Menden (Sauerland), Germany, Births, 1874-1906

About this collection

This collection contains birth records and name directories from Menden Germany covering the years 1874 up to and including 1906. Menden is located on the Hönne River about 10 miles southeast of Unna, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and in the northern part in of the Sauerland region. The city was first mentioned in a document from the year 1276. Because it was located on the former border of the Duchy of Westphalia, which belonged to Electorate of Cologne, the city was often the site of armed conflict and had to be rebuilt multiple times. In the old town can be found numerous half-timbered houses along with the remnants of the city wall and two defensive towers which bear witness to the turbulent history of this market town. During the time period of this collection, Menden belonged to the Prussian Province of Westphalia. The collection also includes records from the community of Sümmern. The date ranges of records from these communities may vary.

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

Depending on the form used, the name directories are arranged alphabetically by child's last name and then chronologically within the first letter of the last name. They are bound as separate volumes covering several years each. They contain the following details:

• Sequential number
• Last Name and Given Names of the Child (sometimes including Parents' Names and Residence)
• Cross-reference to birth register

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, 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. 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 Year Range of the register desired. When name directories (Namensverzeichnis) are available for a registry office, they are separately displayed and selectable at the end of the list.