Rinteln, Germany, Births, 1874-1904

About this collection

This collection contains birth records from Rinteln covering the years 1874 up to and including 1904. Rinteln is a community in the district of Schaumburg in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located on the Weser River about 15 miles northwest of Hamelin and borders the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to the west. Rinteln was chartered in 1239. The historic bridge over the Weser River at Rinteln helped the city develop into an important trade center. The city skyline is characterized by numerous historic half-timber houses and buildings done in the Weser Renaissance architectural style. During the time period of this collection, Rinteln belonged to the Prussian Province of Hesse-Nassau. In addition to Rinteln, the collection includes records from the communities of Deckbergen, Exten, Goldbeck, Hohenrode, Möllenbeck and Steinbergen. Birth records for Steinbergen begin in 1888.

Beginning on October 1, 1874, local registry offices were made responsible for creating birth, marriage and death records in the former Prussian provinces. The collected records are arranged chronologically and usually in bound yearbook form which are collectively referred to as "civil registers." For most of the communities included in the collection, corresponding 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

Birth records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. In each record the date of a birth 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, Maiden Name, Residence/Address, Denomination
• Mother: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Spouse, Denomination, Residence/Address
• Child: Birth Date, Time of Birth, Sex, Given Names
• Signatures

More about using this collection

Each record comprises one page. Additional events from the life of the child were sometimes recorded later on in the margins. These notes 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. In cases where the child had not yet received a name at birth, the name was later added in the margin notes. The “Informant” was often a midwife or the child's father. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Civil Registration Office and then the Year Range for the register desired. If a name directory was created, it will be found at the end of each individual volume.