Family Registers (Familienbuecher)

Some parishes kept family registers that give information about each family group in the parish. These registers list the names of the husband and wife and their birth dates and places, marriage date and place, parents' names, occupations, and residence. If a second marriage is listed, details about the parents of the new marriage partner are often included.

Children are usually listed in chronological order. Names, birth dates, confirmation dates, marriage dates, and death dates may be listed. In some registers, when a child married and remained in the same parish, the register gives a "see" reference and a page number where that particular child appears as the head of a household.

Some family registers indicate whether the family moved to another village or emigrated to another country. Some marriage documents will include the words "im Stille", or "in der Stille". It simply means outside of public involvement, or without public invitation, for whatever reason.

The information in family registers was compiled from other church books or obtained from the head of the household, and it is subject to error. Whenever possible, you should confirm all information found in family registers with baptism, marriage, and burial records.

If you know the town where your ancestor-family lived, you can go to www.familysearch.org and select Family History Library Catalog and from there, "place search." Entering just the town name will usually suffice, since all towns with that name, regardless of geographic location, will be shown. You will get a list of all the types of records which the LDS Church has filmed. Go to Church Records. From this list you can pick and choose what might be appropriate and helpful, and by clicking on as many links as possible (including the VIEW FILM NOTES button) you will get a fair amount of detail on the content. Films can be ordered through your Family History Center for a small fee (three-week period with possibility of renewal) and viewed at their facility. (See the homepage, righthand column, for access to a listing of the Centers.) Be sure to check their hours, as each Center sets its own schedule.

USE YOUR BACK BUTTON OR GO TO LINK TABLES, OR GO TO "HOW TO RESEARCH."