Austria, Upper Austria, Wels, Census Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Title in the Language of the Record
Österreich, Oberösterreich, Wels, Volkszählungen, Verlassenschaften und Zunftbücher, 1613-1900

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of several record sets from Wels, Upper Austria. It will include census records, guild records, and probate records for the city of Wels. The census records give the name of the homeowner, head of household, wife, children, ages, and occupations. The guild records are limited to the toolmakers and carpenters. The original records are located in the Wels City Archives, Austria.

Reading These Records
For help reading these German records see the following guides:
 * German Language and Languages
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading German Handwritten Records

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:
 * Name of the homeowner
 * Name of head of household
 * Names of family members
 * Age
 * Place of birth (sometimes)
 * Occupation

How Do I Search This Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the name and some other identifying information such as age and occupation.

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select Quellengattung, Zeitraum, und Bandnummer to view the images

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?

 * 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
 * Look for leads to other records about your ancestors

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

 * Consult the Austria Record Finder to find other records
 * Look for variant spellings of the surnames
 * 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 example: they may have gone by their middle name)
 * Use the estimated age to calculate a birth date
 * Search the records of nearby counties places

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

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.