Bischofswerda, Germany, Births, 1876-1911

About this collection

This collection contains birth records from Bischofswerda covering the years 1876 up to and including 1911. The administrative center Bischofswerda is located about 22 miles east of Dresden at the edge of Upper Lusatia in the German state of Saxony. Unofficially, Bischofswerda is known as "Schiebock" by local residents. It was first mentioned in a document from the year 1227. Over the centruries, numerous devastating fires have periodically destroyed the town. Bischofswerda's main attraction is its large historic market square and town hall. During the time period of this collection, until 1918, Bischofswerda belonged to the Kingdom of Saxony. In addition to Bischofswerda, another 11 communities from the district of Bautzen are included in this collection. 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

Birth records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. In each record the date of a birth 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, Maiden Name, Residence/Address, Denomination
• Mother: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Spouse, Denomination, Residence/Address
• Child: Birth Date, Time of Birth, Sex, Given Names
• Signatures

More about using this collection

Each record comprises one page. Additional events from the life of the child 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. In cases where the child had not yet received a name at birth, the name was later added in the margin notes. The “Informant” was often a midwife or the child's father. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Civil Registration Office and then the Year Range and Volume for the register desired. If a name directory was created, it will be found at the end of each individual volume.