LECTURE SUMMARY: Church & Civil Records in Germany

Level: All
Duration: 90 minutes per section/3 hours together (variable)

Section 1

This presentation constitutes an introduction to the identification and location of church and civil vital records for towns and cities in Germany (with borders as of 1871.) The emphasis is on the types of records available in specific provinces during specific periods of time. The discussion features major historical events and developments associated with the keeping of vital records in Germany. Handouts include bibliographical data on church record inventories available in the LDS Family History Library.

Section 2

Generally presented as an extension to Section 1 (above,) this presentation focuses on examples of record formats of vital church and civil records. Specific regional documents are shown and analyzed, whereby members of the audience are given the opportunity to demonstrate expertise in the analysis of documents common to their research venues and experience.