family registers (Familienregister) that were begun in 1808. One entry in the family register gives the name of the father (Hausvater) and the mother (Hausmut­ter) with the dates of their births, mar­riage and deaths. There are also men­tioned the names of the parents of this couple as well as their children. Thus there are three generations on one sheet. These microfilms can be viewed at our archives. In this case an appointment has to be made by phone beforehand (0711/2149-373). The microfilms will be loaned by written request in Germany and Europe to people willing to refund the postage. Copies of all our microfilms are also in the possession of the Genealogical Society of Utah.

Catholic (Katholische) Archives
Diocesan Archives Rottenburg (Württemburg) Eugen-Bolz-Platz 1 72108 Rottenburg Germany Phone: 07472 - 169305 Fax:	07472-169617 E-mail:Dar@bo.drs.de Web site:	http://www.katholische-archive.de/Di%C3%B6zesanarchive/RottenburgStuttgart/tabid/94/Default.aspx

State Archives
The church books at Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg are fully digitized and no longer available for searching in the archive.
 * Links to digitial church books at Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg Click on the district links in the left sidebar to change church districts, even though the clumsy English translation refers to them as court districts.
 * Some areas of Württemberg have deposited their books at district archives. This is mostly the case with Catholic church records. For many places duplicate records for the time frame 1808 to 1875 are located in the State Archive of Ludwigsburg.

State Archives Ludwigsburg Arsenal Square 3 71638 Ludwigsburg Germany Phone: 07141 / 64854-6310 (Lesesaal -6337) Fax: 07141 / 64854-6311 E-Mail: staludwigsburg@la-bw.de

4. Writing to a Local Priest for Church Records
Most church registers are still maintained by the parish. You might obtain information by writing to the parish. Parish employees will usually answer correspondence written in German. Your request may be forwarded if the records have been sent to a central repository.

Evangelical-Lutheran Parish Addresses

 * Württemburg Parish Finder. Enter any locality, and the search engine will find the parish.

Catholic Parish Addresses

 * Archdiocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart: Clickable map of churches

E-mail

 * Because many churches now have known e-mail addresses, you can quickly check whether the parish records are stored at the parish church or have been moved to archives. If possible, do this before sending a more detailed inquiry or any money. Links for church addresses are found on the wiki pages for the individual states and counties  of Germany.

Writing to a Local Parish
Write a brief request in German to the proper church using this address as a guide, replacing the information in parentheses:

For a Protestant Parish:


 * An das evangelische Pfarramt
 * (Insert street address, if known.)
 * (Postal Code) (Name of Locality)
 * GERMANY

For a Catholic Parish:


 * An das katholische Pfarramt
 * (Insert street address, if known.)
 * (Postal Code) (Name of Locality)
 * GERMANY


 * Click herefor postal code help for Germany.

How to Write a Letter
Detailed instruction for what to include in the letter, plus German translations of the questions and sentences most frequently used are in the German Letter Writing Guide.'''

Other Religious Groups
To learn how to determine the location of other religious records, namely Jewish, French Reformed, German Reformed, etc., watch Hansen’s Map Guides: Finding Records with Parish Maps beginning at 48:00 minutes, to learn how to locate these congregations. Then go back and watch from the beginning to understand how to use the reference book. Also, you can read Map Guide to German Parish Registers. This video and handout teach you how to use a set of reference books found at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you are not in Salt Lake City, use the Contact Us feature to request information from the books.

Town Genealogies (Ortssippenbuch or Ortsfamilienbuch )
See the class,, and Wiki article, Germany Town Genealogies and Parish Register Inventories on the Internet. Published town genealogies, Ortssippenbuch (town lineage book) or Ortsfamilienbuch (town family book), generally include birth, marriage, and death data for all persons found in the local records during a specified time period, compiled into families based on the opinion of the author. 'If one is available, it should only be used as an index or guide'' to finding the original records. They usually contain errors. Always verify their information in original records.
 * Over 620 online town genealogies are currently accessible at Online Ortsfamilienbücher.
 * A list of published Ortssippenbücher is found at:Category: Family Book on the same website.
 * Württembergische Ortssippenbücher Bibliography
 * Some Ortssippenbücher can also be found in the Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg.
 * For more information and online searchable collections of town genealogy books, by region, see Germany Town Genealogies and Parish Register Inventories on the Internet.
 * A bibliography of OFBs held by the Central Office for Person and Family History, and available in their archive in Frankfurt am Main-Höchst, is listed here. You can arrange for copied pages to be sent to you for a fee or donation. Use the "Find" function on your keyboard to search the bibliographies, as they are not alphabetical.

German Records

 * It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French and German to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately.  Here are some resources for learning to read German records.
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * French Genealogical Word List
 * Latin Genealogical Word List


 * These video webinars will teach you to read German handwriting:
 * Old German Script Part 1
 * Old German Script Part 2
 * Old German Script (German Church and Civil Records) Part 3
 * Reading German Handwritten Records  (Three parts) Practice exercises to build your skills and confidence.
 * German Script Tutorial


 * List of Names in Old German Script A comprehensive list of German given names,  written in old script, with possible variations.
 * Old German Script Transcriber (alte deutsche Handschriften): See your family names in the script of the era. Type your name or other word into the font generator tool. Click on the 8 different fonts. Save the image to your computer and use it as you work with old Germanic records.

Downloadable Handouts

 * Print these handouts for ready reference when reading German Handwriting:
 * Kurrent Letters Handout
 * Numbers Handout
 * Birth Records Handout
 * Marriage Records Handout
 * Death Records Handout
 * Days and Months Handout
 * Common Symbols Handout
 * Common Abbreviations Handout
 * Fraktur Font--Many forms and books are printed in this font.

Latin Records
Records of the Catholic church will usually be written in Latin:
 * Latin Genealogical Word List

Feast Dates

 * Calendar Changes in France, Germany, Switzerland, and the Low Countries--class
 * Each day of the year had several patron saints and was a feast day to honor those saints. Some vital events are recorded in church records only by the holy day (feast day) on the church calendar. For example, the feast day called “All Saints Day” (Allerheiligentag) is “1 November.” An online feast date calculator may be found at the Albion College website. Simply enter the year and click "Calculate."

Search Strategy

 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find their birth record, search for the births of their brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of their parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.
 * The marriage certificate will show the birth date, birth place, and parents of the bride and the groom. If you only have a church marriage record, calculate the birth date of the parents, using age at death and/or marriage to search for their birth records.
 * Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
 * If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.