When researching your family history in Germany, diving into the records of a single town can yield surprising discoveries. Each town holds a wide range of historical documents, waiting to piece together the tapestry of your ancestors’ lives. This guide will show you how to make the most of various record types available from a single German locality.
1. Church Records: Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials
Church records are the cornerstone of German genealogy, especially prior to the introduction of civil registration in the 19th century. In church records, you can find names, familial relationships, dates of birth, marriage, and death, parents’ names, occupations, addresses, and more!
- Tip: Search beyond the core family records. Less common church records include family registers, marriage announcement books, First Communion books, confirmation books, and sometimes even lists of who sat in which pew!
- Where to Look: Archion and Matricula host hundreds of thousands of records online. If your records are not online, see My Church Records Haven’t Been Digitized: Now What? (For help on deciphering church records, check out the book The Magic of German Church Records)
2. Vital Records: Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
After 1876, the German government mandated civil registration for all births, marriages, and deaths. In fact, some areas even began this record-keeping system before 1876; if your ancestor lived in an area that was conquered by Napoleon, you may be able to find civil records from the early 1800s. Civil records are more likely to list an address than church records, at least in my experience!
- Tip: If your ancestors lived in a small town and you cannot find its Standesamt (civil registration office), look for adjacent district offices that might have maintained these records.
- Where to Look: Ancestry.com has many vital records. If you cannot find them on Ancestry, simply contact the local Standesamt, or registry office and request information about your ancestor (Google the name of your town plus the German word “Standesamt”).
3. Emigration Records
During the 19th century especially, many Germans emigrated, especially to North America. If your ancestors left Germany, emigration records may list their names, destinations, and reasons for departure.
- Tip: Look for travel companions with the same surname—entire families or groups often emigrated together.
- Where to Look: FamilySearch Wiki has a wonderful page of resources for finding lists of German emigrants.
4. Ortssippenbücher/Ortsfamilienbücher
Ortssippenbücher (family lineage books) include genealogical information about inhabitants of a specific village or parish, based primarily on surviving local church records. These are amazing resources for researching specific families in a town.
- Tip: OSBs are secondary sources. If possible, always verify the information with the primary source (the local church records).
- Where to Look: Family History Libraries will usually have OSBs. CompGen has a wonderful database online. The St. Louis County Library has one of the largest collections of OSBS in the country and offer free look-ups for people all over the world.
5. Newspapers: Local Announcements and Obituaries
Local newspapers are treasure troves of information about the everyday lives of your ancestors. Birth, marriage, and death announcements, obituaries, and even small-town happenings can offer rich details and further information about your ancestors’ lives.
- Tip: If your ancestors owned a business, search for advertisements or notices related to their business name. If you know their address, try entering it in the search bar to see if any articles appear listing the residents of that house.
- Where to Look: The Deutsches Zeitungsportal (Zeitung = newspaper) and Newspapers.com (Newspapers.com is more for when your ancestor emigrated to another country, however; it does not include Germany). See Eight Reasons You Should Be Using Newspapers.com here.
6. Court and Land Records
Court records can reveal more than just legal disputes. They often contain probate records, land sales, and guardianship documents, offering a glimpse into property ownership, addresses, inheritance patterns, family relationships, and more.
- Tip: Take advantage of “Google Books”. Type in “Grundbücher” + the name of your town to find land transfer records for your area.
- Where to Look: State archives. Google the name of your town, plus “Staatsarchiv” or “Landesarchiv” to find the appropriate archive.
7. Military Records
Military records can provide much more information about your ancestor than you may think! These records often include names, addresses, occupations, relationships, and of course, battle history and military ranks!
- Tip: Even if your ancestor did not serve directly, military records might still reference family members listed as next of kin. Need help with military record vocabulary? Check out this article on our site.
- Where to Look: FamilySearch has a great page on researching German Military Records here.
8. Local German Museums and History Centers
A “Heimatmuseum” (hometown museum) in your German or Austrian town is a wonderful place to contact to find out more about your ancestors. These museums collect artifacts, documents, and cultural objects specific to the town or region, reflecting its social, economic, and historical development. They should also be able to point you in the right direction for additional research about the town or your specific ancestors.
- Tip: Include first and last names, relevant dates of life events, and known addresses of your ancestors, and ask if they have materials related to these. Example:
“I’m researching the family of Johann Friedrich Müller, born June 1, 1823, died February 10, 1897. Do you have any guild records, resident lists, emigration lists, etc. from that period?” - Where to Look: Google the name of your town plus the word “Heimatmuseum”.
9. Online or In-Person Genealogy Groups For Your German Hometown or Area
Genealogy groups can be invaluable resources for researchers, offering access to region-specific expertise, records, databases, and collaborative research opportunities. For example, if your ancestors were from the Palatinate region, consider joining a Palatines to America genealogy group.
- Tip: If you can’t find an official group for your region, type your town or region into a Facebook search. Many Facebook groups and/or pages exist for people researching a specific area. One of the largest is the Prussian Genealogy and Heritage Facebook Group.
- Where to Look: Simply type in your hometown or region into Google, with the words “Genealogy Group” or “Genealogy Organization” after it. See what comes up! You can also try asking at your local library.
I hope this helps you find records in your specific town! Any other places you’d recommend genealogists should look? Let us know in the comments!