Ludwigshafen, Germany, Deaths, 1875-1950

About this collection

This collection contains death records and name directories from Ludwigshafen covering the years 1875 up to and including 1950. Ludwigshafen is situated on the left (west) bank of the Rhine opposite the city of Mannheim. It is located about 12 miles north of Speyer and about 15 miles north-west of Heidelberg in the Rhine-Neckar region in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Ludwigshafen is one of the independent cities in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate which was established in 1946.

Ludwigshafen, named in honor of King Ludwig I of Bavaria, was elevated in 1859 to the status of "independent city" and since 1882 is officially named Ludwigshafen "on the Rhine." The city is well known as the home of the chemical company BASF. During the time period of this collection, Ludwigshafen belonged, until 1918, to the Kingdom of Bavaria. In addition to Ludwigshafen the collection includes records from another eight communities with records from varying time periods.

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 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
• Registration Date
• Informant: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Residence/Address
• Deceased: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Age, Denomination, Residence/Address, Birthplace, Spouse/Parents, Place/Date of Death, Time of Death
• Beginning in 1938, the records may also contain the cause of death as well as references to corresponding marriage registers.
• Signatures

The name directories are arranged alphabetically according to the last name of the deceased. They are bound either as separate chronological volumes or together with their respective death registers. They contain the following details:

• Sequential number
• Last Names and Given Names of the deceased
• Death Date
• Cross reference to death register

More about using this collection

Each record in the Death Register 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 found via the search form. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Civil Registration Office and then the Year Range and Volume for the register desired. When name directories are available for a registry office, they are displayed and selectable in the Year Range list. However, when a name directory forms part of a register itself, it can be accessed within that register by selecting the desired time period.