Rhineland (Rheinland), German Empire Church Records

Church records (parish registers, church books) are an important source for genealogical research in Germany before civil registration began. They recorded details of baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials. The vast majority of the population was mentioned. To learn more about the types of information you will find in church records, click on these links: For a comprehensive understanding of church records, study the article Germany Church Records.
 * Baptisms (Taufen)
 * Marriages (Heiraten)
 * Burials (Begräbnisse)
 * Confirmations (Konfirmationen)
 * Family Registers (Familienbücher)

1. Online Church Records
Microfilms: Parish Addresses:
 * 1704-1957 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1600-1925 - at FamilySearch Historical Records, free, browsable images, incomplete.
 * Click here. Open the link. Click on your town or parish. Click on the "Church records" topic.
 * Parish finder search engine for Rhineland District (Lutheran)
 * Clickable map for Trier parishes (Catholic)

The Palatinate
Online Records: Microfilms: Parish Addresses: -
 * Central Archives of the Evangelical Church of the Palatinate
 * 1600-1925 - at FamilySearch Historical Records, free, browsable images, incomplete.
 * 1704-1957 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Click here. Click on "Places within Bayern, Germany." Click on your town or parish. Click on the "Church records" topic.
 * Parish finder search engine for Rhineland District(Lutheran)
 * Parish address list for Diocese of Speyer (Catholic, historical area of ​​the Palatinate). Click on deaneries in the left sidebar to find parishes.

Alzey-Worms (formerly Hessen-Darmstadt, now Rhineland-Palatinate)

 * See Alzey-Worms Kreis (formerly Hessen), Rheinland-Palatinate Genealogy

Mainz-Bingen (formerly Hessen-Darmstadt, now Rhineland-Palatinate)

 * See Mainz-Bingen Kreis (formerly Hessen), Rheinland-Palatinate Genealogy

Westerwaldkreis (formerly Hessen-Nassau), now Rheinland-Palatinate)

 * See Westerwaldkreis (formerly Hessen-Nassau), Rheinland-Palatinate Genealogy

Unterlahnkreis (formerly Limburg-Wilburg Kreis, Hessen-Nassau, now Rhein-Lahn-Kreis, Rheinland-Palatinate)

 * Limburg-Weilburg Kreis, Hessen Genealogy

Birkenfeld (formerly Oldenburg, now Rhineland-Palatinate)

 * How to Find Birth, Marriage, and Death Records for Oldenburg (now in Lower Saxony), Germany

Writing Letters
Most church registers are still maintained by the parish. You might obtain information by writing to the parish. Parish employees will usually answer correspondence written in German. Your request may be forwarded if the records have been sent to a central repository. Some archives provide research services for a fee. Others will refer you to local professional researchers.

Writing the Letter
Write a brief request in German to the proper church using this address as a guide, replacing the information in parentheses: For a Protestant Parish:


 * An das evangelische Pfarramt
 * (Insert street address, if known.)
 * (Postal Code) (Name of Locality)
 * GERMANY

For a Catholic Parish:


 * An das katholische Pfarramt
 * (Insert street address, if known.)
 * (Postal Code) (Name of Locality)
 * GERMANY


 * Click herefor postal code help for Germany.

How to write a letter: Detailed instruction for what to include in the letter, plus German translations of the questions and sentences most frequently used are in the German Letter Writing Guide.'''

Other Religious Groups

 * To learn how to determine the location of other religious records, namely Jewish, French Reformed, German Reformed, etc., watch Hansen’s Map Guides: Finding Records with Parish Maps beginning at 48:00 minutes, to learn how to locate these congregations. Then go back and watch from the beginning to understand how to use the reference book. This course teaches you how to use a set of reference books found at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. If you are not in Salt Lake City, use the Contact Us feature to request information from the books.

Jewish Records

 * See the Wiki article, Germany Jewish Records

Huguenots (French Protestants)
*German Huguenot Society eV, index.
 * See the Wiki article, ’’’Huguenots in Germany’’’

German Records

 * It's easier than you think! You do not have to be fluent in French and German to use these records, as there is only a limited vocabulary used in them. By learning a few key phrases, you will be able to read them adequately.  Here are some resources for learning to read German records.
 * German Genealogical Word List
 * German Handwriting


 * These video webinars will teach you to read German handwriting:
 * Old German Script Part 1
 * Old German Script Part 2
 * Old German Script (German Church and Civil Records) Part 3


 * Also online interactive slideshow lessons are available to help you learn to read these records:
 * . In this lesson, you will explore several types of German genealogical records, including birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records.
 * German Script Tutorial
 * . In this lesson, you will explore several types of German genealogical records, including birth, baptismal, marriage, and death records.
 * German Script Tutorial

This converter will show you how any phrase or name might look in German script:
 * Kurrentschrift Converter (enter German genealogical word, click on "convert", view your word in Kurrentschrift (Gothic handwriting)

Latin Records
Records of the Catholic church will usually be written in Latin:
 * Latin Genealogical Word List

Search Strategy

 * Search for the relative or ancestor you selected. When you find his birth record, search for the births of his brothers and sisters.
 * Next, search for the marriage of his parents. The marriage record will have information that will often help you find the birth records of the parents.
 * You can estimate the ages of the parents and determine a birth year to search for their birth records.
 * Search the death registers for all known family members.
 * Repeat this process for both the father and the mother, starting with their birth records, then their siblings' births, then their parents' marriages, and so on.
 * If earlier generations (parents, grandparents, etc.) do not appear in the records, search neighboring parishes.