Schwäbisch Hall, Germany, Church Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1559-1829

About This Collection

This collection contains church records from Schwäbisch Hall covering the years 1559 up to and including 1829. Schwäbisch Hall is the largest city in the district of the same name in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Between 1802 and 1934 the official name of the city was Hall. It is situated along the Kocher river about 37 miles northeast of Stuttgart. Historically, the city was closely connected to the local saltworks industry and to an imperial coin mint established in the Middle Ages. The half-penny coins produced there were called "Hellers." These coins were particularly widespread in southern Germany from the 13th to the 19th century and gave rise to the German idiom "auf Heller und Pfennig" meaning "down to the last penny." With such a diminutive value even the smallest of debts could be paid. During the time period of this collection, Schwäbisch Hall was, until 1802, an imperial (self-ruling) city. This collection includes the parishes of St. Nikolai, St. Johann and St. Urban which were dissolved in 1812, as well as the extant parishes of St. Catherine and St. Michael. The date range of each individual church register may vary.

Many registers date to the beginning of, or just before, the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). These earlier documents may be partially written in Latin or use Latin phrases. The majority of the collection, however, is in German. These parish records primarily contain information about births and baptisms, marriages, and deaths and burials. Some indexes and cross-referenced lists are also included.

What You Can Find in the Records

Events in the original church registers were recorded by the local pastor. Depending on the time period and on the individual formulations used, you may generally find the following details in these records:

For Births:

• Child: Given Names, Birthdate, Legitimacy/Illegitimacy, Baptism, Witnesses
• Parents: Father's Given Names, Last Name, and Profession/Trade; Mother's Given Names, Maiden Name, and Profession/Trade

For Marriages:

• Groom: Given names, Last Name, Occupation, Residence, Birthdate and Birth Place, Details about his Parents
• Bride: Given names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation, Residence, Birthdate and Birth Place, Details about her Parents
• Date and Place of Wedding

For Deaths:

• Deceased: Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Occupation/Trade, Age, Spouse/Parents, Death Place, Burial Date

More About Using This Collection

Under "Browse this collection,” select the desired Parish and Year Range in order to see the Titles of available church books. The sequence of birth, marriage, or death records may not be consistent. Records may be either documented in separate books by type of record, or complied into a single register.