Saarland, Germany, Marriages, 1876-1923

About this collection

This collection contains marriage records from the modern German state of Saarland covering the years 1876 up to and including 1923. Additional records will continue to be added to this collection. Refer to the box "Browse this collection" to see which communities (Registration Office) and year ranges have records available. Saarland has alternated constantly between German and French rule. The records reflect the eventful history of the region.

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 after 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 City or District and then the Description and Year Range for the desired records. There may temporarily be gaps in the records. For example, some registry books may be undergoing restoration at the archive and could not be digitalized.