How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Saxony (Sachsen), German Empire

Finding Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Saxony (Sachsen)
'''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:
 * Saxon Forefathers
 * Stephanianer, Emigrants from Saxony: A list of emigrants can be found on page 123.
 * The "Bergmann'sche Exulantensammlung": a database of religious exiles from Bohemia to Sachsen
 * The Lutheran Heritage Center Museum in Altenburg, Missouri, USA
 * Die Exultanten in Sachsen Genealogies of Bohemian religious refugees who fled Bohemia during and after the Counter-Reformation
 * Wanderbücher 1769-1873, permissions to emigrate from Zwickau
 * Wanderbücher, 1765-1868, permissions to emigrate from Chemnitz
 * Historische Adressbücher

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 Saxony (Sachsen), 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".

However, some of the offices were merged in 1970's, so the record location might be different than that listed in MeyersGaz.
 * For a small town within a larger municipality:
 * 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 in Hessian Schwalm-Eder-Kreis ." It is probable that the Standesamt is now located in the municipality (in this example Edermünde).
 * To e-mail the municipality to verify that the civil registry for your town is there.
 * From the Wikipedia town article, click on the name of the municipality that links to that article.
 * There will usually be an infobox on the right side of page that lists the address and the website of the municipality.
 * Click on the website. Look for "Kontakt (Contact)" information, which should provide an e-mail address.
 * 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.


 * 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.
 * The infobox that lists the address and the website of the municipality will appear directly on a this first page that comes up.
 * Follow the above instructions #2-4 above.

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.

Ancestry.com ($)
'''Ancestry.com can be searched free of charge at your local Family History Center.


 * These records for Dresden cover: Alberstadt, Blasewitz, Briesnitz, Buehlau, Coshuetz, Cossebaude, Cotte, Dolzschen, Dresden I, Dresden II, Dresden III, Dresden IV, Dresden V, Eschdorf, Gittersee, Gorbitz, Hosterwitz, Kaditz, Kaitz, Kleinzschachwitz, Klotzsche, Langebrück, Lause, Leuben, Leubnitz Neuostra, Löbtau, Lockwitz, Loschwitz, Mickten, Pieschen, Plauen, Schonborn, Schonfeld, Strehien, Striesen, Trachau, Unkersdorf, Weisser Hirsch, Weissig, Wilschdorf.
 * Dresden Births, 1876-1902---Marriages, 1876-1922---Deaths, 1876-1952, index and images.


 * These records for Mittwieda cover the registration offices of Altmittweida, Frankenau, Greifendorf, Mittweida, Ringethal, Rossau, Rössgen, Schönborn-Dreiwerden, Seifersbach, and Tanneberg.
 * Mittweida Births, 1876-1905---Marriages, 1876-1921---Deaths, 1876-1950, index and images.


 * These records for Zschopau cover: Dittmannsdorf, Gornau, Krumhermersdorf, Witzschdorf, and Zschpau.
 * Zschopau Births, 1876-1907---Marriages, 1876-1920---Deaths, 1876-1958, index and images

2. Microfilm 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. To find records:
 * a. Click on the records of Sachsen (Saxony), Germany.
 * b. Click on Places within Sachsen, Germany 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.
 * 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).

Local Standesamt Addresses

 * Standesamt Addresses for Saxony (Sachsen)

Using this address as guide, replace the information in parentheses:


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


 * Click herefor postal code help for Germany.

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.

Online

 * Kirchenportal: Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saxony

Books

 * Hermann Köhler, “Sippenkundliche Quellen der ev.-luth. Pfarrämter Sachsens : Verzeichnis der Kirchenbücher und der übrigen für die Sippenforschung wichtigen Amtsbücher” (Dresden : C. Ludwig Ungelenk, 1938); included in Beiträge zur sächsischen Kirchengeschichte; 45. Heft. Description of the Protestant parish registers and other genealogical sources for parishes in the kingdom of Saxony, Germany. Includes an index of towns showing their parish jurisdictions. (FHL Location 1: FHL INTL Ref 943.21 K23k) (FHL Location 2: FHL HD 0001286) (FHL Location 3: FHL INTL film 1183522, it. 13 VAULT) (FHL Location 4: FHL INTL fiche 6053524) WorldCat

Ancestry.com ($)
Ancestry.com collections can be viewed free-of-charge at a Family History Center near you.
 * Germany, selected Protestant church books 1518-1921 - at Ancestry.com ($), index and images.
 * This collection includes records for:
 * Under Schuldistrikt Saxony (in the right sidebar under Browse this collection): Chemnitz, Gaussig, Grossenhain, Heyda, Hermannsdorf, Jöhstadt, Mittweida, Neukirchen, Riesenburg, Rochlitz, Sehma, Sohland, and Wurzen.


 * Saxony, Germany, selected Protestant church records 1535-1921, index. Includes Zwickau and Plauen, as well as numerous other communities.
 * Germany, Saxony, Bautzen, parish registers, 1699-1915, images only. Also at - free.

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * Germany, Saxony, Bautzen, parish registers, 1699-1915, images only. Also at - free.

2. Microfilm 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 the Family History Centers near you. To find records:


 * a. Click on the records of Sachsen (Saxony), Germany.
 * b. Click on Places within Sachsen, Germany 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. Writing to an Priest for Church Records

 * Baptism, marriage, and death records may be searched by contacting the local Catholic or Lutheran church or the Catholic diocese archives.

Protestant

 * Evangelical-Lutheran Landeskirche of Saxony parish addresses
 * Evangelical Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Oberlausitz

Catholic

 * Dresden-Meissen Diocese parish addresses

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.'''

State archives
Duplicate records from some parishes are in the state archives. Many of these records have been microfilmed and are available at the Family History Library. However, for records that are not microfilmed, you can sometimes write to the state archives to request searches of the duplicates. For more information, see Germany Archives and Libraries. HAUPTSTAATSARCHIV DRESDEN Archivstrasse 14 01097 Dresden Germany Postal address: Postfach 100 444 01074 Dresden Germany Phone: (+49) (0) 351-89 219 711 (Lesesaal); -89 219 710 (central dial-up) Telefax: (+49) (0) 351-89 219 709
 * Referral list for researchers.

Central Church Archives
In a few parts of Germany, church records or duplicates have been gathered from the local parishes into central archives. Some gaps in the church records of local parishes could be filled using these records. Church archives are often unable to handle genealogical requests, but they can determine whether they have specific records you need, or they may recommend a researcher who can search the records for you. Catholic: Diocesan Archives of the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen Bishops' Ordinariat Käthe-Kollwitz-Ufer 84 01309 Dresden Germany Phone: 03591 - 35195 0 Fax:	03591 - 35195 22 E-mail: Archiv@ordinariat-bautzen.de Protestant: Evangelisch-Lutherische Landeskirche Sachsens Landeskirchenarchiv Lukasstrasse 6 01069 Dresden Germany Phone: 0351 4692-353 Fax: 0351 4692-109 E-Mail: Landeskirchenarchiv.Dresden@evlks.de Website:http://www.evlks.de/landeskirche/landeskirchenamt/101.html

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. This course teaches you how to use a set of reference books found at the Family History 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.

Jewish Records

 * See the Wiki article, Germany Jewish Records

Huguenots (French Protestants)
*German Huguenot Society eV, index.
 * See the Wiki article, ’’’Huguenots in Germany’’’

Town Genealogies (Ortssippenbuch or Ortsfamilienbuch)
See the class and the 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.


 * Sources may include the local parish registers, civil registration records, court and land records, and sometimes published material. In the printed book, this information is then arranged in a standardized format, usually alphabetically by surname and chronologically by marriage date.

Finding an OFB

 * Click here to see OFBs for Saxony at GenWiki. These are indexed and searchable. OFB Instructions.
 * 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
 * German Handwriting


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


 * Also online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:
 * . In this lesson, you will explore several types of German genealogical records, including birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records.
 * German Script Tutorial
 * . In this lesson, you will explore several types of German genealogical records, including birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records.
 * German Script Tutorial


 * List of Names in Old German Script A comprehensive list of German given names,  written in old script, with possible variations.

This converter will show you how any phrase or name might look in German script:
 * Kurrentschrift Converter (enter German genealogical word, click on "convert", view your word in Kurrentschrift (Gothic handwriting)

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.

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.