Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany Genealogy

History and Geography


Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated GAP), in the Oberbayern region, which borders Austria. Nearby is Germany's highest mountain, Zugspitze, at 2,962 m (9,718 ft.). The town is known as the site of the 1936 Winter Olympic Games. Location of Garmisch-Partenkirchen within Garmisch-Partenkirchen district Coordinates are 47°30′N 11°5′E.

See Wikipedia for more information about Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
 * Garmisch (in the west) and Partenkirchen (in the east) were separate towns for many centuries.
 * Garmisch and Partenkirchen remained separate until their respective mayors were forced by Adolf Hitler to combine the two market towns in 1935 in anticipation of the 1936 Winter Olympic games.
 * Today, the united town is casually (but incorrectly) referred to as Garmisch, much to the dismay of Partenkirchen's residents. At least in Polish, however, the abbreviated name is "Ga-Pa".
 * Most visitors will notice the slightly more modern feel of Garmisch while the fresco-filled, cobblestoned streets of Partenkirchen offer a glimpse into times past. Early mornings and late afternoons in pleasant weather often find local traffic stopped while the dairy cows are herded to and from the nearby mountain meadows.

Online Records
Keep in mind that Garmisch and Partenkirchen were two separate towns until 1936. So, it is necessary to research them separately prior to that time for genealogy information.
 * This link takes you to the FamilySearch Catalog where there is information about the records on microfilm from Garmisch. Check your local Family History Center to see if they can be viewed there. Eventually these records will all be digitized and they will be available online. Check those that have a camera icon to see if that is possible yet. If not recheck periodically.
 * This link takes you to the FamilySearch Catalog where there is information about the records on microfilm from Patenkirchen. Check your local Family History Center to see if they can be viewed there.  Eventually these records will all be digitized and they will be available online.  Check those that have a camera icon to see if that is possible yet. If not recheck periodically.
 * The Search Historical Records option of FamilySearch is also a great resource.
 * Find A Grave has some information from the cemeteries of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area.
 * Bavaria, Germany, WWI Personnel Rosters, 1914-1918 includes information on soldiers from Garmisch-Partenkirchen on Ancestry.com

Civil Registration
Most Bavarian civil records offices only have records back to the late 1800's. To go back farther in time it is necessary to use church records but this is a good place to start. Below is information on the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Standesamt. They can be contacted by email, mail or in person. It is always a good idea to make an appointment if going there in person. There is usually a charge for a copy of a document.t

Standesamt 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany Telefonnummer: 08821 910-3112 E-Mail: standesamt@gapa.de Standesamt Website City Website

Catholic Church Records
There are a couple Catholic Churches in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. They can be seen on Google Maps. Most of the churches in Bavaria only keep current parish records on site. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is in the diocese of Freising-Munich and the archive is in Munich.

Archiv des Erzbistums München und Freising
Karmeliterstraße 1 Munich Germany Telefon: 089 - 2137 1346 Telefax: 089 - 2137 1702 E-Mail: archiv@eomuc.de Website

Lutheran Church Records
Bavaria was and is predominantly Catholic. If your ancestors lived in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, there is a chance they affiliated with the Catholic church. However, if you do not find them in Catholic records, you should search the Lutheran records.

You can email to inquire about information for you ancestors.
 * According to the Meyer's Gazetteer there wasn't a Lutheran Church in Garmish in 1871 but there was one in Partenkirchen at that time. Remember that they were separate ciies then.
 * The Lutheran Archive for Bavaria is in Nurnberg. It is always a good idea to contact in advance and make an appointment to use any archive.

Veilhofstraße 8 90489 Nurnberg Germany E-Mail: archiv@elkb.de Website Costs: For genealogical investigations, regardless of their success, they charge Euro 25 or Euro 30 (depending on the degree of difficulty) per half an hour of research (maximum charge: Euro 90), plus postage and other fees. You should confirm this at the time of your request. Extra services such as issuing documents or making copies or photos are to be paid in addition, according to their statement of charges. Customers from abroad are requested to send a cheque in advance (currency: Euro)

Cemeteries
There are several cemeteries in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the surrounding area. They can all be seen on Google Maps If you want to find information on your ancestors in a cemetery, keep in mind that in most Bavarian cemeteries the grave plots are re-used as often as every 25 years. (sometimes 50 -100 years). If you are lucky enough to go the Bavaria Find A Grave and Billion Graves both have great phone apps to help you locate cemeteries.

Additional Help
We hope that the above information will be useful to those seeking genealogy for their family from Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany. If you are still struggling be sure to use the "Bavaria Wiki Topics" guide on the upper right side of this page. Another valuble resource available on Wiki is the Wiki Wizard German videos.