Laufen, Germany, Births, 1876-1906

About this collection

This collection contains birth records from Laufen in Bavaria covering the years 1876 up to and including 1906. It includes records from Heining, Leobendorf and Triebenbach which were incorporated into Laufen between 1969 and 1978. The city is located in the district of Berchtesgadener Land about 9 miles north of Salzburg on the border with Austria. To disambiguate, it is often referred to as Laufen on the Salzach (river) or Laufen in Upper Bavaria. The city's history has been shaped by its location on the river and by the salt trade. This valuable cargo was transported through the treacherous rapids at Laufen and became a rich source of income for the city and its residents. However, the salt trade declined in the 18th century and the construction of railway lines in the mid-19th century put an end to shipping by river. Until 1816, Laufen was part of Salzburg Austria. During the time period of this collection, Laufen belonged to the Kingdom of Bavaria.

Beginning on January 1, 1876, birth, marriage and death records in the former German Empire were created by local registry offices. The collected records are arranged chronologically and usually bound together in the form of yearbooks. These are collectively referred to as "civil registers." Complementary alphabetical directories of names may also have been 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: