Denmark, Århus Municipal Census, 1885 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Why Should I Look at This Collection?
This is an enumeration of all persons resident in the city of Aarhus on 1 February 1885. If you have family members who lived in Aarhus or may have had reason to be in Aarhus on that date you should consider looking at this collection.

What is in This Collection?
This collection is a registration of all persons in Aarhus, as well as persons temporarily present or absent. The collection consists of multiple forms which are Optællingsliste (counting list), which identifies the street name, house number, property tax number, and owner's name; Summarisk Uddrag (statistical extract); Hovedliste (main list) which contains the actual enumeration; and two Tillægsliste (supplemental lists) of persons temporarily present and absent from the residence.

The official name of the collection is Skattemandtalslister 1885 (Census of Persons, 1885). For details on the content of each form see What Can These Records Tell Me?

These records were created by the office of the Aarhus Magistrate's 1st division (Magistrat 1. afd.) tax authority (Skattevæsen). It is part of the Skattemandtalslister (tax census lists), 1885-1936. The content and arrangement of these records is very similar to the national census. Records are grouped by street, then by house number.

The Aarhus city archive has classified these records as follows. Each link is to the Aarhus city archive online catalog entry for the entity described.
 * Archive creator: Aarhus Købstadskommune (1838-1970), Århus folkeregister (1924-)
 * Record collection: Kommunearkivet (1841-2015)
 * Record series:
 * Aarhus Kommune
 * Magistratens 1. afdeling
 * Aarhus Skattevæsen
 * Aarhus Folkeregister
 * Skattemandtallister 1918 This link will display records for 1918

Reading These Records
These records are written in Danish. For help reading them see:
 * Danish Word List
 * Denmark Language and Languages

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Instructions for this census were to enumerate all persons who were permanent residents of Aarhus. Residents temporarily absent and persons temporarily present were to be enumerated on one of the Tillægsskema (Supplemental Schedules).

Tillægsliste A (Supplemental List A)
For de af Stedets Beboere, hvis Ophold dersteds kun er midlertidigt (For those residents of this place, whose stay is only temporary)

Tillægsliste B (Supplemental List B)
For de af Stedets Beboere, der midlertidig ere fraværende (For those residents of this place, who temporarily are away)

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the person
 * Approximate date of the event

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * If available, check the image for additional information
 * Analyze the entry to see if it provides additional clues to find other records of the person or their family

I Can’t Find the Person I’m Looking For, What Now?

 * Try searching by surname only
 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century
 * Consider alternate spellings for names, such as Peder for Peter, and Maria for Maren. Law regarding surnames were fully in effect at this time, but the person may have been recorded with a patronymic surname
 * People enjoyed a higher level of personal mobility in Denmark than in other countries due to the easier terrain and absence of laws restricting movement. A well-developed system of transportation existed which facilitated moving from one place to another.

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

Related Family History Library Holdings

 * Denmark, Århus, Århus, folketælling, 1885-1887

Related FamilySearch Historical Records Collections

 * Denmark, Århus Municipal Census, 1918
 * Denmark, Århus Municipal Census, 1936

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.