Source Information

Ancestry.com. Rostock, Germany, Marriages, 1876-1941 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.

Original data: Standesamtliche Eheschließungen, 1876-1941. Stadtarchiv Rostock.

About Rostock, Germany, Marriages, 1876-1941

About the Rostock, Germany, Marriages, 1876-1941

General collection information

This collection contains images of marriage records and name directories from Rostock, Germany, that were created between 1876 and 1941. Rostock is a formerly independent city in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and is situated on both banks of the Warnow River up to the coast of the Baltic Sea. These records are in German.

Marriage records were created using preprinted forms that the registrar filled in by hand. The name directories are arranged alphabetically according to the last name of the groom. They are bound as separate chronological volumes or with their respective marriage registers. Each document has a front and back. Additional events from the couple's life were sometimes recorded later in the margins. These notes, sometimes referred to as "narration," can contain very useful information, but they have not been indexed.

Using this collection

Marriage records in this collection may include the following information:

Sequential or certificate number

Marriage date

Name

Birthplace and date

Place of residence and addresses

Religious denomination

Parents' names and places of residence

Witnesses' names

Signatures of witnesses and bride and groom

Spouse's name

Spouse's birthplace and date

Spouse's religious denomination

Name directories in this collection may include the following information:

Sequential number

Bride and groom names

Groom's occupation and residence

Cross-reference to marriage register

Notes

Here are some German words that may be helpful in reading the marriage records:

Geburt is German for "birth."

Ehe is German for "marriage."

Mutter is German for "mother."

Vater is German for "father."

Ehefrau is German for "wife."

Ehemann is German for "husband."

Tochter von is German for "daughter of."

Sohn von is German for "son of."

Familien u. Borname is German for "family and birth name."

Geb. am is German for "born on."

Geburtstag is German for "birthday."

Familienname is German for "family name."

Vornamen is German for "first name."

The records in this collection can be used to verify that your ancestor was married in Rostock on a specific date. They also can confirm when your ancestor was born. Names of spouses and parents can help you expand your family tree. Marriage records with maiden names are helpful for researching the maternal branches of your family.

Collection in context

The marriage records were created by officials working for the civil registration office in Rostock, Germany. The marriage records are high-quality primary historical sources housed by the city of Rostock.

Civil registration of marriages in Germany began in 1792 in the German states that had come under the control of France during the French Revolution. Between 1803 and 1874, civil registration of marriages was mandated in Hessen-Nassau, Westfalen, Hannover, and Prussia. Along with the rest of Germany, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern began civil registration of marriages in January 1876. Marriages were usually recorded in the hometown of the bride.

Bibliography

Powell, Kimberly. "Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths in Germany." ThoughtCo. Last modified March 3, 2019. https://www.thoughtco.com/germany-vital-records-1422812.