Mittweida, Germany, Deaths, 1876-1950

About this collection

This collection contains death records and name directories from Mittweida covering the years 1876 up to and including 1950. Mittweida is the administrative center of the district of Mittelsachsen (Central Saxony) in the German state of Saxony. This university town is situated on the Zschopau River about 12 miles north of Chemnitz and 38 miles west of Dresden. The first documentary mention of Mittweida was in 1209. Since the Middle Ages this city has been closely linked to the production of textiles. During the time period of this collection until 1918, Mittweida belonged to the Kingdom of Saxony. In addition to Mittweida, the collection includes records from another 9 communities. Most records end before 1938.

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 usually 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 include a Cause of Death and cross references to corresponding birth and/or marriage registers
• Signatures

Entries in the name directories are ordered alphabetically according to the last name of the deceased, then by year of death. They are generally bound as separate volumes covering several years each. They contain the following details:

• Last Names and Given Names of the deceased
• Cross-reference to death register
• Occupation, Address of the deceased

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 be found via the search form. The “Informant” was usually a relative of the deceased. 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. Name directories appear at the end of the Year Range lists.