Traunstein, Germany, Marriages, 1876-1934

About this collection

This collection contains marriage records from Traunstein covering the years 1876 up to and including 1934. The administrative center Traunstein is located in Bavaria on the Traun river about 62 miles southeast of Munich and 6 miles east of Lake Chiemsee. It was first mentioned in a document from the year 1245. Traunstein is located along the historic salt route and, for many years, salt production was its most important industry. Today the Salinenkapelle church and the historical saltworks in Au are popular landmarks. During the time period of this collection, Traunstein belonged, until 1918, to the Kingdom of Bavaria. This collection also includes records from the former autonomous communities of Au, Haslach and Kammer. The date ranges of records from these communities may vary.

Beginning on January 1, 1876, birth, marriage and death records in the former German Empire were created by local registry offices. The collected records are arranged chronologically and usually bound together in the form of yearbooks. These are collectively referred to as "civil registers." Complementary alphabetical directories of names may also have been 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

Marriage records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. Depending on the individual form or on the formulations used by the registrar, you may find:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Marriage Date
• Groom: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Denomination, Age, Birthdate and Birthplace, Residence/Address as well as details about his Parents and their Place of residence
• Bride: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Denomination, Age, Birthdate and Birthplace, Residence/Address as well as details about her Parents and their Place of Residence
• Witnesses
• Signatures

Comprehensive name directories (Namensverzeichnis) were bound in separate volumes. These provide a cross-reference to the Certificate Number in the full record. The directories are ordered by the first letter of the couple's last name and grouped by year. The bride's maiden name is noted in the entry but not alphabetized. The name directories are not searchable through the search form.

More about using this collection

Each document has a front and back. These are displayed one ofter the other. Additional events from the life of the couple were sometimes 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. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Civil Registration Office and Year Range for the desired records.