Uelzen, Lower Saxony, Germany, Parish Confirmation and Church Records, 1529-1964

About this collection

This collection contains parish registers and church records from Uelzen and neighboring communities in the modern district of Uelzen. The oldest church records in this collection begin in the year 1529 and include church invoices, chronicles and name registers as well as lists of house and family names. This collection also contains records of the "Kalands Brethren"of Uelzen. These records document the revenues of wealthy citizens, who joined together in fraternities and donated money for charity. The term "Kaland" references the fact that fraternities met on the first day of each month. Documentation for the communities of Oldenstadt, Nettelkamp and Rätzlingen also contain records of those who received Communion. Confirmation records generally begin in 1876 and end in the 1950s and 1960s.

Uelzen is the administrative center of the district of the same name in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is a Hanseatic city situated on the Ilmenau river and on the Elbe Lateral Canal about 56 miles southeast of Hamburg. Uelzen was chartered in 1270. Its location on the historic salt route helped the city develop into an important trade center. Half-timbered buildings and Brick Gothic architecture still characterize the cityscape. One of Uelzen's landmarks is the railway station designed by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

This collection also includes comunities now located in Poland. Among them are Białystok and Paproć Duża (German - Königshuld or Groß-Paprotsch), which was founded by Mecklenburg settlers around 1800. These records cover the years 1837-1936 and are written in Polish.

During the time period of this collection, Uelzen belonged to the Principality of Lüneburg, the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg, the Kingdom of Hanover, the Prussian province of Hanover, and after 1946 to Lower Saxony.

What you can find in the records

Events in the original church registers are recorded in the handwriting of the local pastor. Depending on the time period and on the individual formulations used, you may generally find the following details in these records:

For Confirmations:

• Sequential number
• Confimation Date
• Last Name and Given Names of the Confirmee
• Parents' Name, Occupation and Residence
• Birthdate and Birthplace of the Confirmee
• Confirmee's Baptism/Christening Date and Place
• Notes, e.g. "dispensiert" (if authorization was given for a confirmee under the age of 14)
• Name of the Keeper of the parish register

More about using this collection

Under "Browse this collection,” select the relevant Region, City or District. Then, noting the specific content of a parish register, select the desired year-range.