Delmenhorst, Germany, Recruitment Rolls, 1876-1920

About this collection

This collection contains recruitment records from Hamburg covering the years 1876 up to and including 1920. Delmenhorst, "Demost" in Low German, is an independent city in the region of Oldenburg in the German state of Lower Saxony. The city, located near the River Delme (which gives origin to the placename), is situated west of Bremen and about 22 miles east of Oldenburg. Delmenhorst received the status of independent city in 1371 but was first mentioned in a charter in 1254. It was the long-time residence of the counts of Oldenburg. The castle from that era lost its importance and was eventually demolished between 1711 and 1714. During the 19th century, the city was transformed from an agricultural to an industrial center. It became the site of numerous factories related to cigar production and cork-cutting. In 1867, Delmenhorst became part of the Bremen-Oldenburg railway network which facilitated new industries in burlap and jute products, wool, and linoleum flooring. This period saw a corresponding jump in population. During the time period of this collection Delmenhorst was (until 1918) part of the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg.

Compiled by municipal authorities, these recruitment rosters and muster rolls are arranged in chronological-alphabetical order and contain detailed information about male military personnel in the city. Typically records for young men begin at age 20. Therefore this collection includes age groupings for men born beginning in 1856 up to and including 1900.

Informationen zu den Dokumenten

The information about these military personnel is recorded on preprinted forms which were filled in by hand. You may find the following details.

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Military Details: Last Name, Given Names, Birthdate/Place
• Parent Details: Last Name, Given Names, Alive at the time of recruitment, Father's Occupation, Place of Residence
• Military Duty Station, Denomination, Occupation, Muster Details

More about using this collection

Each document consists of two pages which are divided into columns. The majority contain three records per dual page. Additional information that can be found in this collection may include notes about emigration or about World War I casualties. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Date Range for the desired Recruitment Roll or the desired birth range (Geburtsjahrgang).