Germany, Collection of City Directories - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Deutschland, Adressbücher Sammlung

Record Description
City directories from many localities will be included in this collection. As more directories are acquired, they will be added. City directories contain information regarding where individuals lived and where businesses were located. This collection will include records from 1800 to 1950. These records are in German.

Record Content
City Directories may contain the following information:


 * Name of head of household
 * Address of households
 * Address of businesses
 * Occupation
 * Population map of locality
 * Description of locality

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's full name
 * Some identifying information such as city of residence, estimated years of residence, and occupation

Search the Collection
To search the collection: ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the "Provinz oder Königreich (Province or Kingdom)" category ⇒Select the "Stadt (City, Town or Area)" ⇒Select the “Year(s)" which takes you to the images

Look at each 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. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

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


 * German Word List
 * German Language and Languages
 * Germany Handwriting
 * German Script Tutorial

Using the Information
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. Add this new information to your records of each family. You should also look for leads to other records about your ancestors. For example:
 * Use the address to locate nearby churches that the family may have attended and then determine if those churches had records such as baptism, marriage or burial registers.
 * Use the occupations to help differentiate between individuals of the same or similar name.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Track individuals of the same name throughout multiple directory years to help establish separate identities.
 * 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.
 * Individuals who lived in cities tended to move frequently. Don’t be surprised if it appears your ancestor lived at different address for different years.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Because of the large population of cities, individuals or households may have been missed while compiling the directories.
 * Search several years of directories in case your ancestor is missing from one year.
 * Search the records of nearby localities. Perhaps your ancestor lived in a smaller town outside of the city and was not included in the directory.
 * Search the city directories of other locations. City dwellers moved more frequently than rural inhabitants.

Related Websites

 * Database of Historic Addressbooks
 * Find People in Germany
 * Online German Genealogy Records &amp; Databases
 * Kujawsko-Pomorska Digital Library

Related Wiki Articles

 * Germany Genealogy
 * Germany Websites--Reference and Training
 * Germany Directories
 * Germany Occupations
 * Germany Church Directories
 * Germany Newspapers
 * Germany Gazetteers

Citations for This Collection
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information; that is, cite 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: