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Most of my ancestors are German or Russian and I tend to use FamilySearch a lot. However, about two months ago, the search stopped working for me and I haven't yet found a fix.

Are there any other online databases of German birth records, preferably free? Most of my researching is specifically in the Wurttemberg and Baden-Wurttemberg from the 17th to 19th century. A more localized database of that area/time frame would also be workable.

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  • How good is your German? familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/… is an obvious starting point; also cyndislist.com/germany. And genealogy.stackexchange.com/a/1736/104 lifted from an answer to genealogy.stackexchange.com/q/1456/104.
    – user104
    Jul 4, 2013 at 9:35
  • Also: any overlap with genealogy.stackexchange.com/q/139/104 ?
    – user104
    Jul 4, 2013 at 12:05
  • It does overlap, but that one doesn't answer my question in that the only answer is "FamilySearch" because that question has different premises than this one. FamilySearch is the problem that caused me to ask this question, if you will, and this question would have a different answer than the other.
    – Luke_0
    Jul 4, 2013 at 14:30
  • Unfortunately, it's just me and Google translate.
    – Luke_0
    Jul 4, 2013 at 14:32
  • The two questions theoretically could share the same answers; they only differ because you've excluded FamilySearch from the possible set of answers to this one. In terms of utility to a wider audience, I think it's worth linking the two -- maybe acknowledging the first question in the text of this one?
    – user104
    Jul 4, 2013 at 14:42

3 Answers 3

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There are online databases, where you can find records of certain cities. They are called "Ortsfamilienbuecher", which means something like "Family records of a city" [1]. These records are mostly digitalized records from the church. Most of them start at about 1900 and might go back to the 16th century, which of course depends on the church records and the age of the town.

There are about 40 cities from Baden-Wurttemberg, so maybe one of them is relevant for you.

[1] http://www.online-ofb.de/

These books and other databases on the same site can be searched from the genealogy.net meta search.

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  • H'm, these OFB's are all user compiled lists, like the IGI, and therefore scarce replacements for the birth records themselves, I think.
    – Enno Borgsteede
    Jul 28, 2013 at 13:45
  • It is true that these lists are no replacement for birth records themselves. But you can get a lot of information without contacting archives, which might be time and money consuming without any actual results. You can see from which archives the lists have been compiled. So, if you need more information or if you want to get a copy of the birth records, you directly know which archive you can contact.
    – muellerd
    Jul 29, 2013 at 12:42
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    True, and until archives put their own records on-line, there are no other ways either. I'll expland you answer to include the meta search.
    – Enno Borgsteede
    Jul 31, 2013 at 10:22
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Archion has lutheran records from Württemberg. Use either the search option to lookup a specific parish or start browsing at Landeskirchliches Archiv Kassel. All the entries in green are available online.

Ancestry has also the collection Württemberg, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500–1985.

However, there is no online (of offline) collection covering whole modern Germany. Compared to the US you have to do your research on a more local level, with a lot of institutions involved. Most data is stored in local or federal archives or – information covering the time before 1874/1875 when in large parts of the country public registers for birth, wedding and death certificates was established – in church archives or the original parish.

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    Is this outside FamilySearch? Don't think so.
    – Enno Borgsteede
    Jul 28, 2013 at 13:46
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The short answer is NO, meaning that I have never seen any German archive (church or state) that has an online database with birth or baptism records. Most sites have a catalog on-line, but that's about all you can get.

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    Archion, archion.de, has a large archive.
    – Justin808
    Feb 20, 2016 at 22:47
  • That's what they say, but a search for Borgstedt gives 0 results, where FamilySearch gives dozens, for churches that I know to be covered by Archion. So, if someone asks for database, which I interpret as something that can be searched, Archion is not worth it yet.
    – Enno Borgsteede
    Feb 21, 2016 at 23:56

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