Austria, Upper Austria, Linz Citizen Rolls - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection of citizen records includes the years 1658 to 1937. This collection of citizen records for the city of Linz may give the name, residence, age, occupation, and tax information for each citizen. The collection also includes citizen land registers (burgerkataster), tax invoices (rechnungen), orphan books (waisenbuch), lists of proprietors (hauserverzeichnis), and certificates of family origin (heimatschein).

The text is handwritten in German. Some documents are written in ledger type format, others in narrative style. For help with translating the documents, see the For Help Reading the Records section of this article.

This collection has a variety of legal records, all relating to citizen records of residence status, property, taxes, heirs, etc.

These records were created to track the identification, property, and taxes of all citizens and people applying for citizenship.

Citizen records are reliable, but keep in mind that these do not have as much information as church and civil records. Use these records when vital information can’t be found elsewhere.

Reading These Records
These records are written in German. For help reading them see:
 * German Language and Languages
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * Germany Handwriting
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * German Paleography Seminar

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The information in these records usually include the following:

Citizen lists
 * Date issued
 * Name of principal
 * Occupation
 * Marital status
 * Residence
 * Age
 * Physical description
 * Spoken language

Outstanding tax records
 * Name of person
 * Marital status
 * Place of residence

Citizenship and oath of allegiance lists
 * Name of person
 * Age or date of birth
 * Place of residence
 * Occupation
 * Signature of person swearing the oath
 * Name of representative (if any)

Inheritance tax
 * Name of the deceased person
 * Names of heirs
 * Taxes information

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's name
 * Residence
 * Age or birth date
 * Names of family members

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?

 * The person may be recorded with an abbreviated or variant form of their name
 * Try searching by surname only
 * Remember that spelling was generally not standardized until the early part of the 20th century

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Austria.
 * 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.

Austria, Alta Austria, Linz, listas de ciudadanos (Registros históricos de FamilySearch) Áustria, Alta Áustria, Linz, Rolos de Cidadão (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch)