Erfurt, Germany, Transcripts of Church Records, 1806-1874

About this collection

This database contains transcripts or copies of church records from the city of Erfurt in Thuringia, Germany. 42 communities are represented including parishes incoporated into the city over time. The vast majority of the church records are from Protestant communities, but some Catholic and Jewish communities are also included. In one case, records from the "Kaufmannsgemeinde" or merchants' community are included. Erfurt is the capital of Thuringia. By the Middle Ages it was already home to one of the oldest universities in Germany. It became a centerpiece of the Reformation and a city of immense cultural and historical significance. Starting in 1802 and during the time period of this collection, Erfurt belonged to the Prussian Province of Saxony (under French rule from 1806 to 1914). It was the also the capital of the Erfurt administrative district.

What you can find in the records

These transcripts and copies were handwritten by clergymen on pre-printed forms bound in book form. Originals were prepared in the same way. As a rule, the records document births, marriages and deaths. In some cases, confirmations or other church activities are recorded. Depending on the time period and on the individual formulations used, you may generally find the following details in these records:

For Births:

• Child: Given Names, Birthdate, Time of Birth, Legitimacy/Illegitimacy, Baptism, Witnesses
• Parents: Father's Given Names, Last Name, and Profession/Trade; Mother's Given Names, Maiden Name and Profession/Trade; Parents' residence

For Marriages:

• 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
• Date and Place of Wedding

For Deaths:

• Deceased: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation/Trade, Age, Spouse/Parents, Date of Death, Time of Death, Cause of Death
• Burial Date

More about using this collection

This collection is, as yet, not indexed and cannot be searched by names. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Parish or community. Sometimes two parishes are bound in a single book. Select the Year Range and the Record Type desired. (Geborene = Births, Gestorbene = Deaths, Getraute = Marriages) Birth, marriage and death records may also be found combined together into a single book (Geborene, Gestorbene, Getraute).

While creating the transcripts, clergymen occasionally introduced errors by, for example, placing births in marriage registers. In such cases, using the "Browse this collection" box can still be helpful. It allows you to select and view all of the Record Types within the correct Year Range.

You can also use the filmstrip function in the image viewer, which displays thumbnails of the pages, to navigate to the beginning or end or within a book in a given Year Range. As a rule, an original book would contain flyleaves, empty pages, changes in typeface and, in places, seals and stamps. Regarding these, the clergymen who made the copies confirm, at the end of the book or volume, that the copy matches the original.