Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1567-1945

About this collection

This collection contains parish registers from numerous Protestant communities and military garrisons found in former or modern German territories. Depending on the age of a record, it may be grouped under older historical regions or by modern German states. The structure or order of modern records may differ from that of historical regions. Use the box "Browse this collection,” to determine the Historic Region to which a given locality was assigned.

The oldest church records in this collection date from the 16th century. Many registers date to the beginning of, or just before, the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). These parish records primarily contain information about births and baptisms, marriages, and deaths and burials.

What you can find in the records

Events in the original church registers were recorded by the local pastor. Depending on the time period and on the individual formulations used, you may generally find the following details in these records:

For Births:

• Given Names, Birthdate, Time of Birth, Legitimacy/Illegitimacy, Baptism, Witnesses
• Parents: Father's Given Names, Last Name, and Profession/Trade; Mother's Given Names, Maiden Name and Profession/Trade; Parents' residence

For Marriages:

• Groom: Given names, Last Name, Occupation, Residence, Birthdate and Birthplace, details about his Parents
• Bride: Given names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation, Residence, Birthdate and Birthplace, details about her Parents
• Date and Place of Wedding

For Deaths:

• Deceased: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation/Trade, Age, Spouse/Parents, Deathplace, Time of Death, Date of Funeral

More about using this collection

This collection is based on older microfilms. Search for names, dates or places using the search form. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Country, Region, City or District, and then the Description and time period for the register desired. The sequence of birth, marriage or death records may not be consistent.