Traunstein, Germany, Deaths, 1876-1978

About this collection

This collection contains death records from Traunstein covering the years 1876 up to and including 1978. 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 and after 1946, to the Free State 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

Death records were created using preprinted forms that were typically filled in by hand by the registrar. In each record the date of death usually differs from the date it was registered. Depending on the individual form or on the formulations used by the registrar, you may find:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Informant: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation, Residence/Address, Denomination
• Deceased: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Age, Denomination, Residence/Address, Place/Date of Birth, Spouse/Parents, Place/Date of Death, Time of Death
• Beginning in 1938, the records may also cross reference to corresponding birth and/or marriage registers
• From 1938 to 1957, the Cause of Death is often included
• Signatures

More about using this collection

Each record comprises one page. Additional events from the life of the deceased 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. The “Informant” was usually a relative of the deceased. In later years death information was often submitted by hospital administrators or by an undertaker.

These records also document casualties (Kriegssterbefälle) from the Second World War. Records for some of the dead were only later made available by the "German Office for the Notification of Next-of-Kin of Members of the Former German Armed Forces who were Killed in Action" (WASt) in Berlin. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Civil Registration Office and Year Range of the register desired.