Mannheim, Germany, Family Registers, 1760-1900

Located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg on the Rhine River where it joins with the Neckar River, Mannheim is one of the largest inland ports in Europe.

This collection includes civil family registers from Mannheim. These are sometimes called Familienbögen. To track family movements, a system of civil registration was established in parts of what is now Germany. Familienbögen were house-based, recording the inhabitants from the time they moved in until they moved out or died.

When a family moved into their home, they registered at the local police station. Anytime a child was born or a household member married, died, or moved out, it was recorded on the family register with the civil authorities. When the entire family moved, they unregistered at the local police station and a new sheet was started for the dwelling’s new occupants.

In cases where families lived in the same dwelling for multiple generations, these registers can become multigenerational records. As a couple aged, one of the younger children may have stayed on to care for the aging parents, in the meantime beginning their own family in the same dwelling.

While the registers typically list the household inhabitants, they do not specifically call out relationships. Use caution and additional research when sorting out familial relationships.

Registration in Mannheim commenced in 1807, with some records being back-dated. Most residents from that time period will be found beginning with the year 1807.

Note: Because of privacy restrictions, some images are not displaying. Whenever possible, nonrestricted details were extracted, and in some instances these details will be provided without a corresponding image. The Family Number ranges used in the browse are reflective of the records keyed, rather than the images displayed.