Denmark Civil Marriages - FamilySearch Historical Records

Collection Time Period
The records in this collection are for the years 1851-1959.

Collection History
Civil marriages were first allowed in Denmark in 1851. In rural areas the marriage was recorded with the district sheriff, and with the magistrate in cities. The marriage was recorded in special notarial registers. These registers vary in content and arrangement by area. Some include a considerable number of supporting documents, such as baptismal certificates, while others record only the names and residences of the bridal couple. In 1923 the registration process was changed by legislation enacted in 1922. This made the mayor the registering officer in the cities and the parish sherrif the registrar in rural areas. The registration form was also standardized making into a columnar format. Regions of Denmark that belonged to Germany had a separate system of registration.

Why This Collection Was Created
Civil registration of marriage legitimized marriage for members of the population who were not adherents of the state church.

Collection Reliability
The marriage date is very reliable. Other information depends upon the knowledge and reliability of the informants (usually the bride and groom).

Collection Description
The earliest records are handwritten in narrative style. Beginning in 1923, entries were recorded in books containing preprinted forms. These records cover only individuals who were not members of, or chose not to marry in the state church. Consequently, the population coverage is quite low. These records do not cover any parts of Denmark that were under German administration to 1920. These counties were Tønder, Haderslev, Åbenrå, and Sønderborg.

Record Content
These are the key genealogical facts found in most Danish Civil Marriage records: • Names of the bride and groom • Marriage date • Age of bride and groom sometimes the birthdate • Residence of bride and groom • Occupation of the bride and groom

How To Use the Collection
Civil marriage records are an excellent source for validating the date and place of marriage. If a marriage record for a couple cannot be found in the church registers, the civil marriage registers are an excellent source to check.

Related Websites
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Sources of Information for This Collection
Digital copies of originals housed at the Landsarkivet Norrejylland, Hansgade 5, 8800 Viborg Denmark

How To Cite Your Sources
Instructions for citing this source can be found at: CiteYour Sources (Source Footnotes)