{"id":31,"date":"2006-11-20T11:41:06","date_gmt":"2006-11-20T18:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.arleneeakle.com\/wordpress\/2006\/11\/20\/looking-for-a-german-birth-certificate-heres-a-little-used-german-source\/"},"modified":"2006-11-20T11:41:06","modified_gmt":"2006-11-20T18:41:06","slug":"looking-for-a-german-birth-certificate-heres-a-little-used-german-source","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arleneeakle.com\/wordpress\/2006\/11\/20\/looking-for-a-german-birth-certificate-heres-a-little-used-german-source\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking for a German Birth Certificate? Here’s a Little-Used German Source"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geburtsbriefe<\/strong><\/em> are documents of birth and citizenship.\u00a0 These sources for German genealogical research are especially valuable where parish registers have been destroyed, or have gaps.\u00a0 A Geburtsbriefe<\/em> was also used as a passport since it included a statement of citizenship.\u00a0 And best of all–these records first appear for diplomatic officials in the 14th century and apply to people of “free birth” from the late 16th century on.
\nToday, birth certificates from a local civil registrar or christening certificates from a parish clerk in Germany are aceptable as legal proof of origin.\u00a0 Originally a christening certificate was not sufficient, a Geburtsbriefe<\/em> was needed.<\/p>\n

Before the registrar issued a Geburtsbrief<\/em>e, two to four credible witnesses had to testify under oath that the birth was legitimate<\/em>.\u00a0 A christening certificate was requested as proof of birth.\u00a0 The date and place of the marriage for the parents was required.<\/p>\n

Geburtsbriefe<\/em> were issued by the civil authorities, usually the council, the mayor, or the court.\u00a0 In smaller German territories, the administrator (Amstverwalter) issued the briefe<\/em>.\u00a0 In rural communities the municipality issued them, and in farm districts, they were issued by the local Lord.<\/p>\n

This important document was an exit document<\/strong>:\u00a0 it allowed your ancestor to leave home, to move somewhere else, or to emigrate to America.\u00a0 The Pennsylvania Germans brought these documents to America with them.\u00a0 These documents allowed a groom to be married in the parish of his bride, to apply for burgher rights (citizenship) to practice his occupation in another town, or to establish proof of relationship and legitimate birth for inheritance purposes.\u00a0 And ancestors who entered a guild to learn a trade had to certify legitimate birth with a briefe.<\/em><\/p>\n

Although the contents of Geburtsbriefe<\/em> were generally the same in each region of Germany, some variations occur.\u00a0 They usually give the following information:<\/p>\n