Frankenberg, Germany, Deaths, 1876-1951

About this collection

This collection contains death records and death ledgers from Frankenberg covering the years 1876 up to and including 1951. Frankenberg is a city in the Mittelsachsen district of the German state of Saxony. The city is located in the Saxon Uplands along the Zschopau River about 10 miles northeast of Chemnitz. It takes its name from a 12th century Frankish settlement. The St. Aegidien church in the historic city center is a notable landmark. During the time period of this collection until 1918, Frankenberg belonged to the Kingdom of Saxony. The collection includes records from another 7 communities located within the modern confines of the city.

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

Death records were created using preprinted forms that were filled in by hand by the registrar. In each record the date of death 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
• Deceased: Occupation, Given Names, Last Name, Maiden Name, Age, Denomination, Residence/Address, Place/Date of Birth, Spouse/Parents, Place/Date of Death, Time of Death
• Beginning in 1938, the records may also include a Cause of Death and cross references to corresponding birth and/or marriage registers
• Signatures

Death Ledgers (Sterbebeibuch)

The ledgers are a compilation of individual, pre-printed, one-sided forms titled "Sterbeanzeigen" (Death Announcement). They include the following details:

• Cross-reference to death register
• Details about the Deceased: Time of Death, Gender, Given Names, Last Name, Residence, Parents, Birthdate, Marital Status, Denomination, Occupation, Cause of Death, Burial Place

More about using this collection

Each record comprises one page. Additional events from the life of the deceased 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. The “Informant” was usually a relative of the deceased. In later years death information was often submitted by hospital administrators. These records also document casualties (Kriegssterbefälle) from the First and Second World Wars. Under "Browse this collection,” select the Register Type, Civil Registration Office and Year Range of the register desired. Death Ledgers are available only for Frankenburg proper.