Halle(Saale), Germany, Burial and Cemetery Registers, 1720-1934

About this collection

This collection contains burial records from cemeteries in Halle (Saale) covering the years 1720 up to and including 1934. It also contains a Catholic parish register for 1845-1850 which includes birth, marriage and death records. Another portion contains extracts from six parish registers for various religious denominations and records births and deaths of male children from 1772 to 1815. Images of the records can be accessed in the box "Browse this collection.” Halle, also known as "Halle on the Saale," was already a major city by 1890. It is situated in the modern German state of Saxony-Anhalt about 25 miles northwest of Leipzig. The first documentary mention of Halle was in 806. It was chartered in 961 and developed rapidly into an important trade center for salt and fabrics. Halle is the seat of one of the oldest universities in Germany. One of the city's notable landmarks on the market square is the Rote Turm (Red Tower), a clock tower built in 1506. In 1701, it became part of the Kingdom of Prussia which from 1918 to 1933 became the Free State of Prussia under the Weimar Republic.

What you can find in the records

Generally the following details may be found in the records:

Parish records (Kirchenbuch kath Gemeinde) and parish extracts (Kirchenbuchauszüge) may include:

• Last Name, Given Names, Birthdate, Marriage Date and Death Date
• Last Name, Given Names and Occupation (and other details) of Family Members

The archive added cover sheets to the front pages of the original parish records and parish extracts. These cover sheets show the type of content and number of pages included in each section. Page numbers were also written on the originals.

Death and burial records (Toten- und Begräbnisregistern) may include:

• Per volume: An alphabetical name directory referencing the sequential number of the death record
• Last Name, Given Names of the Deceased, and later, Addresses
• Dates of Death and Burial. Age of Deceased
• Last Name, Given Names and Occupation (and other details) of Family Members
• Name of Cemetery or Graveyard
• In later records the Cause of Death, Attending Physician, and Hospital Costs and Length of Stay were included

Burial records comprise the largest portion of the collection. They refer to various cemeteries in Halle. Each volume contains an introductory alphabetical name directory which provides a reference to the corresponding year and the sequential number of the death record.

Interment records for family chapel arcades (Altes Grabbogenbuch or Schwibbogenbuch) may include:

• Details about the Leaseholder or Owner of the chapel
• Last Name, Given Names and Occupation of the Deceased
• Interment Date

A special feature found in the old city cemeteries in Halle are "arcades" of tombs or family chapels. Laid out in 1557 and based on Italian cemetery architecture, the graveyard walls are formed by an arcade of arched tombs or chapels. These chapels were usually rented or purchased from the city by affluent families. The chapels are enumerated in the two registers included in this collection.

More about using this collection

The original data for this collection has not yet been indexed and is not searchable. To view the images, go to the box "Browse this collection,” and select the Title of the register desired. Then select the relevant Year Range. When viewing the images, use the filmstrip feature and image thumbnails to help with navigating. In the Catholic parish records and parish extracts, entries usually consist of two pages, which are displayed one after the other. In the death and burial records usually the record is on a single page. Occasionally, however, the lines of the entry form continue on to a second page.