Genealogy Sites In Bavaria: Uncover Your German Roots

Bavaria, or the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in southeast Germany. It is one of the oldest states in Europe, established as a duchy in the first millennium. The Kingdom of Bavaria existed from 1806 to 1918, and since then, Bavaria has been a free state or republic. The state offers a rich source of genealogical information, with many online databases and indexes that can aid in family history research. These include birth, marriage, and death records, as well as church, civil, and military records. Some notable genealogy websites for Bavaria are Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, and Germanic Genealogy Society.

Online genealogy records for Bavaria, including birth, marriage, and death records

There are several online genealogy records for Bavaria, Germany, including birth, marriage, and death records. Here is a list of some of the available resources:

Civil Registration Records

Civil registration records in Bavaria started on 1 January 1876 and are an excellent source for information on names, dates, and places of births, marriages, and deaths. These records are kept by the civil registrar (Standesbeamte) at the civil registry office (Standesamt). To find the correct office, you can use resources such as Meyer's Gazetteer or the German Wikipedia.

Some websites that offer civil registration records for Bavaria include:

• FamilySearch: Offers digitised microfilms of civil registration records for various towns in Bavaria, such as Nuremberg, Berchtesgaden, and Ludwigshafen.
• Ancestry.com: Provides civil registration records for towns like Bischofswerda, Ebersberg, Grafing, and more.

Church Records

Church records, also known as parish registers or church books, are another essential source for genealogical research in Bavaria before civil registration began. These records include details of baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials. The majority of the population was mentioned in these records.

Some websites with online church records for Bavaria are:

• FamilySearch: Provides Catholic and Protestant church records for various parishes in Bavaria, including Augsburg, Munich, and Eichstätt.
• Ancestry.com: Offers selected Protestant church books for towns like Alsen, Barbelroth, and Bingert, as well as Catholic church records for Ansbach.
• Matricula: Provides digitised Catholic church books for several parishes in the Passau area of Bavaria.
• Archive and Library of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising: Offers complete online coverage of Roman Catholic church records for the diocese of Munich in Bavaria.

Other Records

In addition to birth, marriage, and death records, there are other types of records that can be useful for genealogical research in Bavaria. These include:

• Immigration and Travel Records: Websites like Forebears.io offer indexes and images of passenger lists from Hamburg, Germany, as well as records of Germans immigrating to the United States, Australia, and New Zealand.
• Military Records: Websites like Ancestry.com and Forebears.io provide indexes and images of World War I casualty lists and concentration camp records.
• Court and Legal Records: You can find entry registers for Nazi concentration camps, such as Flossenburg and Dachau, as well as other legal documents.
• Directories and Gazetteers: Resources like Forebears.io offer German phone directories, state government directories, and gazetteers for locating places.
• Histories and Books: Websites may also provide access to photographs, postcards, and personal stories related to Bavaria's history, such as Ancestry.com and Forebears.io.

Catholic and Lutheran church records in Bavaria

Church records are an important source for genealogical research in Germany before civil registration began in 1876. They record details of baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials. The vast majority of the population was mentioned in these records.

To search for a specific relative or ancestor, follow these steps:

• Search for the relative or ancestor by name on the Collection Details Page.
• Fill in the search boxes in the Search Collection section with the information you know.
• Click "Search" to show possible matches.
• Compare each result with what you know to determine if there is a match. Keep track of your research in a log.
• If you find the person, add any new information to your records and check the image for additional details.
• Analyze the entry to see if it provides clues to find other records of the person or their family.
• If you can't find the person, try searching by surname only.

It is important to know the religious affiliation of your ancestors as Catholic and Protestant parishes kept separate records. Catholic registers, especially the earliest volumes, are generally written in Latin.

In addition to the FamilySearch collection, there are other online resources for Bavarian church records. These include Ancestry ($), which has Lutheran church records from 1526-1940 and Protestant church records from 1556-1973. FamilySearch also has Catholic church records for Bavaria from 1615-1930 and 1650-1875.

For more recent records, civil registration began in Bavaria in 1876, and these can be used to find birth, marriage, and death records.

Military records and rosters from World War I

Military records can be very valuable when it comes to genealogical research. They often provide birth dates, places of birth and the names of soldiers' parents. Occasionally, the spouse's name and the number of their children are also included.

Ancestry.com hosts a collection of Bavarian World War I Personnel Rosters from 1914-1918. These rosters list information such as status or occupation, parents' status or occupation, parents' residence, and details of the soldier's service. The original records are held by the Bavarian State Archives, War Archives division. The database currently includes about 3.8 million records of soldiers and officers in the following branches of service:

• Bavarian War Ministry (Bayerisches Kriegsministerium)
• High Command (Höhere Stäbe)
• Infantry (Infanterie) (excluding reserve units)
• Cavalry (Kavallerie)
• Artillery (Artillerie)
• Signal Troops (Nachrichtentruppen)
• Air Forces (Luftstreitkräfte)
• Railway Formations (Eisenbahn-Formationen)
• Motorized Transport (Kraftfahr-Formationen)
• Supply Formations (Train-Formationen)

Subsequent releases will include the remainder of the Bavarian Army combat arms, including Infantry Reserves (Infanterie-Ersatztruppenteile), Departments and Units in the Homeland (Dienstellen und Truppenteile in der Heimat), Bavarian Reichswehr (Bayerische Reichswehr), and People's Guard and Volunteer Corps (Volkswehr- und Freiwilligen-Verbände).

Some Bavarian military records are also available on microfilm and can be found in the FamilySearch Library Catalog. Eventually, these will be available online.

Emigration and immigration records for Bavaria

The German state of Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria, has existed as a republic since 1918. Before this, it was known as the Kingdom of Bavaria, which succeeded the Electorate of Bavaria in 1805. Most of Bavaria's present-day borders were established after 1814 with the Treaty of Paris.

There are several online genealogy records and databases that include emigration and immigration records for Bavaria. These records can be helpful for determining a person's place of birth or residence, the year or date they left Bavaria, and the names of spouses and children.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of online resources for Bavarian genealogy records:

• FamilySearch: This website provides access to various records, including birth, marriage, and death records, as well as church and civil registration documents. It also has a specific section for Bavaria (Bayern) Emigration and Immigration, with links to resources such as the Birkenhördt Project, which focuses on emigrants to the USA.
• German Roots: This website offers a comprehensive collection of German emigration records and lists, including a specific section for Bavaria (Bayern) and Pfalz. It provides links to databases such as the Bavaria and Pfalz Emigration Database, which has over 149,000 entries, and the Fürth, Bavaria Emigration and City Directories, 1805-1913.
• German Emigrants Database: This database, formerly titled the Bavaria & Pfalz Emigration Database, has been compiled from emigration notices printed in newspapers. It currently has over 149,5000 entries and can be used to find the town your ancestors emigrated from.
• Bavaria (Bayern) Online Genealogy Records: This website provides links to online databases and indexes that may include birth, marriage, death, immigration, land, military, and newspaper records. Some subscription websites listed can be searched for free at a FamilySearch centre or affiliate library.
• Bavaria, Germany Genealogy Research Guide: This website offers a free genealogy search tool to help users find ancestry information. It creates a series of different searches using tips and tricks to improve the results of your genealogy research.

It is worth noting that many Bavarian emigrants chose to embark from the French harbour of Le Havre, with most arriving in New York. Therefore, New York-based genealogy groups, such as the German Genealogy Group, may also be useful for researching Bavarian ancestry.

Historical maps of Bavaria

Bavaria, or the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in southeast Germany. It is one of the oldest states in Europe, established as a duchy in the first millennium. The Kingdom of Bavaria existed from 1806 until 1918, after which Bavaria became a free state and a republic.

Maps are a great way to visualise the historical development of a region. Here is a description of some historical maps of Bavaria:

Old Maps of Bavaria

Old maps of Bavaria can be found in the "Old maps of Bavaria" category on Wikimedia Commons. This category includes maps such as:

• A map of the Frankish Dominions from 768-900
• A map of Bavaria and its territories from the 16th century
• A map of the Bavarian Circle from the 17th century
• A map of the Kingdom of Bavaria from the 19th century

Bavaria on Maps Created Over 70 Years Ago

Wikimedia Commons also has a category for maps of Bavaria created over 70 years ago. This category includes maps such as:

• A map of Bavaria and its neighbouring regions from 1601
• A map of the Bavarian territories from around 1647
• A map of the region around Wertheim from around 1647
• A map of the Palatinate of Bavaria from around 1650
• A map of the region around Nuremberg from around 1650

Bavaria in Historical Maps

The website of the "FamilySearch Wiki" provides information on historical maps of Bavaria. During the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1812) and after the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the borders of Bavaria changed significantly. As a result, the Kingdom of Bavaria conducted a detailed survey of each village, which resulted in very detailed maps of every village in Bavaria at a scale of approximately 1:1000. These maps can be accessed through the Landesamt für Vermessung und Geoinformation, München, Bayern, or the website Historisches Lexikon Bayerns.

Additionally, an app was created in 2013 in cooperation with the House of Bavarian History and other institutions, offering a fascinating discovery trip through historical Bavaria. The app includes six georeferenced maps that are part of one of the most important card collections in the Bavarian State Library in Munich.

Other Sources for Bavarian Maps

The "FamilySearch Wiki" website also provides links to other websites with historical, administrative, and modern maps of Bavaria. These include interactive maps, maps of 19th-century Bavaria, and a regional atlas of modern Bavaria.

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