Berlin, Germany, Deaths, 1874-1955

In the city of Berlin, 13 registry offices began work when the Prussian law from March 9, 1874, the "Gesetz über die Beurkundung des Personenstandes und die Form der Eheschließung," concerning the registration of civil status and marriage went into effect on October 1, 1874.

What You Can Find in the Records

This collection includes the civil registers of deaths from 1874 to 1955

The collection also contains the civil registers of deaths from cities and communities in the Teltow, Niederbarnim and Osthavelland rural districts in Brandenburg, which were later incorporated into greater Berlin starting October 1, 1920:

Adlershof, Altglienicke, Biesdorf, Blankenburg, Blankenfelde, Bohnsdorf, Boxhagen, Britz, Buch, (Französisch) Buchholz, Buckow, Charlottenburg, Dahme-Forst, Dahlem, Eiche, Falkenberg, Friedenau, Friedrichsfelde, Friedrichshagen, Frohnau, Grünau, Grunewald, Haselhorst, Heiligensee, Heinersdorf, Hellersdorf, Hermsdorf, Hohenschönhausen, Karlshorst, Karow, Kaulsdorf, Kladow, Köpenick, Johannisthal, Lankwitz, Lichtenberg, Lichtenrade, Lichterfelde, Lübars, Mahlsdorf, Malchow, Mariendorf, Marienfelde, Marzahn, Müggelheim, Niederschöneweide, Niederschönhausen, Nikolassee, Oberschöneweide, Pankow, Pfaueninsel, Pichelsdorf, Rahnsdorf, Reinickendorf, Rixdorf/Neukölln, Rosenthal, Rudow, Ruhleben, Rummelsburg, Schmöckwitz, Schöneberg, Schöneweide, Siemensstadt, Spandau, Staaken, Steglitz, Sternfeld, Tegel, Tempelhof, Treptow, Wannsee, Weißensee, Wilhelmsruh, Wilmersdorf, Wittenau, Zehlendorf.

Record Details

Berlin's written records of civil registry documents demonstrate some unique, historically-based characteristics. The evacuation of registries in the final years of World War II and the administrative division of the city that took place in the post-war years, lead to fragmentation and proliferation of record keeping. In the western part of the city, copies were accordingly reclassified as originals because the originals were no longer available. New copies were created. At the same time, books from the western part of the city that were stored in the eastern part of the city were occasionally still maintained and supplemented. According to the civil status laws which applied in the GDR; however, the duplicates of the civil registers and collected files were no longer maintained there and were, to a great extent, destroyed as prescribed. In the beginning of the 1990s, the books returned to the originally responsible offices, so now both reclassified and restored original registers can be found there. It was not possible to align and supplement the margin notes before the new "Personenstandsgesetz" (civil status law) went into effect in 2009.

Accordingly duplicates of the civil registers also appear within this collection if entries were found to deviate from the original register.

For inquiries and further research, please contact the Landesarchiv Berlin (Berlin State Archive) directly [email protected]

CONTENT OF THE CIVIL REGISTRY DOCUMENTS

Registration was recorded on pre-printed forms, bound into books. Each volume begins with entry no. 1. The entries then continue regularly throughout the calendar year and end with a closing remark from the registrar.

Registration of Deaths

Deaths were to be registered with the responsible registry office by the following day, at the latest. The date of death is thus not always identical to the date of issue of the civil register certificate.

The form consists of one page.

You can find the following information in the death entries: