Understanding Church Records in Germany

What’s Recorded in Church Books (Kirchenbücher)?

Even if your ancestors did not attend church once they came to the United States, they almost certainly did in Germany because vital events like birth, marriage, and death were recorded in the church parishes where your ancestors lived. Even today, tithing is taken out of paychecks like taxes, showing how integrated church and state are in Germany. 

Church books can go back to the mid-1500s for Lutheran and Catholic parishes. The possible records, called sacramental ones, generally include baptism, confirmation, marriage bans (proclamations), marriage, and burials. Sometimes, churches store family books or Seelenregisters (a registry of “souls,” like a census).

Religion-Based Records in Germany 

The main religions of Germans, up to the late 1800s, were Catholic (Katholisch) and Protestant/Lutheran (Evangelisch), although other faith practices, like Judaism, existed.

While it is ideal to know your ancestors’ religion and town of origin before you start your search, you might not know that information. Clues can sometimes be derived from the obituaries or marriage records of immigrants. Even U.S. federal census records can contain clues. Instead of listing “Germany” as a birthplace, for example, you might see “Bavaria.” 

Pro Tip: Take a close look at all of the details listed in the records you already have for your direct ancestor as well as any siblings. The place of origin or faith tradition might be noted in a sibling’s record

If you cannot find your Lutheran or Catholic ancestor’s church records online, you may be able to find them in depositories in Germany connected to Lutheran or Catholic regional archives. 

Essential German Vocabulary for Church Records

German sacramental records typically contain the following common words, although words for “marriage” might differ across kingdoms. Catholic records were likely written in Latin before the 1800s. However, the list below will provide the essential German vocabulary to extract details about your ancestors.

Vocabulary for Baptism (Taufe) Records

Many of the vocabulary in baptism records applies to other record types, such as confirmation records.

• Bemerkungen = notes
• der/die/das = the
• des = of the
• ehelich = legitimate by marriage
• Eltern = parents
• früh = early
• geboren = born
• Geburt = birth 
• Geschlect = sex
• getauft = baptized 
• männlich = male
• Mittag = noon
• Mutter = mother
• nach = after
• Nachname/Zuname = last name
• Name des Kindes = name of the child 
• vor = before
• Pate(n) = godparent(s)
• Stand/Beruf = profession
• Tag und Stunde = day and hour
• Taufe = baptism 
• Taufzeug(e) = baptismal witness(es)
• unehelich = Illegitimate
• Vater = father
• Vorname = first name
• Weiblich = female
• Wohnort/Ort = residence/place
  

Example of a Baptism Record

Here’s how you can convert the German text across the columns in that baptism record to a translated narrative.

Item No. 73 describes Henrich Friedrich Brinkmann. It shows he was born on 24 October 1838 at 5 p.m. in Wiemelhausen, and baptized on 4 November 1838. Henrich Friedrich was the legitimate son of Caspar Brinkmann and Maria Cath. née Schothart [sic] and their sixth child. Witnesses to the baptism were Conrad Henr. Ostermann, Friedrich Lohmann, Friedrich Schäfer, Wilhelm Eckmann, Gertrud Brune, Elisabeth Hanefeld, Heinrich Hemmermann, Georg Bisko, Wilhelm Chanzierlier, and Georg Schuchte. Henrich Friedrich was baptized by Minister Natorp.

Confirmation (Konfirmation) Records

Catholic and Lutheran confirmation records usually occurred for individuals around age 14. While these records are void of much detail besides the child’s name, father, birthdate, and the year or date of the confirmation, they can tell you if your ancestor or a sibling lived to about age 14 and will help verify parentage. 

Vocabulary for Marriage (Heirat) Records

• Alter = age
• Braut = bride
• Bräutigam = groom
• getrennt/geschieden/Scheidung = divorce
• Jungfrau = maid/virgin
• Junggesell = bachelor
• ledig = single
• Mädchen = girl
• née = maiden name
• Trauungen/Heirat/Eheschliessung = marriage
• Verheiratet/Getraute = married
• Witwe = widow
• Witwer = widower
• zu = from
  

Example of a Marriage Record

This example shows the translated marriage record converted into a narrative.

Item No. 17 in the record book shows that the intended marriage was proclaimed on 19 and 26 July and 2 August 1863. The actual marriage took place on 8 August 1863 and was performed by the Minister Natorp The groom was the miner Heinrich Friedrich Brinkmann, living in Bochum, and Lutheran confirmed. He was the son of the day laborer Peter Casper Brinkmann and his wife Maria Catharine née Scholasch, living in Bochum. Both parents gave oral approval of the marriage. Heinrich Friedrich was 24 years old, born on 24 October 1838. 

The bride was Juliane Helene Pauline Schneider, living in Bochum, Lutheran confirmed. She was the daughter of the miner foreman Carl Schneider and his wife Julie née Dürr, living in Bochum. Her father gave oral approval of the marriage. Juliane Helene Pauline was 19 years old and born on 28 October 1843.

Vocabulary for Burial (Tote) Records

• 24 J. 4 M. 5 T. = 24 years, 4 months, 5 days old
• Beerdingunen, Begräbnisse, Bestattungen = burials
• Erben = heirs 
• Gestorbene = deceased
• Hinterlassen = left behind
• Krankheit = sickness
• Sterbefälle, Tode, Todesfall = deaths
• Sterbeort = place of death
• Sterbeurkunde = death record
• Tag und Stunde des Todes = day and hour of the death
  

Example of a Burial Record

Here’s how details from this translated burial record can be easily extracted and turned into a narrative, giving us insights about the deceased person’s birthplace, parents, and who he left behind.

Item No. 10 in the burial records for Bochum in North Rhine-Westphalia shows that Peter Caspar Brinkmann died at age 76 on 21 January 1873 at 2 p.m. of old age. Three days later he was buried. When he died, he left behind a wife and seven children. He was the son of the deceased married couple, freight hauler Diedrich Brinkmann and Marie née Grevenhaft, of Brockenberg by Schwelm. Peter Caspar Brinkmann was born on 9 March 1796 in Brockenberg by Schwelm and allegedly married Marie Catharine Scholasch in Schwelm on 24 November 1825.

Pro Tip: In some regions, like Schleswig-Holstein, burial records often act as obituaries and list your ancestor’s name, wife, children, and possibly even grandchildren. 

Getting Started With Church Records on Ancestry

The historical records for Germany on Ancestry include over 290 million church records of births, marriages, and deaths. Each kingdom or town differs in the information provided in their church book records. Typically, the further back in time you go, the fewer details you get, and the wife’s maiden name is often not listed. 

Some collections have digital images of the original record books. Index-only records, however, contain basic information—such as names and dates—but lack the details found in the actual records. (Tip: Keep an eye on those collections, as digitized images may be added in the future.) If records aren’t available on Ancestry, you can search by town/city in Germany to see where and what records are available.

These are the German church record collections on Ancestry I often use as a professional genealogist. 

• Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1971
• Germany, Select Marriages, 1558-1929
• Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1518-1921
• Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1567-1945
• Germany, Select Deaths and Burials, 1582-1958

Pro Tip: Reading the records for details is critical to documenting your family, as the location of birth, the father’s profession, or the residence of witnesses could help you trace your family to the previous generation. 

Learning More about Your German Ancestors

Finding your ancestor in German parish records can connect you to ancestral locations and potentially build your line back generations. If research is difficult, you need help with translations, or you hit a brick wall, reach out to the AncestryProGenealogists team to help you navigate the next steps. 

Image Sources

• https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Herzogenaurach_Hauptstra%C3%9Fe_Fehnturm.jpg
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_St._Nicholas,_Gda%C5%84sk
• https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61229/images/0923121-00431
• https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61229/images/0923124-00124
• https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61229/images/0923126-00262