Source Information

Ancestry.com. Wanzleben, Germany, Birth Records, 1874-1909 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations.Inc., 2023.

Original data: Wanzleben, Germany, Birth Records, 1874-1909. Stadtarchiv Wanzleben; Wanzleben, Deutschland; Personenstandsurkunden, Geburtsregister im Original.

About Wanzleben, Germany, Birth Records, 1874-1909

About the Wanzleben, Germany, Birth Records, 1874-1909

General collection information

This collection contains birth records from Wanzleben, Germany between 1874 and 1909. All records are in German. Registries were handwritten onto pre-printed forms. Per German law, birth records are accessible to the public 110 years after the child was born.

Using this collection

Birth registrations may contain the following:

Person's name

Sex assigned at birth

Birth date

Registration date

Parents' names

Parents' occupations

Certificate number

If you don't speak German, knowing a few common words can aid in your search:

Geburt is German for "birth."

Tochter von is German for "daughter of."

Sohn von is German for "son of."

Mutter is German for "mother."

Vater is German for "father."

Ehefrau is German for "wife."

Ehemann is German for "husband."

Kind is German for "child."

These records are handwritten on pre-printed forms, but extra details are often added. Sometimes, the occupations of the child's parents may be found written in front of their names. The words "Zwillinge," "Bliźniak," and "Gemina" indicate the birth of twins.

While searching the records, you may find the phrase "noch nicht" (German for "not yet") listed as the child's name. Registration was required within a week of the birth and not all children were named at the time of registration. Most often, the name can be found written in the margins.

This collection contains high quality images of the original documents. Though German civil registration records are an excellent starting point, it may be beneficial to try searching Ancestry's catalog of German records for additional information.

Collection in context

Civil registration was first introduced to Germany via the French Civil Code. While France occupied parts of Germany in the 1790's, citizens were required to register with the state. Previously, churches were the ones to keep records of birth, marriage, and death. Civil registration became mandatory for the former Prussian provinces beginning in 1874. Civil registration on a national level would not exist in Germany until 1876.

Bibliography

Beidler, James M. "Finding Digitized German Records Online." Familytree Magazine. Last Modified 2022. https://familytreemagazine.com/heritage/german/online-german-civil-records/.

Germany Service. "Birth Records." Last Modified August 7, 2020. https://www.germany-service.com/birth-records.html.