Berlin, Germany, Births, 1874-1908

In the city of Berlin, 13 registry offices began work when the Prussian law from March 9, 1874, the "Gesetz über die Beurkundung des Personenstandes und die Form der Eheschließung," concerning the registration of civil status and marriage went into effect on October 1, 1874.

This collection includes the civil registers of births from 1874 to 1908.

The collection also contains the civil registers of births from cities and communities in the Teltow, Niederbarnim and Osthavelland rural districts in Brandenburg, which were later incorporated into greater Berlin starting October 1, 1920:

Adlershof, Altglienicke, Biesdorf, Blankenburg, Blankenfelde, Bohnsdorf, Boxhagen, Britz, Buch, (Französisch) Buchholz, Buckow, Charlottenburg, Dahme-Forst, Dahlem, Eiche, Falkenberg, Friedenau, Friedrichsfelde, Friedrichshagen, Frohnau, Grünau, Grunewald, Haselhorst, Heiligensee, Heinersdorf, Hellersdorf, Hermsdorf, Hohenschönhausen, Karlshorst, Karow, Kaulsdorf, Kladow, Köpenick, Johannisthal, Lankwitz, Lichtenberg, Lichtenrade, Lichterfelde, Lübars, Mahlsdorf, Malchow, Mariendorf, Marienfelde, Marzahn, Müggelheim, Niederschöneweide, Niederschönhausen, Nikolassee, Oberschöneweide, Pankow, Pfaueninsel, Pichelsdorf, Rahnsdorf, Reinickendorf, Rixdorf/Neukölln, Rosenthal, Rudow, Ruhleben, Rummelsburg, Schmöckwitz, Schöneberg, Schöneweide, Siemensstadt, Spandau, Staaken, Steglitz, Sternfeld, Tegel, Tempelhof, Treptow, Wannsee, Weißensee, Wilhelmsruh, Wilmersdorf, Wittenau, Zehlendorf.

Historical Background

Berlin's written records of civil registry documents demonstrate some unique, historically-based characteristics. The evacuation of registries in the final years of World War II and the administrative division of the city that took place in the post-war years, lead to fragmentation and proliferation of record keeping. In the western part of the city, copies were accordingly reclassified as originals because the originals were no longer available. New copies were created. At the same time, books from the western part of the city that were stored in the eastern part of the city were occasionally still maintained and supplemented according to the civil status laws which applied in the GDR. However, the duplicates of the civil registers and collected files were no longer maintained there and were, to a great extent, destroyed as prescribed. In the beginning of the 1990s, the books returned to the originally responsible offices, so now both reclassified and restored original registers can be found there. It was not possible to align and supplement the margin notes before the new "Personenstandsgesetz" (civil status law) went into effect in 2009.

Accordingly, duplicates of the civil registers also appear within this collection if entries were found to deviate from the original register.

For inquiries and further research, please contact the Landesarchiv Berlin (Berlin State Archive) directly [email protected]

Record Details

Registration was recorded on pre-printed forms, bound into books. Each volume begins with entry no. 1. The entries then continue regularly throughout the calendar year and end with a closing remark from the registrar.

Registration of Births

Births were to be registered with the responsible registry office within one week. The date of birth is thus not identical to the issue date of the civil registry certificate.

Stillborn children were entered in the death registers.

The form consists of one page.

You can find the following information in the births entries:

• Place of issue (often identical to the registry office)
• Issue date of the certificate
• Certificate number
• Name, occupation, address of the person reporting the birth
• Name, maiden name, religion, marital status, address of the mother
• Date of birth
• Gender of child
• Name of child
• Possibly also: Name, religion, occupation, address of the child's father
• Possibly also: Subsequent changes to the child's name

Often the name of the child was not yet available at the time of registration; in such cases, the term “noch nicht” would be entered as the given name. Once the child’s name was available it was frequently listed in the margin of the original record.