Weimar, Germany, List of Citizens, 1542-1919

About this collection

This is a collection of "Bürgerbücher" or books containing information about the citizens of Weimar covering the years 1542 up to and including 1919. Weimar is an independent city located about 15 miles east of Erfurt and 62 miles southwest of Leipzig in the German state of Thuringia. The earliest records concerning Weimar date from the year 899. From 1547 to 1552 the city was the principal residence and capital of the duchies of Saxony, Saxe-Weimar and, after 1815, of the Grand Duchy of Saxony. Over the course of centuries, Weimar developed into a major cultural center. Today the city is known for the cultural movement known as Weimar Classicism and for the German art school "Bauhaus." In 1919, a national assembly was held there and Germany became unofficially known as the Weimar Republic. In addition to the lists of citizens, this collection contains an alphabetical index of names for the year range 1839-1919.

The books are usually arranged chronologically. In the 19th and 20th centuries they served as a registry of residents who had acquired citizenship in a city. To receive citizenship, a resident had to take an oath and pay a citizenship fee. City citizenship entailed both rights and obligations.

What you can find in the records

These handwritten listings were created chronologically. In later years they were recorded in a tabular format. Depending on the formulations used by individual registrars, the following details may be found:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Last Name, Given Names, Occupation
• Birth Date and Time of Birth
• Parents' Name and Occupation
• Commitment Date (when citizenship was granted)
• Amount of Citizenship Fee

The "Registerband 1839-1919" is an index that was created later as a finding aid for the "Bürgerbuch 1839-1919" volume. It contains an alphabetical listing of new citizens' last and first names along with the page number on which they are found in the Bürgerbuch.

More about using this collection

Each page usually contains several entries. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Year Range of the register (Bürgerbuch) desired.