Worms, Germany, Deaths, 1876-1950

About this collection

This collection contains death records from Worms covering the years 1876 up to and including 1950. Worms is an independent city situated on the left (west) bank of the Rhine in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate It is also known as the Nibelungen city and Luther City and is known for the Kaiserdom, a Romanesque imperial cathedral. During the time period of this collection Worms was first part of the Grand Duchy of Hesse and, after 1946, part of the newly created state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Beginning on May 1, 1798, birth, marriage and death records in left-bank areas, including the city of Worms, followed the model of the French civil registry. Throughout the entire former German Empire, civil registration was taken over and performed by local registry offices beginning in January 1, 1876.

The collected records are arranged chronologically and usually in bound yearbook form which are collectively referred to as "civil registers." Occasionally, alphabetical directories of names were also created. While churches continued to keep traditional records, the State also mandated that the personal or marital status of the entire population be recorded.

What you can find in the records

Death records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. In each record the date of death usually differs from the date it was registered. Depending on the individual form or on the formulations used by the registrar, you may find:

• Sequential or Certificate Number
• Registration Date
• Informant: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Residence/Address
• Deceased: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Age, Denomination, Residence/Address, Birthplace, Marital Status, Spouse/Parents, Place/Date of Death, Time of Death
• Signatures

More about using this collection

Each record comprises one page. Additional events from the life of the deceased were sometimes recorded later on in the margins. These notes, sometimes referred to as "narration," can contain very useful information but they have not been indexed. As a result, information from the notes will not found via the search form. The “Informant” was usually a relative of the deceased.