Regen County, Germany, Death Records, 1876-1983

About this collection

This collection contains death records from Regen County covering the years 1876 up to and including 1983. Regen is the administrative center of the district of the same name in the German state of Bavaria. The city, named for the Regen River, is located in the Bavarian Forest about 19 miles west of the Czech border and about 40 miles north of Passau. In 1148, Regen was mentioned in a papal letter of safe conduct. During the time period of this collection, Regen belonged to the Kingdom of Bavaria. The collection also includes death records from the incorporated village of March covering from 1878 up to and including 1975.

Beginning on January 1, 1876, birth, marriage and death records in the former German Empire were created by local registry offices. The collected records are arranged chronologically and usually bound together in the form of yearbooks. These 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

Death records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. Beginning in 1958, the forms were completed by typewriter. 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: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation, Residence/Address, Denomination
• Deceased: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Age, Denomination, Residence/Address, Place/Date of Birth, Place/Date of Death, Time of Death
• From 1938 to 1958, the Cause of Death is often included
• Beginning in 1938, the records may also cross reference to corresponding birth and/or marriage registers
• Beginning in 1958, they may include Parents' information
• Signatures

More about using this collection

Each record comprises one page. Additional events from the life of the deceased were sometimes 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 may have been submitted by a hospital or funeral home. Under "Browse this collection,” select the City and Year Range of the register desired.