Worms, Germany, Births, Marriages, and Deaths, 1798-1875

About this collection

This collection contains birth, marriage and death records from Worms covering the years 1798 up to and including 1875. Worms is an independent city situated on the left (west) bank of the Rhine in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is also known as the Nibelungen city and Luther City and is known for the Kaiserdom, a Romanesque imperial cathedral. In addition to Worms the collection includes records from 13 surrounding communities, among which is the traditional Mennonite-influenced community of Ibersheim. The date range of each individual collection may vary. Marriage banns (the public announcement of an impending marriage) are included for all communities except Leiselheim. During the time period of this collection, Worms belonged first to the French Republic, then in 1815 to the Grand Duchy of Hesse.

Beginning on May 1, 1798, birth, marriage and death records in left-bank areas, including the city of Worms, followed the model of the French civil registry. Throughout the entire former German Empire, civil registration was taken over and performed by local registry offices beginning on January 1, 1876.

The collected records are arranged chronologically and usually in bound yearbook form which are collectively referred to as "civil registers." Occasionally, alphabetical directories of names were also created. While churches continued to keep traditional records, the State also mandated that the personal or marital status of the entire population be recorded.

What you can find in the records

Civil registrars recorded births, marriages and deaths initially in French and without preprinted forms. After 1815, the forms were often preprinted and filled out in German. In each record the birth date and the death date usually differ from the date they were registered. Depending on the individual form or on the formulations used by the registrar, you may find:

For Births:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Registration Date
• Informant: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Age, Profession, Residence
• Mother: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Age, Residence
• Child: Birth Date, Time of Birth, Sex, Given Names
• Signatures

For Marriages:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Marriage Date
• Groom: Given names, Last Name, Occupation, Residence, Birthdate and Birthplace, details about his Parents
• Bride: Given names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation, Residence, Birthdate and Birthplace, details about her Parents
• References to, among others, birth records and marriage banns

For Deaths:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Registration Date
• Informant: Given Names, Last Name, Occupation
• Deceased: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation, Age, Residence, Birthplace, Spouse/Parents, Place/Date of Death, Time of Death
• Signatures

For Marriage Banns:

• Given and Last Name of Registrar, Where Published
• Groom-to-be: Given Names, Last Name, Age, Occupation, Parents
• Bride-to-be: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Age, Occupation, Parents

More about using this collection

Depending on the year and type of register, pages may contain multiple entries (written one after the other). An entry may start on one page and continue on to the next. Civil Registry records may have had additional events from the life of the person recorded later on in the margins. These notes, sometimes referred to as "narration," can contain very useful information but they have not been indexed. As a result, information from the notes will not found via the search form. The French Republican Calendar was used in the registers (until December 31, 1805). Under "Browse this collection,” first select the community and type of record desired (Geburten = Birth, Heiraten = Marriage, Sterbefälle = Death and Eheverkündigungen = Marriage Announcements.) Then, select the desired year-range.