Where in Germany do you go to looks for death and birth certificates?

Question

I'm an American and I am putting together a family tree. I have all my American family down and some Europeans but I want to go further so I figured I would take a trip to Germany. Where do I go to get death and birth certificates and do I need proof of being related to them to get it?

Answer 1

You get birth and death certificates after 1873 in the cities your ancestors were born in or died in. It is called "Standesamt" (register of births, deaths, marriages and divorces) and every county has one.

It is quite easy to contact them via email and ask, but if you want a copy of the certificate you need to snail mail them a cheque with a small fee (between 5 and 20 EUR) and proof of your relation. You can find the adresses online - most towns in germany have a website.

Before 1873 you need to look up church records. The best way to research German ancestors is not through travelling to Germany, but through the films provided by the Mormons. Only when you are stuck there because nobody ever looked at that particular parish before it makes sense to come to Germany for further research.

You can get help researching your German ancestors in the google group soc.genealogy.german