Source Information

Stadtarchiv (City Archive) Bischofswerda

Ancesty.com. Bischofswerda, Germany, Deaths, 1876-1990 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2017.

Original data: Personenstandsregister Sterberegister 1876-1990. Stadtarchiv Bischofswerda, Bischofswerda, Deutschland.

About Bischofswerda, Germany, Deaths, 1876-1990

About the Bischofswerda, Germany, Deaths, 1876-1990

General collection information

This collection contains images of civil death records created in Bischofswerda, Germany, between 1876 and 1990. Twelve other communities from the district of Bautzen are included in this collection. The date ranges of records from these communities may vary. These records also document casualties from World War II. Death records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. In each record, the date of death usually differs from the date the death was registered. The "informant" was usually a relative of the deceased. All the records are written in German.

Using this collection

Records in this collection may include the following information:

Deceased's name, maiden name, age, residence address, religious denomination, birth date, and birthplace

Informant's name, maiden name, occupation, residence address, and religious denomination

Death date and place

Time of death

Spouse's name

Parents' names

Signatures

Sequential or Certificate Number

Beginning in 1938, the records may also cross reference to corresponding birth and marriage registers. From 1938 to 1957, the cause of death was often included.

The records in this collection can be used to verify that your ancestor's death occurred in Bischofswerda, Germany, or surrounding communities on a specific date. Names of parents can help you expand your family tree. Death records with maiden names are helpful for researching the maternal branches of your family.

Here are some German words that may be helpful in reading the death registers:

Geburt is German for "birth."

Tod is German for "death."

Mutter is German for "mother."

Vater is German for "father."

Ehefrau is German for "wife."

Ehemann is German for "husband."

Familien u. Borname is German for "family and birth name."

Geb. am is German for "born on."

Alter is German for "age."

Sterbetag is German for "death day."

Geburtstag is German for "birthday."

Familienname is German for "family name."

Vornamen is German for "first name."

Under "Browse this collection," select the "Civil Registration Office" and then the "Year Range" for the register desired.

Collection in context

The death registers were created by civic officials working in registration offices in Bischofswerda and surrounding communities. The registers are primary historical sources, and the original documents are housed at the Bischofswerda city archives.

Civil registration of deaths in Germany began in 1792 in the German states that had come under the control of France during the French Revolution. Between 1803 and 1874, civil registration of deaths was mandated in Hessen-Nassau, Westfalen, Hannover, and Prussia. Along with the rest of Germany, Bischofswerda began civil registration of deaths in January 1876.

Until 2009, German death records were only able to be viewed by those named in the records or their direct descendants. A civil records reform law went into effect in 2009 that allowed the public access to death records 30 years after they were created.

Bibliography

Beidler, James M. "Finding Digitized German Civil Records Online." Family Tree Magazine. Accessed September 4, 2023. https://familytreemagazine.com/heritage/german/online-german-civil-records/..

Powell, Kimberly. "Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths in Germany." ThoughtCo. Last modified March 3, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/germany-vital-records-1422812/..