Prussian Provinces, Selected Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1661-1944

About this collection

This collection contains parish registers from numerous predominantly Protestant communities and military garrisons found in former Prussian provinces including Brandenburg, West Prussia and East Prussia. Most notably, it contains records from the cities of Berlin, Marienwerder (West Prussia) and Königsberg (East Prussia). Records form Berlin also contain documents concerning Jewish residents. A few of the registers may encompass Mennonite or French Reformed communities.

The oldest church records in this collection date from the 17th century. Many records, however, begin in the 18th century after the Kingdom of Prussia was formed in 1701 from Brandenburg-Prussian and Frederick I of Prussia became Elector. Prussia became one of the five great powers of Europe and formed the basis for the rise of a German national state. Prussia as a monarchy existed until the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918.

Generally these records end in 1874 because, in addition to records traditionally kept by the Church in Prussian provinces, the State mandated in 1874 that personal and vital statistics be recorded by local registry offices.

What you can find in the records

This collection is an index to the names found in the ecclesiatical records. These parish records primarily contain information about births and baptisms, marriages, and deaths and burials. A few confirmations are also included. Images of the records themselves are not included. The following details may be found:

• Last Name, Given Names
• Event Type (Birth, Baptism, Marriage, Death, Burial)
• Event Date
• Event Place, Community
• Relatives (usually Parents or Children)

The indexed records are based on older microfilms of the holdings of the Prussian Privy State Archives, an agency of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Search for names, dates or places using the search form.