Mönchengladbach, Germany, Death Records, 1798-1950

About this collection

This collection contains death records from Mönchengladbach covering the years 1798 up to and including 1950. Mönchengladbach is an independent city situated on the left (west) bank of the Rhine the Düsseldorf district of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Previous names and spellings of the area include München-Gladbach, M. Gladbach and Mönchen Gladbach. The city is named for the now dry springs that fed the River Gladbach. In addition to Mönchengladbach, another 11 communities are included in the collection. These communities were previously autonomous but have over the years become suburbs of the city. As a result, the years covered for each may vary. During the time period of this collection, Mönchengladbach, called Maire Gladbach, belonged to the French Département de la Roar until 1814 and thereafter to Prussia. In 1946, it fell under British control during the military occupation of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Beginning on May 1, 1798, birth, marriage and death records in left-bank areas, including the city of Mönchengladbach, followed the model of the French civil registry. Throughout the Prussian provinces, civil registration was taken over and performed by local registry offices beginning on October 1, 1874.

The collected records are arranged chronologically and usually in bound yearbook form which are collectively referred to as "civil registers." Occasionally, alphabetical directories of names were also created. While churches continued to keep traditional records, the State also mandated that the personal or marital status of the entire population be recorded.

What you can find in the records

Civil registrars initially recorded deaths in French and without using preprinted forms. In each record the date of death usually differs from the date it was registered. Depending on the individual form or on the formulations used by the registrar, you may find:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Registration Date
• Informant: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Residence/Address
• Deceased: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Age/Birthdate, Denomination, Residence/Address, Birthplace, Marital Status, Spouse/Parents, Place/Date of Death, Time of Death
• Beginning in 1938, the records may also include a Cause of Death and cross references to corresponding birth and/or marriage registers
• Signatures

More about using this collection

The earliest death entries in this collection are handwritten and may continue from one page to the next. Later entries comprise a single page. During the time period of this collection, different forms or templates were used and the information they record may vary.

Civil Registry records may have had additional events from the life of the person recorded later on in the margins. These notes, sometimes referred to as "narration," can contain very useful information but they have not been indexed. As a result, information from the notes will not found via the search form. The “Informant” was usually a relative of the deceased. In later years, death information was often submitted by hospital administrators.

The French Republican Calendar was used as the dating system in the registers (until December 31, 1805). Under "Browse this collection,” select the Civil Registration Office and Year Range of the register desired.