Czech Republic, Town Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Czech Republic

Record Description
This collection will include records from 1439-1787. The Czech territory during this time period was known as the Kingdom of Bohemia and after 1526 was integrated into the Habsbury Monarchy. This was the beginning of the Czech territory entering into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Town records were established in the late 13th century to record a great deal of activities that were conducted in the town, such as marriages, trade, and criminal proceedings. Many new town books were created in 1849 and contained meeting minutes, financial and tax records, and other various wealth tracking documents. This collection has various town records captured in the district archive of Chrudim (Státní okresní archiv Chrudim).

Record Content
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth Marriage
 * Birth date
 * Name at birth
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ residence
 * Marriage date and place
 * Spouse’s name
 * Parents’ names
 * Age

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
FIX THIS HIERARCHY WHEN MORE INFO HAS COME IN To browse 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 "…" category ⇒Select the “…" category which takes you to the images ⇒ Select the 'No treatment yet, see Greg for treatment' category 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.

For Help Reading These Records
These records are in [Czech]. For help with reading the records, see the following resources:
 * Czech Republic Language and Languages
 * [Czech Republic Genealogical Word List)]

Using the Information

 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date.
 * 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.
 * Continue to search records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives

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 unties, counties, parishes, etc.).

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the Czech Republic.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Related Websites

 * National Archives (Czech Republic)
 * Czech Genealogy: Regional Archives

Related Wiki Articles

 * Czech Republic Town Records
 * Czech Republic Land Records (FamilySearch Historical Records)
 * Czech Republic Censuses (FamilySearch Historical Records)

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.

Image citation: