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Early baptismal records often contain only the ordinance date, the child’s father, the godparent(s), and
possibly the child’s name. If the child’s name is not given in the record, it is often the same as the name
of the same-gender godparent. This needs to be confirmed by consulting other records [confirmation,
marriage, burial]. Later records include the mother’s name and often the birth date. If only one date is
given, it is usually the christening date. In some areas it is customary to use the same godparents for all
the children in a family. This practice can help tie families together. House numbers, addresses, and
other identifiers should always be noted. Illegitimate children are usually clearly marked. Christening
entries may contain marginal notes, such as a cross to show the child had died. This does not
automatically mean that the child died young. Researchers should treat these notations as suggestions
until they are proven. A couple may give the same name(s) to several children who all lived to
adulthood, although it is more common to name a younger child after a deceased sibling.
Confirmations
Whenever confirmation records are available, they should be checked. Boys and girls are usually listed
separately. Father’s name and/ or birth date and-place may be included. Even if they only list the
names of the persons to be confirmed, these records document the fact that the person had survived
childhood.
Marriages
Even early marriage entries often name the bride and groom’s fathers; mothers are more commonly
included in the 19 th Century. Occasionally the engagement (Weinkauf) date is included as well. Some
registers also list parish members who had received permission to marry in another parish (dismissal).
Some registers are arranged alphabetically by last name.
Burials
Burial records vary widely in format and the information they contain. Some only list the date and the
decedent’s name; others provide a short biography. Present and former spouses may be listed. The
cause of death may be included. Living descendants may be listed.
Civil records and duplicates
From 1808 to approximately 1812 church officials also served as registrars for the newly created civil
registration office (Standesamt). This resulted in more detailed records being kept. After 1812 civil
registration was discontinued in many areas of Germany, but the pastors were asked to submit a yearly
duplicate of the baptisms, marriages, and deaths for civil purposes, such as draft registration. The
Family History Library has some of these civil duplicates for areas where the regular church records
have not yet been filmed, notably for Hannover. These records may be identified as
“Kirchenbuchduplikat”.
Indexes
When searching parish registers, the researcher may save time by using indexes, usually found at the
end of each section, when available. Most parish registers do not have indexes, however, and page by
page searching will be necessary. Also, sometimes indexes are incomplete, so it may pay to check the
record anyway, even if the desired entry was not listed in the index.
“Soul registers” and family books
Family registers (Familienregister or Familienbücher) were required in Wuerttemberg beginning in
1808, but are occasionally available in other areas as well. They are a part of the parish registers and
should be searched whenever found. Included are records of complete families, listing parents and
children together. This information can be used as a guide in searching the baptisms, marriages and
burials, as the dates are usually given in the family register. However, children who died young may not