Zschopau, Germany, Marriages, 1876-1920

About this collection

This collection contains marriage records from Zschopau covering the years 1876 up to and including 1920. Zschopau lies along the Zschopau River about 10 miles southeast of Chemnitz. This administrative center is located on the borders of the Ore Mountains in the modern German state of Saxony. It was first mentioned in a document from the year 1286. Zschopau grew in importance because it was situated along the "Salt Road" trade route between Leipzig and Prague.

The main attractions today are the town's a medieval city wall, Wildeck Castle which dates back to the 12th century, and the "Steinbogenbrücke" stone bridge over which troops from 1813 moved to the Battle of Leipzig.

During the time period of this collection until 1918, Zschopau belonged to the Kingdom of Saxony. Also included are the communities of Dittmannsdorf, Gornau and Krumhermersdorf. The date ranges of records from these communities may vary.

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

Marriage records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. Depending on the individual form or on the formulations used by the registrar, you may find:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Marriage Date
• Groom: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Denomination, Age, Birthdate and Birthplace, Residence/Address as well as details about his Parents and their Place of residence
• Bride: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Denomination, Age, Birthdate and Birthplace, Residence/Address as well as details about her Parents and their Place of Residence
• Witnesses
• Signatures

More about using this collection

Each document has a front and back. These are displayed one ofter the other. Additional events from the life of the couple 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 found via the search form.

Under "Browse this collection,” select the Civil Registration Office and Year Range for the desired records.